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Lynne
Like an estimated 21 million other Americans*, Lynn Swallow, a retired LPN, is no stranger to osteoarthritis. Known as the “wear-and-tear” kind of arthritis, osteoarthritis is a common, chronic condition characterized by the breakdown of the joint’s cartilage, the part of the joint that cushions the ends of the bones and allows easy movement of joints. The breakdown of cartilage causes the bones to rub against each other, causing stiffness, pain and loss of movement in the joint.
Lynn had suffered from various symptoms of osteoarthritis for years, refusing to let it impact her active lifestyle; however, in March 2007, she noticed that a cyst on her wrist (which sometimes results from osteoarthritis) was getting bigger. Based on his experiences, her husband, Jon, recommended she schedule an appointment with OAA Orthopaedic Specialists.
During her first visit with Dr. Richard Battista, a board certified, fellowship-trained hand surgeon with OAA’s Hand and Upper Extremity Institute, Lynn immediately felt at ease. Dr. Battista reviewed her medical history, performed an extensive evaluation, and sent her downstairs to OAA’s
Diagnostic
Imaging
Center for diagnostic testing. After her x-rays were complete, she walked back up stairs to Dr. Battista’s office where he was reviewing the actual images on a computer screen in the exam room.
Lynn was amazed at his efficiency. She knew she had come to the right place.
“I couldn’t believe the service I received at OAA,” she recalled. “You go to the doctor, get the x-ray, the doctor discusses the results with you and begins a treatment plan – and it’s all at the same place. For a person with arthritis who has trouble moving around, OAA is a blessing in disguise!”
At the time of her visit, Dr. Battista suggested a non-surgical approach as the first step in treating arthritis, using splints on her wrist. Unfortunately, the splints proved unsuccessful. After further consultation with Dr. Battista, she elected to go ahead with reconstruction of her arthritic thumb joint. This was followed by six weeks of hand therapy at OAA’s
Hand
Therapy
Center . By the summer,
Lynn was back to normal, playing with her grandchildren, doing community work, and serving as a lay pastor at her church.
In August, however,
Lynn began experiencing severe pain in her knees. (Osteoarthritis can affect any joint in the body and generally worsens over time.)
Lynn had problems with her knees in the past, but never this bad. Once again, she scheduled an appointment with OAA Orthopaedic Specialists.
Lynn met with Dr. Kenneth Brislin, a Sports Medicine Surgeon at OAA’s Sports Medicine Institute. Upon examination, Dr. Brislin discovered that
Lynn had bilateral medial and lateral meniscus tears in both knees (also caused by arthritis). His first line of treatment for
Lynn was a series of corticosteroid shots. However, the severe pain continued to return.
Dr. Brislin then suggested bilateral knee arthroscopies on both of her knees. He also recommended that both knees be done during the same surgery. As Dr. Brislin explains, “In select patients who require arthroscopy for both knees, it is safe for the patient to have both knees done at the same time. It will allow for a quicker overall recovery and prevent the symptoms from worsening in the non-operative leg. The anesthesia is no different and the risks are not significantly raised.” The recovery time for an arthroscopy can be as quick as three weeks, but up to eight weeks in some cases.
Lynn was very nervous about undergoing surgery again, thinking, “How am I going to get through this? I won’t be able to walk. Plus I may be out of action for some time. What should I do?”
Lynn discussed her situation with Jon and Dr. Brislin at length, and decided to go ahead with the surgery. Looking back on her decision, she reflects, “Dr. Brislin was so right to do it that way.” After attending physical therapy sessions twice a week for eight weeks,
Lynn was again back to her old self, enjoying time with her three grandchildren.
When I interviewed
Lynn for this article, she and Jon had just returned from a 10-day cruise to
New England,
Nova Scotia,
Quebec, and
Newfoundland in celebration of their wedding anniversary.
Lynn was excited about getting back into the swing of things and planning to remain as active as possible.
“You just need to keep moving – that’s the key!” she said.
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Hear what other
OAA
patients have
to
say about their
experiences at OAA:
Lynn DeCola, CPO
Cindy Lou Heiser
Lynne Swallow
Richard Kleintop
Stephen
Frank Berry
Anna Hammershock
Nancy and James
We'd love to hear from you! Have you had an experience at OAA that you'd like to share with others? Please feel free to send an e-mail to:
dgaul@oaainstitute.com
at: 610.973.6481
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