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Totally great joint replacement

Editor, Index-Tribune:

 

I am sitting at my computer exactly six days from my knee replacement surgery and I am overwhelmed with feelings of appreciation and respect for the program at Sonoma Valley Hospital.

I am a health-care consultant with 35 years experience in building and managing outpatient surgery centers. I am very familiar with the preoperative preparation, the many surgical procedures and their board range of recovery experiences. I was not prepared for Sonoma Valley Hospital and Dr. Michael Brown.

After several months of preparation, which involved meetings with the surgery coordinator, Janet Alexander, RN, and reading the binder given to me by the program coordinator, I still walked in Monday morning very nervous about what was about to happen. Many of my friends and professional colleagues had explained to me the long, painful recovery for a total joint replacement surgery and I was not looking forward to facing that process.

After meeting first with the anesthesiologist Dr. Urlich, he assured me that there would be a local pain inhibitor for the knee which would be there for two days following surgery and because of this, less anesthetic narcotics would be necessary. The entire surgical staff verified which knee it was as well a who I was and then Dr. Brown entered and initialed my knee. We were set to go.

In no time at all, I was in recovery ready to go back to my room. From that time on, dedicated, kind, thoughtful and interesting nurses, CNAs and physical therapists saw me constantly for three days and then it was time to go home. By that time I was walking on my new knee with the help of a walker and so far had experienced very little post operative pain. There was the normal discomfort of a surgical incision and the stiffness of the new joint, but otherwise, no real pain ... on a scale of 1-10, maybe 1-2 occasionally.

A few days later, there was still very little pain and I was walking without a cane or walker from room to room. Of course, I had the little problems of post-op constipation from pain meds and the struggle of dealing with weak muscles in the surgical leg, but overall, I am amazed. Just to be totally honest here, it does hit you like a truck, so you do need a lot of rest and you need to take care of yourself and follow the instructions, but still ...this is totally great.

Many thanks to Dr. Brown, Janet Alexander, my amazing nurses and nursing assistants and physical therapist. I am in awe of your dedication and care for your patients and for this program.

 Audry M. DeMars

Sonoma