Patient Stories: Helen M.

"Dr. Kirschenbaum makes you feel like his only patient."
– Helen M.

I suffered with knee problems for more than 8 years, but with the pills and shots I got by. Last year, I went to an orthopaedist who showed me the model of what he would put in my knee for total joint replacement. I couldn't believe he was going to put that big thing in my knee. It made me wince just thinking about it.

At the same time, I was going to Physical Therapy for my back. My therapist told me that she knew a wonderful doctor who does an operation called the Minimally Invasive Uni Knee that doesn't replace the whole knee, if it's not necessary. She showed me a brochure on Dr. Kirschenbaum and in it there was a picture of a knee before the replacement. I looked at the picture and said that from all the x-rays I had seen, this looked just like my knee. Also, the recuperation period is half the time for the Uni-Knee. So, I saw Dr. K. He told me I was a perfect candidate for this.

Dr. K operated on a Friday and on Sunday I walked by myself, with just a walker. On Tuesday I was transferred to Burke for rehab. On Wednesday they took away my walker and gave me 2 canes and later that day the therapist took away one of them. By Friday, one week after the operation, the pain was so minimal, it was decided that I could go home on Saturday. The first Tuesday after I come home, I began Physical Therapy. On my third visit, my therapist said I didn't even need my cane anymore. Within a few weeks of surgery, I could do most things and in just 3 months I could do everything.

Why did I wait so long? I thought that I would never walk right or feel right, again — I was afraid. Dr. K did a great job and he made me feel like I was his only patient. He has the greatest bedside manner and he really cares. This Uni-Knee operation — there's nothing to it. I tell people who have knee pain that there is nothing to be afraid of.

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