Susquehanna Health’s record of success and low infection rates drew Linda Leonard, 66, of Gillett, to WRMC for her knee replacement surgery. The former runner, volunteer firefighter and ambulance crew member had severely bowed knees and was caught in a vicious cycle of pain and inactivity that caused her to gain 150 pounds in just 2½ years. She couldn’t sleep, go up or down stairs or walk with her beloved dogs because of her pain.
“With newer techniques and advances, we can treat many patients who may have been told they were not candidates because of their age or weight,” Dr. Hoffman explains. “Those patients often end up being the happiest with their results.”
Dr. Hoffman took Leonard through pre-surgical exercises that prepared her for physical therapy during her recovery.
“With the excellent pain control program, I was able to do the exercises right away,” Leonard says. “The physical therapists at inpatient rehab are so great—they teach you to get in and out of chairs and a bed. They even had a wooden car to practice with.”
Just months after surgery, Leonard swims, walks her dogs, plays with her grandchildren and continues to do her rehabilitative exercises. She also is positive about losing weight. “I’m a new lady, let me tell you,” she says. “I’m just so grateful to have gotten this done and to be able to function as a normal granny again.”
– Linda Leonard, Gillett