The beat goes on for this Northern Virginia couple, thanks to knee surgery
Second Chance to Dance
Dancing to the “oldies” — music from the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s — has long been one of Beth and Rusty Newberry’s beloved Saturday night standbys. But when severe knee pain from chronic arthritis began to threaten this and other favorite activities, the couple did something else in tandem: they both had knee replacement surgery at Inova Loudoun Hospital.
Rusty went first, undergoing the procedure in 2013 on his right knee and again in 2015 on his left. Beth followed, having her left knee replaced in May 2017. Married 16 years, the couple — both 71 and collectively the grandparents of 12 — stubbornly refused to give up dancing or any of the cherished chores entailed in tending to their 15-acre property in Lucketts.
“A body in motion tends to stay in motion,” Rusty says. “You have to keep on moving.”
“When you’re not exercising and having fun, that’s when you get old,” Beth adds. “It’s so much nicer to walk now, and I can climb the stairs faster. I just feel I enjoy life more.”
Inova Loudoun: Prestigious reputation for joint replacement
Joint replacement surgery is increasingly common in the United States. Inova Loudoun Hospital, which performs about 400 hip and knee replacement surgeries annually, became a Joint Commission Center of Excellence for Hip and Knee Replacements six years ago by meeting stringent standards for patient care and outcomes.
The MAKOPlasty® Total Hip & Knee surgical system — updated robotic technology acquired by Inova Loudoun since the Newberrys’ surgeries — allows for even more precise surgical placement of new joints and typically provides a faster recovery time. “The more accurately you can recreate a patient’s joint, the better they’ll do,” says Nauman Akhtar, MD, Medical Director of Inova Loudoun’s Joint Replacement Program.
Preparing for surgery at “Joint Camp”
While Beth and Rusty had each other for support during their surgeries, the retired pair also credits their successful recoveries to Inova’s “Joint Camp,” a program that educates and prepares patients for their specific type of joint replacement surgery. “They informed us about the process, what to expect and what we needed to be prepared for at home,” Beth says.
New robotic technology adds to surgical precision
Only months after Inova Loudoun Hospital acquired additional robotic equipment to further enhance joint replacement surgeries, nearly a dozen patients have already benefited from it.
The $1 million MAKOplasty® Total Hip and Knee technology — introduced at Inova Loudoun last winter — incorporates 3-D imaging technology that adds to a surgeon’s precision when implanting new knee or hip joints, therefore improving joint alignment and the patient’s range of motion.
“Because of the many benefits that robotic surgery provides — fewer complications, better outcomes and a reduction in errors — it is becoming the preferred option among surgeons and patients alike,” says Tina Poore, Manager of Acute Care Rehabilitation and Joint/Spine Programs.
Considering joint replacement in Loudoun County?
Contact Zai Begam, Joint and Spine Patient Navigator at Inova Loudoun Hospital, at 703-858-6721 to learn more about the hospital’s Joint Replacement Program.
Visit Inova Loudoun’s joint replacement website
Read more about our services, watch physician videos, contact us online, or see a schedule of upcoming free lectures at inova.org/loudounjoints.