Around seven years ago Helen noticed that she was getting unsteady on her feet, tripping and occasionally falling at least a couple of times a year and needing help to stand. She found it difficult to get onto buses or other vehicles with a high wheel base and had even had to install an electric stair lift at home. She saw an orthopedic surgeon and described her concerns, mentioning that whilst she had no problems walking on level ground she was experiencing pain in her knee at night. She underwent a number of tests and her local treating team concluded that she was suffering from arthritis. Her doctor began discussing the possibility of undergoing a knee replacement.

Tests the following year showed that the problem persisted and a few months later Helen underwent a full knee replacement.

Whilst she appeared to be recovering well from the operation and progressing well with physical therapy, she was still in some pain and finding it difficult to sleep as the pain woke her up at least four times every night. She underwent treatment and was prescribed medication to provide her with some relief from her symptoms, however the pain continued.

Six years after the operation had taken place, Helen was still suffering from instability in her knee. Her orthopedic surgeon recommended that she start wearing a knee brace which would allow her to walk faster and better, and explained that the pain she was experiencing was related to the nerves.

Helen was exhausted by the situation and how her condition was affecting her life. Simple actions such as coughing seemed to exacerbate the pain and she was walking with the help of a stick. She had hoped that the operation would enable to her to resume everyday activities, and hadn’t expected to have to wear a knee brace after having a full knee replacement. Helen wanted to make sure that she was following the right treatment plan and that she wasn’t missing out on any therapies that could help receive her pain. Looking for a second opinion, Helen got in contact with Best Doctors, a benefit that was made available to her through her insurance provider.

The service was very thorough and I have received some really useful suggestions

The Best Doctors team collected all of Helen’s medical records and sourced an international medical expert in orthopedic surgery who would be able to review her case.

The Best Doctors expert explained that there might be a number of reasons for the pain and explained that in his opinion the pain was due to infection and inflammation around the knee replacement itself. He recommended that Helen undergo some additional tests to assess the chances of infection and bone loosening and also a nutritional evaluation to ensure that she reached the optimum weight for satisfactory function of the knee replacement. The expert also recommended that Helen continue with physical therapy, explaining that the importance of first evaluating the strength and flexibility of her muscles before developing a comprehensive rehabilitation plan and finally he mentioned continuing with bracing in order to improve the movement of her knee.

I found the report very helpful. I was very impressed by the whole Best Doctors experience. I shared the report with my treating team and we’ve put things in motion.

Helen was very grateful for the expert’s report and she shared it with her local treating team. They have started to work through the expert’s recommendations and Helen is positive about her recovery.