Faith Regional Health Services | living WELL | Spring 2021

FRHS.ORG 9 Is it time for a new knee? The decision to have a knee replacement sur- gery to address severe pain from arthritis or an old injury isn’t one you should make hastily. It requires working with your doctor to weigh the pros and cons. Also, other nonsurgical treat- ments are typically recommended first. “Every patient has a goal of what they want to get back to,” says John Lammli, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Faith Regional. “Here in Northeast Nebraska, we have a large population of patients involved in the agriculture industry. They want to get ready to go farm in the spring or the fall, and they are having a lot of difficulties getting in and out of the tractor or walking through the fields. There are also patients who are active and want to enjoy hunting or golf- ing and finding these activities difficult. I tell patients you know you’re ready when you’ve exhausted your other options and you realize you’ve become a spectator in life, not a participant.” Ready to discuss joint replacement? Find an orthopedic surgeon at frhs.org . you learned before the procedure. You’ll practice sitting up, standing and walking short distances with a walker or crutches, and climbing a few stairs. These exercises in the hospital will help you learn to move your new joint safely. And they’ll keep blood moving through your joints to promote healing. In many cases, patients go home the day of their surgery. Your physical therapy will con- tinue for several weeks after your hospital stay. At Faith Regional, you’ll work one-on-one with your therapist for your entire appoint- ment as you continue to heal and build your strength and mobility in your new joint. The benefit of con- tinuing your physical therapy with Faith Regional after your surgery is how closely our physical therapists, surgeons and hospital team work together to create a seamless expe- rience for patients. Therapy can also be geared toward helping you meet specific goals, such as going back to work or returning to a sport you enjoy. Sources: American Physical Therapy Association; Arthritis Foundation; National Institutes of Health John Lammli, MD