Robotic-assisted knee replacement: 'I wish I hadn't waited that long'
Time had worn away cartilage on her right knee, and her arthritis flared up. X-rays confirmed that her knee joints moved bone against bone without the cartilage cushion. Tammy underwent several arthroscopic surgeries to clean out her knee and steroid injections to reduce inflammation.
"I was often in pain from my knee," says Tammy, 65, who lives in Chesapeake, Va., and is a special education teacher at Kempsville High School in Virginia Beach, Va. "I like to garden and plant flowers and couldn't squat down to reach the ground. Inside the house, I had to hold onto the railing when I went up and down the stairs."
Running out of options
Tammy had seen orthopedic surgeons over the years for various treatment options. One doctor suggested knee replacement surgery several years ago, but Tammy wasn't ready. The surgeon advised her to consider surgery again when her quality of life became poor because of her knee.As time passed, her knee pain increased.
At work, Tammy normally would go upstairs for her classes and then back down for her planning periods. Eventually, she stayed upstairs to avoid the cringing pain of going up and down.
Tammy had to scale back on her yard work at home and housework became more complicated. She couldn't carry items while on the stairs since she had to hold onto the railing to brace herself.
"I was in so much pain, I couldn't sleep at night," Tammy recalls. "That is one of the many reasons I decided it was time to have surgery."
Robotic-assisted surgery
When Tammy decided that a knee replacement was the best option for her going forward, she learned about a new robotic surgery offered at Sentara Leigh Hospital.In a total knee replacement, surgeons remove the damaged parts of the shin and thigh bones (tibia and femur). The underside of the kneecap (patella) is also resurfaced. The new parts glide smoothly together.
The VELYS ™ robotic-assisted solution for knee replacement improves the precise placement of the knee replacement components. A camera and trackers help surgeons paint a 3D digital picture of the knee to customize the surgery more accurately.
Throughout the surgery, the doctor receives digital information about the knee to visualize and predict the stability of the knee joint, find the right implant fit and perform a highly accurate knee restoration. The robotic technology verifies the final alignment and balance.
Surgery day and recovery
Before surgery, Tammy took a required virtual joint replacement class to prepare her and her husband, Michael, for what would take place before, during and after surgery. The day of the surgery at Sentara Leigh went smoothly, and Tammy was up and about shortly after surgery - sitting in a chair, practicing with a walker and going up model stairs.
Tammy spent her first night at home in a recliner on the first level of the house. The next day, a physical therapist (PT) came to help her start moving her knee. Tammy was instructed to keep icing and elevating her knee along with the exercises the PT gave her.
"I used a walker for three days, then a cane for a week," Tammy adds. "After that, I was able to walk on my knee unassisted."
PT came to her house for two weeks. She was dedicated to her "homework" exercises. After those two weeks, she had outpatient PT appointments.
PTs measure the knee's range of motion to gauge progress. The normal knee range of motion is 135 degrees fully bent. Tammy progressed from 65 degrees to 122 at home and then 133 by the time her outpatient PT ended. She is also able to straighten it perfectly - 0 degrees.
Back to activities
Before knee pain got the best of her, Tammy enjoyed walking around the Kempsville High School track with a coworker, but she had to give that up. Now, thanks to her successful knee replacement and recovery, she's back on track, literally!
"We have started to walk around the track again," Tammy says. "I can plant my flowers again and squat down to pick things off the floor instead of bending at the waist."
Tammy urges other patients suffering from knee pain to consider a knee replacement sooner rather than later.
"If they are thinking about it, I'd advise them to go ahead and do it," she adds. "I wish I hadn't waited that long."
Let us help you return to your daily activities. Learn more about Sentara's joint replacement program