From the DukeHealth.org archives. Content may be out of date.
Quick Recovery After Outpatient Knee Replacement (Video)
Lee Tucker opted for outpatient knee replacement surgery at Duke after a 40-year-old knee injury prevented him from getting around. He's glad he did. Now the Duke football facility manager is back to enjoying his job and life at home.
Opting for Outpatient Surgery for Knee Replacement
While members of the Duke football team were improving their agility, finessing their sacks and blocks and increasing their speed, a member of their support staff that was struggling just to get in his car to go to work.
“I actually spent a week at home,” Lee Tucker, a football facility manager, explained. “I couldn’t come to work because I couldn’t make it to the car.”
A 40-year-old injury left Tucker struggling with knee pain, leaving him unable to walk at times.
In need of a full knee replacement, Tucker opted for outpatient surgery.
Who Benefits from Outpatient Knee Replacement?
Outpatient knee replacement isn't for everyone. However, it is an option for people who are healthy, motivated, and understand what to expect, said Michael Bolognesi, MD, a Duke orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in knee replacement.
“I think some people just don’t have a strong desire to stay in the hospital if they don’t have to. We recognize more and more that a growing number of people are well suited for this approach.”
Loving New Mobility
With his newfound mobility, Tucker now wakes up every morning to exercise and relishes in his ability to go on walks with his wife and their dog on weekends.
As Tucker, who described the day of his knee surgery as one of his greatest ever, said, “There’s nothing I can't-do anymore.”
