Nov 13, 2007 5:30 pm US/Central
Knee Replacement Surgery Being Customized
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ―
Russell McGough has had to give up a lot of things because of the constant pain in his knees. "My knees kill me," he said, "and couldn't stand up."
But a new type of surgery is helping to ease the pain for knee replacement patients. The procedure uses knees made specifically for each patient's body. "It's made to fit exactly onto their knee," explained Dr. Sacheen Metha.
A computer program gets measurements from a patient's MRI and creates the mold.
"It's tremendously exciting for us," said Metha, "because we don't often see an advancement that's this dramatic that comes on the scene this quickly."
Right now, only a few doctors in the DFW area are performing the groundbreaking procedure.
On Monday, McGough was wheeled into surgery to get a new knee, one that has been custom made to fit his anatomy. "Hopefully it does what it's supposed to," McGough said, "because I'm in a lot of pain and I don't get to do much now."
According to Metha, who has performed hundreds of traditional knee replacements, the new customized knee replacement takes half the time in surgery and requires less cutting of the bone. This makes the procedure less painful, and allows the patient to heal faster.
"I'm surprised that I'm not having more pain than I'm having," McGough said. Just hours after his surgery, McGough was taking his first steps on a new knee. He's now anxious to get back on his feet and enjoy a pain-free life again. "I'm excited for what the future holds," he added.
McGough's physical therapist, Shari Christie, has seen patients recover from the traditional knee replacement a countless number of times. "There's no comparison," she said. "Patients went from barely sitting up on the side of the bed on the day of surgery to, as this man did, he walked 50 feet."
Metha said that the new procedure does not cost any more than a traditional knee replacement. However, no long-term studies have been conducted to show if there are any negative side effects.
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