All Your Orthopedic Surgery Questions Answered

Is My Knee Arthritis Caused From Being Active Or Playing Sports When I Was Younger?

Being active during your younger years doesn’t necessarily contribute to degenerative diseases later in life for most people. The exception, however, is if you’ve had a significant injury to the knee that required some of your meniscus cartilage (which acts as a shock absorber) to be surgically removed (partial meniscectomy). Removing large portions of the meniscus cartilage has been reliably shown to accelerate knee osteoarthritis. It is why we use as much caution and care as possible to preserve or repair your meniscus during surgery.

Is There Anything I Can Do To Make My Surgery Day Less Stressful?

The best thing you can do is try to relax (which I recognize is easier said than done) and trust that you’re in good hands. Your team and I will be with you every step of the way, and we have plenty of tricks up our sleeves to help make surgery day as stress-free as possible.

How Can I Reduce The Risk Of Complications After Surgery?

You will be given detailed instructions on what to do before and after surgery; closely following these is a great way to stay out of trouble. However, occasional unfortunate complications are a part of surgical operations and may still arise even if your surgery went perfectly. It’s my job to recognize and address these if they appear to get you back on track. Making it to your follow-up visits is another crucial way to reduce complications. These visits allow us to ensure your body is healing correctly and check for any problems that may arise.

Will I Need Physical Therapy After Surgery?

In most cases, yes. Physical therapy is an essential part of the recovery process. It can help improve the range of motion, strength, and overall function that is lost due to injury and immobilization. Physical therapy is also critically important in order to minimize the risk of new or recurrent injuries when you eventually return to your sport or activities.

Will I Be Able To Continue Playing Sports After Surgery?

Although this is highly dependent on your injury and can never be 100% guaranteed, my goal and passion are to get you back to your sport or activities with the highest level of function possible. I have focused my training on athletic trauma and worked under surgeons for both the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys to ensure that we can develop a treatment plan aimed at maximizing your outcome after your injury/surgery.

Physician is an employee of HealthTexas Provider Network, a member of Baylor Scott & White Health. ©2023 Baylor Scott & White Health.