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My dad is pretty overweight and is in need of having both knees replaced. We had a crummy experience with a doc at Raleigh Ortho. Looking for a compassionate doctor who can help support weight loss and will work with my dad rather than rush him out telling him to come back after he loses 25 pounds. Any experience with extra weight and needing surgery?
No doctor recommendation for you, as my PCP is in FL. Is your dad diabetic? If so, look into Ozempic. If not, Wegovy is the version sold for weight loss. I've lost 41 lbs since January as a direct result of this drug. Best of luck to him, it's a challenge for sure!
I don’t have any doctor recommendations but knee replacements are tough and require a commitment to exercise and physical therapy to be successful. Is your dad willing to do that? My MIL’s boyfriend just had his second knee done and he is moving great and very happy but he was more than willing to work to get there. If your dad is sedentary and has put on weight because it hurts to move he might want to be up front with the next doctor about that and show his willingness to commit to the PT afterwards.
There are surgeons who just don't like to operate on overweight people. The come-back-when-you've-lost-weight is sometimes a polite way of saying "I don't want you as a patient".
Some people find that Wegovy (semaglutide) produces too many side effects to remain on the drug. Others don't experience this. There is also a black-box warning for semaglutide, so be sure to discuss this with a prescribing physician.
I don’t want to sound snarky but people are recommending medications for diabetes without even knowing if the OP’s father is a diabetic. Additionally, not all diabetics can be treated with these agents. I’m a nurse practitioner with
prescriptive privileges and even I would never make this type of recommendation to someone online.
That being said, there is a reason physicians request patients lose weight pre-operatively. One reason being that obese people are much more likely to have complications from anesthesia as well as during the recovery period. Increased risks include infection, blood clots, suboptimal pain relief, suboptimal range of motion in the operative joint, etc. There was a recent article citing studies regarding these increased risks but also mentioned that obesity should not preclude joint replacement surgery.
I hope this helps. Personally, I’d recommend Michael Bolognesi, MD at Duke. He is a joint replacement specialist and I know people who have had amazing results following knee replacements by him. I can’t answer about the weight issue but it is certainly something to discuss at your dad’s initial consult. He will most likely see his PA at the first visit.
Hello, l am not having knee surgery but l do have experience with being obese and finding it painful to exercise, including having knee pain. I have heard good things about rebounding, both before and after surgery, which is exercising on a (sturdy) mini trampoline, that it only takes 10 minutes every other day (you start by working up to 5 minutes, the every other day part is key) to engage the core muscles, reduce inflammation by moving the body's lymph fluid and to release stress. It is strongly recommended to buy the highest quality equipment you can afford, including a balance bar. I don't know if this is something that might interest your dad, but its supposed to be low impact and suitable for all ages, which interests me as l get older lol. Just one piece of the puzzle, encourage healthy food choices, portion control, staying hydrated, etc. Speaking from experience, when your dad is ready to make these kinds of changes, it will take time and effort but it doesn't have to be all doom and gloom. Exercise can be fun! And meal planning and prepping will start to be a fun way to prepare for the week ahead. Personally, l have always enjoyed (low impact) swim exercises, but with Covid and winter weather l am looking ahead and planning for the stay at home worst case. Anyway, best of luck to both of you on this journey!
I have two recommendations. For a surgeon Dr Samuel Wellman at Duke. For non-surgical, which might be better for your Dad temporarily Dr Samuel Stanley at Duke. Both are at the Arringdon Park Dr location in Morrisville. If you make an appointment with Dr. Stanley he has a great bed side manner and you will see him, not a PA. He will review your options like a steroid injection, PT, etc. I do not know where your dad is in this process but perhaps PT and a weight loss program could alleviate pain and prepare him for surgery.
Dr. Wellman does knee replacement surgery, you would initially meet with his PA. He did operated on a loved one who had complications and he was excellent to work with. That said, complications can happen and the better shape you are in physically the easier your recovery will be.
I don’t want to sound snarky but people are recommending medications for diabetes without even knowing if the OP’s father is a diabetic. Additionally, not all diabetics can be treated with these agents. I’m a nurse practitioner with
prescriptive privileges and even I would never make this type of recommendation to someone online.
Well only one person mentioned a diabetes med, asking first if the OP's dad was diabetic. The rest have mentioned the weight loss version of the med (and one of those mentions was cautionary). It's not like OP's dad can go out and get these meds based solely on recommendations of strangers on the internet. He would have to ask his physician, who would be aware of whether or not they would be appropriate for his conditions and needs.
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