By Staff
A month ago, I had two really bad knees. Now, I only have one bad knee and its days are numbered.
My left knee is brand new and state of the art, thanks to Dr. Henry Kim. More about him in a minute. First, some background.
I'm responsible for destroying my knees by the relatively young age of 45. I have lived most of my life carrying around far too much weight and am paying the price for that now.
Several years ago, I lost some of that weight, primarily through rigorous exercise on a Stairmaster. While the exercise took away the pounds, I believe it hastened the deterioration of my knees and I wound up with serious pain in both, so bad it not only put an end to lots of the exercise I was doing, it made everyday tasks like grocery shopping or simply walking back to the pressroom a traumatic ordeal.
I had to do something and consulted with several orthopaedic specialists. All agreed the only choice for me was knee replacement. However, deciding when to replace them – and who to get to do it – particularly concerned me.
Replacing my knees at 45 most likely means I'll have to undergo that procedure again in 10 to 15 years, which is the average lifespan of today's replacement knees. Some doctors suggested I simply put up with the pain for another 10 years or so.
For me, that wasn't an option. The quality of my life seemed to suffer more every day because of the pain I endured with each step I took. Despite the extra weight, I'm pretty healthy and I wasn't going to go another 10 years hobbling around and hurting.
I went in search of a surgeon, someone who has a particular interest and expertise in knees and knee replacements.
I found those qualities and more in Dr. Kim, an orthopaedic surgeon and partner at South Bend Orthopaedics, a noted practice in South Bend, Ind., known best for its work since the late 1940s treating the orthopaedic surgery needs of athletes at the University of Notre Dame.
I knew from searching his biography that Dr. Kim was raised in South Bend and graduated from St. Joseph High School. He did his undergraduate work at Stanford and graduated from Yale Medical School. That's impressive, but what mattered most to me was his significant post-graduate work in knee reconstruction and replacement.
What I didn't learn until later was his post-graduate work with knees wasn't just ordinary training, but something very special. Dr. Kim earned a prestigious Insall Fellowship.
Basically, that means he studied with the master.
Dr. John N. Insall, who passed away in 2000, is considered the father of modern knee replacement and is credited with having birthed the first several generations of modern knee replacement joints. Insall founded the Knee Society and literally wrote the book on modern knee surgery, "Surgery of the Knee."
Much of the knee replacement surgery performed today is rooted directly in Dr. Insall's work pioneering the specialty. Insall's legacy continues through the select group of surgeons like Dr. Kim, who studied with him at the Insall Scott Kelly Institute in New York.
During my first visit, Dr. Kim patiently endured a barrage of questions from me about the procedure. In fact, after that visit, I thought of more I wanted to know and put those questions on paper. I faxed them to his office, explaining that I would be happy to make another appointment to discuss. Much to my surprise, about 15 minutes after I sent the fax, my phone rang and it was Dr. Kim. He wanted to answer my questions right then, seeing no use in letting them linger. That is his approach and it's one that works well for me.
Most importantly, while he answered my many questions, in the end he made it clear the decision was mine to make.
Everyone's body is different. Outcomes in something as complex as orthopaedic surgery can be influenced by many things, often uncontrollable. Because I had a good experience with my first knee replacement certainly doesn't mean you will also. And what I found to be important in choosing a surgeon may not be the same for you. We're blessed in our area with many talented orthopaedic surgeons. My friend, Hal Shue, who had one of his knees replaced late last year, would fight you over Niles' Dr. James Grannell, who did his surgery. Hal is president of Dr. Grannell's fan club.
Medicine is a science, but I think orthopaedic surgery is also an artform. Despite the mass marketing by joint replacement manufacturers directly to patients, despite the hype about computer-assisted and minimally-invasive procedures, when you get down to it, the success of any procedure is directly related to the skill of the surgeon. Not much has really changed with the basic knee replacement procedure. What has changed is more sophisticated marketing.
I fear Dr. Kim will be uncomfortable with my public praise of his work. That's not my intent. I simply consider myself very fortunate to have found a surgeon right here at home who is extremely confident in his abilities, conservative in his approach and whose skill level equals his extraordinary passion for his work.
I was back at work two weeks and four days after my surgery and today – four weeks after my surgery – I'm walking at most times without the assistance of even a cane. I truly believe this is because of the work of Dr. Henry Kim.
You've read many times in my columns my thoughts about the exceptional quality of life we have here in Niles. We enjoy the many benefits of living in a small community, yet are also afforded all of the opportunities that come with easy access to South Bend, Notre Dame, Lake Michigan and Chicago.
I often think people who were born and raised in this area, which I was not, don't have a full appreciation of how special this place is.
If I was in my hometown of Natchez, Miss., and needed this surgery – a city about the size of Niles, if not a little larger – I would have a choice between one or two surgeons, tops, and no choice in a hospital. If I wanted more options, it would require traveling two hours south to Baton Rouge, La., or two hours north to Jackson, Miss.
For me, finding someone like Dr. Kim is part of the big equation that makes the quality of life I enjoy here so wonderful.
How fortunate we are to have access to someone of his caliber at work at a nationally-recognized orthopaedic practice – all just 10 short miles south of Niles.
I just don't think it gets much better than what we have here.