Adventurous World Traveler Back on Track After Knee Replacement

This is the second article in a two-part series on the newly FDA-approved Oxford Cementless Partial Knee Replacement being performed by Washington Health orthopedic surgeons. See last week’s Tri-City Voice for part one, explaining why this proven option results in outstanding patient outcomes.

It is not unusual for Lea Ver to go scuba diving with sharks in the Philippines, hot air ballooning in Turkey, touring museums in Italy and Spain, and hiking to remote Tahitian waterfalls. However, this solo world traveler was grounded recently for a knee replacement due to a meniscus tear two years ago. The good news is, she will be jetting off again soon since she is healing well after receiving an Oxford Cementless Partial Knee Replacement from John T. Dearborn, MD, FAAOS, founder and medical co-director of Washington Health’s Institute for Joint Restoration and Research, and founder and medical director of Peninsula Surgery Center.

Partial knee replacement is a surgical procedure to treat osteoarthritis confined to a single compartment of the knee. The cemented Oxford Partial Knee Replacement (PKR) has been used in Europe for 50 years and has the best outcomes of all the implants on the market today, likely because of the mobile bearing that replicates natural knee movement. The cementless version of this implant, which was FDA-approved in February, eliminates the need for bone cement, which can be a barrier to long-term fixation for younger patients.

Sixty-plus-year-old Lea kept feeding her wanderlust until her bone-on-bone knee pain began to significantly limit what she could do on trips. “I was having difficulty carrying my 50-pound bags full of scuba equipment, and on my recent trip in Malaga, I couldn’t hike the mountains like I wanted,” she said. “In Albania, my friend had to carry me up the many stairs to a hilltop restaurant!”

Lea eats well, practices yoga, and takes excellent care of herself. Now retired from the venture capital industry, she engages her brain by learning languages and studying new developments like artificial intelligence (AI) and digital currency. She researched and tried numerous holistic health options to help with her knee pain, but after having an MRI, she was told she needed a knee replacement.

“Once I found out Medicare would cover the cost of my procedure, I investigated orthopedic surgeons and Dr. Dearborn’s name kept coming up,” recalled Lea. “After speaking to him and one of his former knee replacement patients, I decided to have Dr. Dearborn perform the procedure.”

Because the Oxford PKR is less invasive than total knee replacement, it results in less postoperative pain, quicker rehabilitation, and earlier return to daily activities. Lea went home the day of her surgery and had friends and family stay at home with her for the first week to be safe. She used a walker to get around her apartment the first three days, then used a cane when needed for a week. After that, she was able to walk without any assistive device, even walking to her physical therapy clinic near her home.

Now, one month after her surgery, Lea’s knee is showing excellent range of motion, with 120-degree flexion, which is much sooner than with other partial knee replacements. She is very pleased with the healing of the 6-inch incision, which she says barely shows.

Lea will continue to rehabilitate her knee for another two months, then she plans to go snow skiing later this season and will be off to her next adventure sailing and scuba diving in New Zealand! She is excited to continue swimming with sharks and whales in every ocean, meeting new friends around the world, and discovering new languages, cultures and destinations.

To learn more about partial knee replacement, go to Dearbornassoc.com/services/partial-knee-replacement/. For more information on the Washington Health Institute for Joint Research and Restoration, visit WashingtonHealth.com/IJRR