Teacher Back on Her Feet

The pain in Eydie Scher's right knee got so bad that she couldn’t walk or climb stairs. “I was crying all the time,” recalls Scher, a semiretired special education teacher who lives in Spanish Springs.

Scher’s knees had deteriorated from osteoarthritis, a common degenerative disease of the joints. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, more than 15 million Americans currently suffer from osteoarthritis. Available treatments include joint replacement surgery.

Scher, 68, had her left knee replaced two years earlier at Northern Nevada Medical Center’s Joint Center of Excellence. The surgery was such a success, she couldn’t wait to have her other knee replaced, but her orthopedic surgeon, Jeffrey D. Webster, MD, wanted to wait.

According to the AAOS, more than 90 percent of patients who have total knee replacement surgery experience a dramatic reduction in knee pain and a significant improvement in their ability to perform daily tasks.

The surgical procedure, also known as knee arthroplasty, takes one to two hours. During the operation, the surfaces of the bones are replaced. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, more than 600,000 knee replacements are performed every year in the United States.

Studies Show Surgical Need

Scher suspects her right knee hurt so much after the left knee surgery because she began favoring it. “I was trying not to put pressure on my right knee, so I was dragging my leg,” she says.

When she complained to Dr. Webster, he sent her for an MRI, which showed that she needed surgery. In March, Scher underwent her second total knee replacement at NNMC. Her experience couldn’t have been better, she says.

The surgery was scheduled for a Monday. The previous morning, while she and husband, David, were having coffee with a group of his friends, his cellphone rang. It was Dr. Webster. They panicked, fearing he was calling to cancel. “But he was just calling to remind me to use the wipes and take the medicines he prescribed,” Scher says. “This doctor is good!”

Excellent Staff and Food

Scher is also fond of the hospital staff. “They treated me like royalty,” Scher says. “They were so incredible that when I left, I hugged them all!”

"Even the food was exceptional," Scher says. “The food had the gourmet touch and they offered unlimited choices, just like at a restaurant.”

Because she had knee replacement surgery before, Scher knew what to expect. That helped to relieve some of the anxiety. She remembers little of the second surgery itself — only waking up when it was over to see David’s smiling face.

Home the Next Day

Dr. Webster was pleased with the outcome, and she was well enough to go home the next day. She followed up with six weeks of outpatient physical therapy.

Scher is back to enjoying many of her favorite activities, including boating. “I haven’t tried skiing or jogging yet, but thanks to Dr. Webster and the great care I received at NNMC, it shouldn’t be long,” she says.

“We are lucky to have such a terrific orthopedic surgeon and facility like NNMC here in the Sparks area.”

Learn more about the Orthopedic and Surgical Institute at NNMC.