Living with knee pain isn’t living life to its fullest. For Norah
Shusko, R.N., living with knee pain meant being excluded from hiking trips
with her family and limiting her nursing career, two aspects of her life
that once filled her with joy.
“I have a long history of orthopaedic issues,” says Norah.
“I enjoy walking in the parks and hiking with my family, but I wasn’t
able to do that anymore. I had to stay back. Eventually, the pain became
so severe that I actually had to limit my nursing career, which was very
disheartening.”
Norah’s been a patient of
Michael Christopher Yonz, M.D., orthopaedic surgeon at
Summit Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery, for quite a long time. Before deciding on surgery, Yonz prescribed a
course of non-operative treatment, which he typically recommends for all
his patients suffering from osteoarthritis.
“Non-operative treatment for osteoarthritis often includes anti-inflammatories,
activity modification, and weight loss to a healthy weight, as well as
injections to decrease inflammation and pain,” says Yonz. “If
the arthritis grows severe enough, however, those measures eventually
don’t work. Then surgery becomes the best option. In Norah’s
case, we decided to perform a total knee replacement using ROSA robotic
knee replacement technology.”ROSA (RObotic Surgery Assistant) knee replacement technology is a surgical navigation system which allows
Yonz to insert the replacement in a more precise, repeatable and accurate
fashion. Patients with severe arthritis deformities, such as Norah, can
have a proper knee replacement with a faster recovery than they might
otherwise achieve from a traditional knee replacement. Additionally, ROSA
often allows Yonz to perform knee replacements on patients with pre-existing
orthopaedic surgery, such as plates, screws or implants from a previous
injury, without having to take out or address those other issues.
“This is a huge benefit for patients,” Yonz explains. “It
requires less surgery which in turn produces a faster recovery and less
risk of post-operative complications.”
Southeast Georgia Health System was able to bring ROSA to their
Camden Campus thanks to funds generated through the
Georgia HEART Hospital Program. Georgia is the only state that allows its residents to redirect their
state tax dollars to benefit rural hospitals. The Camden Campus has qualified
for the program for the last three years and has used the funds to help open a
Wound Care Center and purchase innovative technology, including life-saving
3D Mammography and
ROSA.
Although Norah was a little nervous to have surgery, she knew she was in
good hands. “I’m a nurse at the Health System, and working
side by side with Dr. Yonz on the floor and seeing how well his patients
do every day, I had all the trust in him to take care of me and perform
my knee surgery.”
Less than three months after surgery, Norah is already experiencing a huge
improvement in the quality of her life.
“I’ve returned to work full time. I’m hiking with my
family and walking on the beach again,” says Norah. “For the
first time in years, I walked down a flight of steps without gripping
a banister! It was amazing.”
Yonz adds, “Norah has wonderful range of motion and has already experienced
an improvement in pain and function. She’s extremely happy with
her new knee, and a happy patient makes for a happy surgeon.”
To make an appointment at
Summit Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery in St. Marys, call 912-576-6355.
Georgia residents who wish to redirect their state tax dollars to benefit
Southeast Georgia Health System Camden Campus may do so by completing
and submitting a three-minute online form. Georgians are required to pay
state taxes anyway; the
Georgia HEART Hospital Program ensures that tax dollars are working to improve health care services in
St. Marys for you, your loved ones and neighbors. To learn more, visit
sghs.org/ga-heart