i n s i g h t
a s
t o
h o w
t h e
s u r g e r y
w a s
g o i n g
t o
i m p r o v e
m y
l i f e.”
DOUBLE KNEE REPLACEMENT PATIENT BOB WRIGHT OF IMPERIAL
return to his favorite activities of bike riding, weightlifting, competition shooting, as well as spending time with his wife,
replacement in mid-October. “It was just wear and tear to the point where I had to get
Wanda, daughters Amy and Heidi (Majocka), and granddaughters
something done,” says Jim. “Dr. Fluhme told me that I would
Myka and Aivah.
know when I was ready for the surgery.”
“My quality of life has improved greatly. Dr. Fluhme is honest and will be straight up with you. He has surrounded himself with a true team of professionals.”
The results have been dramatic, according to Dr. Fluhme. “He has soared like an eagle,” he says. “Within a month of surgery, Mr. Metz had almost full range of motion. He came back recently for a post-operative visit as though nothing has
When I woke up, I knew I was in pain, but not the pain I had gone through for 15 years. For once my knees felt solid.
“
”
– Double knee replacement patient Bob Wright
He adds, “If you want to improve your quality of life and get back into it instead of standing on the sidelines watching life pass you by, by all means consider knee replacement surgery. St. Clair Hospital is the place to get it done. They are true professionals and will work with you in every way to get you back into life and on your feet.” Jim Metz, a retired Pittsburgh Public Schools teacher and
happened. His goal was to try to get back to refereeing within a month. He’s the perfect example of someone who is goal-oriented and was using those goals to help motivate him during his rehabilitation. He’s made it clear to me several times that this has been a life-changing event.” Jim only spent three days in the Hospital, and Dr. Fluhme came to see him every day. “He told me it would be painful,” says Jim,“but he said because I was in great shape, I should have no problems with the recovery.” Jim says that he never felt better. Strength-building exercises during his physical therapy regimen have enabled him to walk without any pain, and he credits Dr. Fluhme and the rest of the surgical and physical therapy team. As was the case with Jim and Bob, there are several ways to
now a substitute school crossing guard with the Mt. Lebanon
determine whether a patient is a candidate for
School District, agrees.
knee replacement surgery. A surgeon can look
Dr. Fluhme had performed surgery on Jim’s wife’s knees
at an X-ray and see how good or bad the patient’s
two years ago. Soon after his wife’s surgery, Jim began to see
knees are. He or she can also
Dr. Fluhme for his own persistent and overwhelming knee pain.
look at the patient’s overall
For Jim, over 60 years of playing sports, refereeing, and
clinical picture.
umpiring just made it painful for him to walk anymore, and began to affect all areas of his life. “Mr. Metz was the quintessential procrastinator,” says
“As a surgeon, it’s my job to fix that person,” notes Dr. Fluhme. “I pay
Dr. Fluhme. “For five years, he’s been my patient and had
attention to their
bone-on-bone pain in his knees, but was apprehensive about
clinical complaints.
having his knees replaced.”
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Arthroscopic knee surgery on Jim’s right knee in January 2010 alleviated some of the pain. However, when the pain gradually returned, he finally decided to have total knee
Orthopedic patient JIM METZ and DERRICK J. FLUHME, M.D.
3