New Knees

January 4, 2010

Dawn Hammiller, now 48, was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) eight years ago, and then found out she has osteoarthritis (OA) as well. While dealing with the pain and stiffness from her two types of arthritis and keeping them under control, she felt that there must be something she could do for her knees. 

“I knew the doctors would say that I am too young for a knee replacement, and would make me wait,” said Dawn. “But I kept wondering how I could keep going before I hit that point.”

Dawn knew that information was the key, and wanted to be a smart patient and consumer, so she started her research. Then one day while speaking to a staff member at the Arthritis Foundation, she learned about a new, less-invasive option for knee replacement surgery called MAKOplasty. The MAKOplasty technology uses the precision of robotics to perform partial knee resurfacing which results in shorter hospital stays and faster healing than traditional knee surgeries.

"When I learned about the shorter recovery time, I really wanted to know more. I called Dr. Schultz at ProHealth Care in Oconomowoc and asked him every question I could think of,” said Dawn.

After determining that Dawn could be a candidate, she scheduled her surgery. The doctor told her that he wouldn’t know the full extent of damage to her knee until they could open the knee. Dawn was prepared for either a full or partial knee operation. Fortunately, Dawn’s knee only needed the resurfacing. This will give her another five to ten years of increased mobility and reduced pain before she has to consider a full knee replacement.

“Within five days of my surgery, I couldn’t believe how great I felt,” exclaimed Dawn. “My surgery was only about 90 minutes, and I can go back to work within six weeks instead of two or three months!”

If you are interested in this procedure, please talk with your doctor to see if this is a proper treatment option for your arthritis and knee pain. Not everyone is a candidate, but everyone should talk to their doctor.

“After thorough research and many discussions with my doctor, I knew I was ready. Fortunately, MAKOplasty was right for me,” said Dawn.