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Boeing engineer opts for knee replacement surgery

Boeing engineer William Thompson opted for knee replacement surgery to get back on his feet quickly.

December 03, 2020
William Thompson sitting on a doctor bench.

William Thompson says he was hard on his knees growing up. He loved football, wrestling, rugby and working out. As he got older, he noticed the pain was increasing and he needed to do something about it. As an engineer for Boeing, he needed to be able to go in and out of airplanes at work. He is responsible for designing repairs for the mechanics and help them complete the process.

“I started having issues with my right knee several years ago, and I tried everything to fix it,” said William Thompson. “I tried therapy, injections, cartilage surgery. It was about a year before I realized I needed surgery.”

A doctor examining William Thompson's knee.

William had knee osteoarthritis, where the cartilage in the knee breaks down and limits movement of the knee. It can be extremely painful. He had knee replacement surgery on his right knee.

Five years later, in 2019, William’s left knee started to hurt. His doctor told him there was no cartilage left in his knee.

“This time I went straight for the surgery because the other treatments didn’t work for my body,” said William. “Having it done before and knowing the pain I was in at the time, I was looking forward to it.”

William said the surgery was less invasive, and the scar was almost non-existent. Even his recovery was much smoother this second time. Dr. Raymond Skunda, an orthopedic surgeon at the Methodist Hospital Texsan Total Joint Center, performed William’s second knee replacement surgery.

An x-ray image of William Thompson's knee.

“In the five years between William’s knee replacement surgeries, we have made huge advancements in knee replacement surgery,” said Dr. Skunda. “I perform total knee replacement using robotic arm technology. This technology can reduce bone and soft tissue trauma, decrease postoperative pain, and reduce opioid use postoperatively.”

Dr. Skunda says studies show robotic arm assisted total knee replacement is associated with a lower 90-day readmission rate, improved early functional recovery, and reduced time to hospital discharge when compared to manual knee replacement surgery.

The day after William’s surgery, the care team had him up and out of bed, and he was walking on his own the day after that.

William Thompson getting a knee x-ray.

At his one-year post-surgery appointment, William checked in with Dr. Skunda for X-rays. William reports he is feeling good, climbing stairs and ready to get back to the gym.

If you live with knee pain or have experienced an injury, our multidisciplinary team of orthopedic specialists at the Methodist Hospital Texsan Total Joint Center can help. 

Take our free health risk assessment to find out if you are a good candidate for knee replacement surgery.

Published:
December 03, 2020
Location:
Methodist Texsan Hospital

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