A second chance to bloom: Gardening with a new knee
Less than two months after having his right knee surgically replaced, Brian Hogsett was back tending his beloved garden last fall at his home in Overland Park, Kansas. The 52-year-old learning and development professional credits Dr. David W. Anderson, board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon and his team at Kansas City Joint Replacement and Sports Medicine – a part of HCA Midwest Health - for getting him pain free and back on his feet after years of living with discomfort so severe that it affected his quality of life.
“This experience has been a meaningful life changer,” says Brian, who underwent a total knee replacement on Oct. 10, 2024. “This knee replacement has allowed me to completely overcome the crippling limitations that my knee injury and the associated deterioration had placed on me. I’ve already achieved my initial goal – being able to do what I want physically without being limited by my ability to tolerate pain in my knee. It was well worth the time, discomfort, and emotional investment.”
How do you know when it’s time?
Brian had struggled for years with knee issues, but it wasn’t until the pain and inconvenience of not being able to move freely finally became intolerable that he decided he needed more relief than physical therapy and pain injections could provide. Adding further insult to his injuries was the fact that the final straw in his decision-making process came while he was working in his garden of all places. Brian had just lunged forward to drop a tomato plant in one of the spots where he planned to plant them when he heard his knee pop and felt a sharp pain. It was the third injury to his right knee in as many years.
“I had been severely limited in being able to garden, to do stairs comfortably, or really anything else, so I decided to have the procedure – at the end of garden season, of course,” Brian says
Brian had tried other less-invasive options like physical therapy and getting injections in the joint to try to ease the pain, but there was no relief. Finally, a sports medicine doctor referred Brian to Dr. Anderson who ordered an MRI that confirmed he had torn the cartilage right where his bones met. This discovery, coupled with ongoing arthritis, meant it was highly unlikely to heal on its own. He cautioned Brian that minor surgery would not relieve his pain, but Dr. Anderson gave him the option to tough out the pain as long as he wanted to but ultimately his right knee would need to be replaced.
“We had a few serious heart-to-heart discussions about his younger age and expectations after surgery” says Dr. Anderson. “Brian was having severe knee pain that limited his activity, which was affecting his overall health and quality of life. The real factor that helped us make a decision to perform the surgery was an MRI that showed significantly worse cartilage loss in his knee than his initial x-rays showed.”
Surgery and beyond
During the pre-surgery consultation with Brian and his family, Dr. Anderson took time to answer all of their questions. The care team provided a packet of information that gave a thorough description of the surgery, including a checklist of what to expect before, during and after the procedure. Brian was given a list of suggested things to consider having available to aid with recovery, such as a toilet seat raiser, a long-reach grabber, etc. And the team also pointed Brian to a smart phone app that helped with daily education and activities.
“I like Dr. Anderson because he’s straight forward, to the point and talks to you like you are a person,” Brian says. “Whenever I was in doubt, I reached out to Dr. Anderson’s office and got a response in a short time. “I’ve always been treated like a VIP. You don’t get that level of care very often these days.”
Just hours after his robot-assisted knee replacement and with the assistance of a physical therapist, Brian was able to get up from his bed and walk about 50 feet to his bathroom without assistance.
He says the second day after surgery was the most painful. He performed physical therapy at home for the first two weeks, and just eight days after surgery he was remarkably back out in his garden with the support of only a cane. He could bend his knee 90 degrees in only 15 days post-surgery.
Brian continued pushing himself during his outpatient physical therapy sessions, curious to see just how far he could go beyond what seemed possible. With Dr. Anderson and the physical therapist’s blessings, Brian was discharged from physical therapy six weeks and one day after surgery. Just days before the discharge, he could straighten his leg out completely (0 degrees) and bend it 132 degrees.
“I didn’t want to have ANY type of expectation of what my recovery would look like,” he says. “If I had allowed myself to have expectations, it may have limited my success. I’m very pleased with my recovery so far and have been free of all pain medications since four-and-a-half weeks after surgery.”
“Brian has worked very hard with physical therapy and has done very well after his total-knee replacement,” says Dr. Anderson. “Using robotic-assisted computer navigation and modern total joint arthroplasty implants, we expect a very good longevity and outcome with his surgery.”
These days, you will find Brian knee deep in his garden and thriving post-replacement.
“I have confidence going forward that any limitations I might have in the future due to pain won’t be from my new right knee!” Brian adds. “I would strongly suggest that anyone considering a knee replacement should have the procedure. But you need to listen to your doctors and therapists before and after the surgery and follow their instructions.”
Orthopedic care in Kansas City
HCA Midwest Health provides the orthopedic care you need, including emergency services, treatment for chronic bone and joint conditions, advanced surgeries and rehabilitation. Our board-certified physicians and surgeons utilize leading-edge technologies to reduce recovery times and get you back to feeling like yourself as quickly as possible. Find a doctor today.