Plano resident Steven Horne, 71, an avid golfer, felt himself limping along, trying to make do with a knee that continued to give him trouble.

“When you can’t walk to your golf ball, it’s disheartening,” Horne said of playing through the pain. “The pain was causing me life problems and was constant.”

Horne had received arthroscopic repair on his knee a few times in the past, but the pain had always returned. The orthopedic specialist who had been treating Steven had recommended a full knee replacement. Told that his recovery – and time off the green – would be three to four months, a full joint replacement was not a treatment Steven was looking forward to.

Encouraged by his wife to get a second opinion, Steven asked for a recommendation from a friend in the medical field. He received the name of Roger Emerson, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon with Texas Center for Joint Replacement who is on the medical staff of Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano. Dr. Emerson was able to see Steven just a few days later.

After reviewing Steven’s X-rays and examining his knee, Dr. Emerson had good news to share: he was likely a candidate for a partial knee replacement, a procedure where only the damaged part of the knee cartilage is replaced. An advantage of a partial knee replacement is that it’s less invasive than a full joint replacement, and patients typically experience a faster healing process and retain more flexibility than they experience with a full knee replacement.

“If only one part of your knee is bad, you can fix that with a partial knee and not a complete knee replacement,” Dr. Emerson explained. “You often heal more quickly from a partial knee replacement and have less of a need for post-operative rehabilitation.”

Steven decided that he wanted Dr. Emerson to do the surgery on his knee at Texas Health Plano, and he had full confidence in both his doctor and the clinical staff who would care for him.

“I definitely recommend the joint program at Texas Health Plano,” Horne said. “They are professional from the time that you make your first call to every procedure along the way through surgery and aftercare. I cannot speak highly enough of them, and I have recommended them to many of my friends who are ailing in the same way that I was.”

Laura Haines, R.N., one of the joint care coordinators at Texas Health Plano, explained how her role helps in establishing a seamless process for the joint care program. “I serve as the liaison between the surgeons, the patients and the clinical staff who are caring for the patients throughout the surgical journey,” Haines said.

Steven went home the day of the surgery and received a week of care in his home from a nurse, who helped him do therapeutic exercises and checked his mobility. After just four weeks, he was fully back to his beloved golf game.

“It’s a new lease on life for me,” Horne said. “There’s no restrictions as to what I can do and what I’m anticipating doing.”

Find a joint replacement specialist today who can assist with your joint pain. Or to learn more about your joint health, take our hip and knee health assessment.