Ormiston local Katherine Mackinnon was all smiles ahead of her knee replacement at Redland Hospital recently.
Despite a few butterflies Katherine said she felt completely confident in the surgeon and staff.
The procedure, led by orthopaedic surgeon Dr Simon Parfitt, took just under two hours and involved replacing the worn-out joint with a prosthetic to restore movement and relieve pain.
“It’s been painful, even walking for a minute or turning in bed was hard,” Katherine said. “I’ve most looked forward to being able to walk again.”
Dr Parfitt said performing knee replacements locally helped patients recover closer to home and supported Redland Hospital’s goal of offering more surgical services in the community.
"We discharge patients when it's safe for them to go home, even if they’re still experiencing some discomfort," he said. "Being safe to mobilise is different from being completely pain-free.
"People recover better in their own environment, where they can move around more freely and feel more at ease," he said.
Katherine said she knew recovery would not be easy but said she was focused on the end result.
“Yes, I know that it's going to be intense. But you have to go through that to get to the end, you just keep looking at the end result,” she said.
We wish Katherine all the very best as she begins her recovery journey.