Area Business Owner Plans Vacation Three Weeks After Partial Knee Replacement at Silver Cross Hospital
Every March, Tammy Zeiter and her family vacation in Mexico, but when they were there last year, the Morris business owner started noticing increased pain in her right knee.
Tests ordered by her doctor showed a torn meniscus and diseased cartilage, causing the bones to rub against each other painfully. But even after a meniscus repair, Zeiter said her pain persisted.
“It would just swell up all the time,” she explained. “So I decided instead of having it just continuously drained and going through constant problems, I would just get it fixed.”
That’s when she came to see Dr. Rajeev Puri, orthopedic surgeon with the Midwest Institute for Robotic Surgery at Silver Cross Hospital. After additional tests, Dr. Puri recommended a partial knee replacement as the best option for Zeiter.
With a partial knee replacement, only the damaged part of the knee is replaced, which helps minimize trauma to the healthy bone and tissue. The Midwest Institute for Robotic Surgery at Silver Cross Hospital uses the Mako robotic-arm assisted technology for partial and full knee replacements. The Mako allows for precise placement of the implant.
“Robotic surgery was the best option for Tammy, and using the Mako robot, I’m able to replace the part of her knee that was diseased while helping to spare the healthy bone and ligaments around it,” Dr. Puri said. “Two weeks after surgery, and she no longer needs a cane to walk around. She’s even wearing heals and riding a bike in her therapy!”
Three weeks after surgery, Zeiter is feeling great. Walking up stairs is easier, and she’s even able to exercise and do squats – something that would have caused her significant pain before surgery. Best of all, she’s preparing for the next family trip to Mexico in March!
“I’m doing great,” she said. “I’ve already gotten back to work, and I even graduated to outpatient rehab a couple weeks after surgery. Dr. Puri, his entire staff, and everyone at Silver Cross Hospital were just amazing. They went above and beyond for me. I told my husband if I ever need anything else done I want to go back to Silver Cross.”
