(BPT) - By 2030, the number of people turning to knee replacement surgery to end pain and regain mobility will likely increase to 3.5 million annually, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. For many patients, recovery from knee replacement surgery is painful and slow, and the results are often not what people expect. Multiple clinical studies have found that on average one in five patients who have a knee replacement are dissatisfied with the result because of pain after surgery or because their new knee feels unnatural.
Seventy-two-year-old Ohio resident Tedd Boomershine went from running daily to having trouble walking and completing day to day tasks. When the pain became so severe it was debilitating, he decided to look into replacement surgery for both of his knees. His doctor told him about his options, including a customized implant from ConforMIS, Inc. called iTotal(R) that is now available for total knee replacements. He liked the idea that the implant would be specifically designed to fit his anatomy based on a CT scan of his knees.
"I had no second thoughts about surgery at all. I wanted to get back to my active lifestyle and enjoy my evening walks with my dog, Stella, again," says Boomershine. "Two weeks after my bilateral surgery with the ConforMIS customized knees, I was walking without the assistance of a cane or a walker and I was able to drive. Now after eight months, my knees are pain free and have total flexibility, my legs are straighter, my stride is better and I no longer have lower back pain. The best part is that I have been able to resume my evening walks with Stella."
Seven weeks after surgery Boomershine was able to walk to his fitness center, ride the bike and do weight machines and then walk back home, a total of three miles daily. Dr. Dan Dunaway, of Far Oaks Orthopedists in Dayton, Ohio reports that Boomershine's recovery is similar to other iTotal recoveries he has seen.
"Tedd has had an outstanding recovery, which is something we are now regularly seeing for patients who have both total and partial knee replacements with ConforMIS customized implants. Patients are able to get back to their normal routines much faster and with less pain. With an implant that is designed to fit that patient, the surgery often involves less blood loss and we can retain more of the patient's natural knee. This is a major advance in knee replacement surgery," says Dunaway.
Dunaway suggests that all patients ask their surgeon some important questions before making a decision about knee surgery:
* Is a customized knee implant that is designed based on my own anatomy an option for me?
* Could a customized knee mean less pain and a faster recovery?
* Will I be able to enjoy an active lifestyle again?
For more information about ConforMIS customized implants please visit: www.conformis.com.
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