8 minute read
Man returns to active lifetstyle after knee replacement
New Lenox Man Returns to Active Lifestyle After Robotic Knee Replacement Surgery at Silver Cross Hospital
Last year Craig Eckert of New Lenox, who also happens to be a Silver Cross Hospital volunteer, experienced terrible bouts of pain in his right knee.
“Daily activities were becoming difficult; one day I was walking the dog and I couldn’t make it back to the house due to the pain. That’s when I knew I had to see a doctor and get this resolved,” said the 65-year-old Eckert.
The most common cause of knee pain in older adults is osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease that causes the deterioration of joint cartilage and surrounding bone in the knees. When osteoarthritis of the knees becomes severe, normal activities like walking or going up stairs become painful or nearly impossible.
Eckert’s primary doctor referred him to Rajeev Puri, M.D., orthopedic surgeon with Oak Orthopedics. Dr. Puri specializes in robotic knee replacement surgery at the Midwest Institute for Robotic Surgery at Silver Cross.
“When a patient presents with knee pain, it’s important to get a proper diagnosis and rule out if the problem is originating from issues in the hips or back. After reviewing the patient’s health history and performing a physical exam, it may be necessary to order tests such as X-rays or scans,” stated Dr. Puri.
"I prefer to offer conservative treatment options first for knee pain such as home exercises, physical therapy, bracing, medications or injections. If these methods are not successful, I will discuss surgical options such as a partial or total knee replacement, expected outcomes and rehabilitation,” said Dr. Puri. Rajeev Puri, MD
Robotic Technology Used in Knee Replacement
The Midwest Institute for Robotic Surgery at Silver Cross offers Mako™ robotic-arm assisted surgery for partial knee replacement, total knee replacement and total hip replacement surgery.
“The MakoTM surgical equipment has the ability to map out the procedure beforehand and size the implant perfectly by using the patient’s CT scan. The device simulates how the knee will move and act once the implant is in place. This technology can perform a ‘rehearsal’ before the surgery begins, giving the surgeon an opportunity to make adjustments either before or during the knee replacement surgery,” said Dr. Puri.
4 | HEALTH & FIT | SUNDAY, February 9, 2020 Craig Eckert
With the assistance of the Mako™ robot, the orthopedic surgeon replaces the areas of the knee damaged by arthritis with an implant made up of metal and plastic parts. This implant will cap the ends of the bones that form the knee joint.
"I participated in physical therapy after my partial knee replacement - five weeks after my surgery, Dr. Puri said I could return to playing golf! It was such a relief to return to my daily activities without knee pain anymore,” said Eckert.
“I was able to go home the day after my surgery and experienced very little discomfort afterward."
As for volunteering at the same hospital that cared for him during his knee surgery, Eckert said “I am so thankful how the hospital staff cared for me, from Dr. Puri and his surgical team to all the nurses and staff at Silver Cross Hospital – everyone was just fantastic!”
For more information about robotic-assisted joint replacement, visit midwestroboticsurgery.org
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Nearly half of all Americans have some form of heart disease. If you or someone you love is one of them, let Silver Cross Hospital mend your broken heart. From prevention programs to open heart surgery and aftercare, we’ve brought together the latest technology and the finest heart specialists in one place.... for all of your heart care needs. Why travel when we have exactly what your heart needs, right here, right now. To learn more about our total heart program, visit SilverCross.org/Heart
It’s the morning of July 15, 2019, and 56-year-old Kevin Platt wakes up with tingles in his right arm. He shakes it off thinking he slept wrong and gets ready for work at an area car dealership where he’s a mechanic.
Kevin drives himself, but when he gets to work, he notices he can’t do the things he usually does, like punching into the time clock and typing on his computer. “Nothing made sense,” he remembers.
Dr. George Aziz Kevin’s co-worker took notice and drove him to the nearest hospital where he was diagnosed with a stroke. Doctors suspected an irregular heartbeat or atrial fibrillation, a leading risk factor for stroke, and fitted him with a heart monitor that he wore for four weeks.
Dr. Hong Jun Yun
He next met with interventional cardiologist Dr. Hong Jun Yun and learned he had a hole in his heart, clinically known as a patent foramen ovale or PFO.
About Patent Foramen Ovale PFO is actually fairly common, with nearly 25 percent of the population having the condition. But most don’t know it, and the majority of the time, it doesn’t cause any health problems.
However, the condition may play a role in migraine headaches, and it increases the risk of stroke and transient ischemic attack. “Many times, a TIA or stroke is the first sign of PFO,” he added. It can occur because a blood clot or solid particles in the blood can move from the right side of the heart to the left through the PFO opening, travel to the brain and cause a stroke.
Transcatheter PFO closure procedure
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Calcium artery scoring is a quick, painless exam that uses high-speed CT scanning to measure calcium deposits in your heart. It's ideal for men over age 45 and women over age 55 who smoke, have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or a family history of premature coronary artery disease.
The scan produces a score that identifies your level of
Dr. Yun and interventional cardiologist Dr. George Aziz collaborated together on Kevin’s case and recommended a transcatheter PFO closure procedure—the very first one performed at Silver Cross.
“We insert the catheter into a vein in the leg and guide it up through the vessel all the way to the heart,” Dr. Aziz said. “Once there, we’re able to feed the device through the catheter and plug the hole in his heart.” Kevin Platt
Transcatheter closure of a PFO is a far less invasive procedure than open heart surgery and causes less downtime for the patient.
calcium deposits. A higher score means you have more plaque in your coronary arteries, putting you at greater risk for a heart attack. Find out your risk and what you can do to lower it. Kevin, who had the surgery in September, went home the very same day. Though he still experiences lingering effects of his stroke, the father of three is back on his bicycle and looking forward to meeting his first grandbaby in February.
“I’m getting back to living my life the way it was before,” he added.
Standard use of horizontal logo within co-branding guidelines
Silver Cross Emergenc Medical Services System
Approved customized use of logo for co-branding to communicate a partnership Who Should Get Screened
Approved customized use of logo for co-branding to communicate a partnership Standard use of horizontal logo within co-branding guidelines Standard use of horiz • Family history of heart disease • High cholesterol • High blood pressure • Smoking habit • Physically inactive • Diabetic • Overweight • Men over 45 • Women over 55 (post-menopausal)
SILVER CROSS HOSPITAL CO-BRANDING Partnerships and programs united with Silver Cross Hospital help to build equity for the hospital at large. Therefore, these graphics should be handled in a style consistent with the overall brand identity. The use of combined logos should reflect and support our image system with the horizontal Silver Cross logo appearing first, followed by the horizontal version of the partner logo and separated by a vertical rule. This treatment is standard for all co-branding uses, unless otherwise shown. To schedule your $49 Heart Scan today, call (815) 300-SCAN (7226).
