3. Pre-Surgery

 
Total Knee Replacement X-rays

Showing where bone meets bone in inner side of knee

Total Knee Replacement X-rays

Green lines indicate where bone cuts will be made

Total Knee Replacement MRI

MRI of left knee, front view, showing severe arthritis

 
 

First Meeting With Surgeon

Total Knee Replacement X-rays

Front and side X-rays with leg bone model showing space for prosthetics

 

My initial meeting with my surgeon went well and reinforced the positive feedback I had received about him from his other patients. When you put yourself in a dependent relationship with someone, it is much easier to feel comfortable with them and trust them if you also like them.

During this visit, the surgeon:

•  Showed me a model of the prosthetic,

•  Discussed my concerns regarding anesthesia

•  Described how the surgery would be performed

•  Explained what would happen immediately post-surgery and  while I remained in the hospital

•  We also reviewed  what I could expect when I returned home.

Total Knee Replacement _Prosthetic

Observing how the new knee will bend

I am happy to report that my choice was well made. My doctor’s attention to my emotional and physical needs during my first surgery included visiting me in the waiting room before surgery and in my hospital room immediately after. This demonstration of his concern ensured that he would be doing my next TKR a few months later.

Viewing my X-rays on the monitor, I saw where cuts would be made to remove portions of my damaged knee and how the new knee would fit into my leg. I also gained a tactile relationship with a facsimile of my new knee. I held it by the long plastic pieces that represented leg bones. Moving them back and forth, I could observe how the joint would work once it replaced my defective knee. Seeing it juxtaposed against the X-ray of my knee on the monitor brought me to another level of understanding and made the theoretical much more real.

My surgeon then gave me a three-ring binder that provided a detailed overview of the TKR experience. It included chapters on preparing for knee replacement and expectations before, during, and after surgery. There was also a section on recommended exercises. That information proved to be very useful and helped me through my subsequent surgeries.

I left our initial meeting feeling very comfortable with my surgeon.

During our conversation, he projected both self-confidence and a deep concern for his patients.