Knee Replacement: Sue's Story

"I was up and around right away with physical and occupational therapy the day of my surgery [and] each day in the hospital, I could do more and more. The best thing was that every staff member on the floor cheered me on with every step I took.” - Sue Hamann

Sue Hamann likes to stay active. From riding her bike to working as a health scientist for the federal government to taking care of her two big dogs, the 67-year-old isn’t ready to slow down anytime soon—but arthritis in her right knee was making those activities, and many more day-to-day tasks, exceedingly painful.

“I had been dealing with arthritis for years, but over the winter, it got a lot worse,” Sue said. “I tried medication, physical therapy and several kinds of injections, but nothing helped for very long.”

Finding her very own solution

Ready to consider additional measures, Sue consulted with Korboi Evans, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital. Various joint replacement implants are used by Holy Cross Health orthopedic surgeons, and after discussing her options with Dr. Evans, she chose a custom knee replacement implant. This option uses a CT scan of the patient’s knee and 3D printing technology to build a joint that replicates the patient’s anatomy exactly. The resulting replacement knee from ConforMIS is unique to the patient.

"The technology has advanced to the point that we can tailor the knee to the patient’s anatomy to improve outcomes and improve function, which is ultimately the goal of knee replacement,” Dr. Evans said. “The custom knee implant is sized, aligned and configured prior to surgery.”

While the knee was being built, which takes up to six weeks, Sue prepared for the surgery by participating in the hospital's joint replacement education class, which teaches patients what to expect before, during and after surgery.

On a Monday morning in early November, Sue got her new custom knee at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital. 

A smooth experience in the hospital

“I was up and around right away with physical and occupational therapy the day of my surgery," said Sue. "Each day in the hospital, I could do more and more. Pain management was a concern of mine, but I was happy to find that I only needed ibuprofen after the surgery. The best thing was that every staff member on the floor cheered me on with every step I took. It was wonderful.”

Holy Cross Germantown Hospital has all private rooms and is situated on a beautiful campus that contributes to the tranquil healing environment of the hospital. Orthopedic surgeons and the joint care professionals at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital and Holy Cross Hospital are focused on helping people live full and productive lives by eliminating the debilitating symptoms that can accompany disorders such as arthritis. They are experts at advanced, minimally invasive joint replacement and repair techniques that relieve joint pain and increase joint function.

Sue's new joint is helping her move her life ahead

When Sue got home two days after her surgery, she was able to walk up the steps to her bedroom. The next day she was doing a load of laundry in the basement. She had minimal postoperative soreness, and the constant arthritis pain she had was gone. A month later she was back at work full time, and two months later she was able to get back on her bike. 

Sue credits her fast recovery to the hospital’s joint replacement patient education class, her careful preparation before surgery, the skill of Dr. Evans, the wonderful physical therapists at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital and the custom knee implant itself.

Now, Sue says, she is encouraging friends with arthritis to consider surgery. “I’m telling them not to hesitate.”>

To learn more about joint care at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital visit HolyCrossHealth.org/joints.