A Look into Knee Replacement
Dr. Dang Khoa Vo

We are happy to share this look into knee replacement by orthopedic surgeon, Dang Khoa Vo MD. Thank you, Dr. Vo for taking time to share Mrs. Neri’s case and her outcome with us.

Mrs. Ninfa Congson Neri is a 65 y/o dentist who has suffered debilitating, left worse than right, knee pain for several years that has significantly reduced her quality of life as she can no longer walk long distances outside of the home without the use of a cane/walker. Even mere prolonged standing is now a challenge in her activities of daily living. She felt very fortunate to have been selected as a candidate for left total knee replacement on this Operation Walk mission to General Santos City, Philippines.

She underwent left total knee arthroplasty under spinal anesthesia without complications. Remarkably, despite being the last case of the day, when I saw her on postoperative rounds before leaving the hospital that evening, I was astonished that she sat up in bed with a beaming smile on her face. I understood the joy! With her husband and daughter at the bedside, she leaped from her hospital bed, stood and walked to me, without the use of any cane, walker or other gait aids, just to show me how much her knee pain has improved…or rather resolved. Of all the joint replacements I’ve done (albeit there have not been many in the grand scheme), I don’t remember a patient ever getting out of bed, walking unassisted and pain-free on the same day. What a mix of emotions that jolted me…I was briefly frozen in fear that she might fall and hurt herself, though elated to see such a dramatic and immediate impact that an operation can have on someone’s quality of life. The excitement from her family was palpable. Her only wish is for Operation Walk to return next year and be able to replace her right knee.

We are happy to share an update on our patient, Jeffrey Busog. We first introduced our readers to Jeffrey and his wife Merly in our April newsletter. Jeffrey suffered from pain in his hip most of his life due to osteoarthritis. At just 41, life looked bleak. It was difficult for Jeffrey to continue at this job installing security cameras and to support his family. Through his wife’s diligence, they contacted OpWalk last January, and team leader Lisa Fujimoto connected the family with Saint Elizabeth Hospital. During our mission there, Jeffrey successfully received a hip replacement and a second chance at life. His wife updated us last week on his progress.

Good morning,

I have continuously thanked the team of Operation Walk LA for all they have done for us. My husband’s surgery was performed by Dr. Nate Heckmann. He was truly the best. As of today, day 6 post-surgery, he has no swelling nor violet color around his incision. Jeffrey can walk without pain. He told me the only pain he experiences is when he’s lying down and getting out of bed.

This morning he tried walking without his crutch and walked successfully for around 35 seconds. He also began cooking again because that is one of his passions. Here at home, before his pain became too great, he was always the cook of the family. I reminded him if it hurt, he should stop but he finished cooking lunch for us and said he was okay. He’s gradually getting better and getting stronger.

He told me that up until now, he couldn’t believe he was actually operated on. He didn’t believe it would happen this year, in 2024. To the team and all of the donors, kindly tell them that we will always include them in our prayers. Thank you for bringing this miracle into our lives.

From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU.
Merly