30 Years of Knee Pain: Michael’s Story

An injury to his right knee 30 years ago caught up to Mayor Michael Kourianos. Michael managed through the years, learning to “live around it” as he described. He went on to explain, “Because of fear, I had put it off but then just talking to different people and seeing their outcomes made me start looking.”

Over the years, he tried various braces, lifestyle modifications, injections and over-the-counter pain medications with little to no relief. However, in his third year as Price City Mayor he began looking into finally getting knee surgery. The pain had become more than a nuisance and he wanted a more permanent solution so he could continue his professional work and fully enjoy his personal time doing activities he once enjoyed.

The constant pain made him finalize his decision to move forward with knee surgery. He received quite a few recommendations for surgeons outside of the area, and ultimately decided he wanted to stay local. Upon some investigation, he found that Castleview Hospital offered robotic-assisted knee surgery. He started watching Dr. Kelly Jensen and looking at the robotic-assisted knee procedure he does at the hospital. “The ROSA (robotic-assisted surgery) enables us to get soft tissues consistently more accurate during surgery,” explained Dr. Jensen.

Michael chose to set up an appointment with Dr. Jensen because he knew he wanted to proceed with someone who could use robotic-assisted knee surgery. Michael shared, “I chose him because the robot leaves less to human failure.”

During the appointment, Dr. Jensen discussed the procedure, surgery and recovery, and Michael decided to move forward with a total knee replacement. He was confident in the decision and use of robotic-assisted knee replacement.

Dr. Kelly Jensen assessed, “When he first came in, we did some x-rays. He gave me a history about his knee. He had some sports-related injuries, an ACL rupture that was never repaired and end-stage arthritis. Probably one of the worst that I’ve seen.”  The knee had been a limiting factor in activities for Michael since he had blown all three compartments of his knee years ago.

Although nervous about the knee surgery, Michael prepared for surgery with the MyMobility app recommended by the orthopedic team, which allows him to track pain, send photos and interact with the physician. He also read the pre-surgery booklet, which “helped answer a lot of questions” according to Michael. The orthopedic clinic staff were friendly and warm, and Dr. Jensen provided answers to uncertainty.

Michael arrived at the hospital the day of the surgery with some anxiety. The hospital staff greeted him with reassurance. The robotic-assisted knee surgery went well, and he stayed in the hospital for two nights. The nurses were attentive and friendly. “The staff at the hospital was phenomenal,” Michael said of his care. “They are very conscientious and professional.”

After leaving Castleview, Michael started outpatient physical therapy three days a week and continued his recovery at home. To his surprise, “I had no pain. I stopped the pain pills one week after.” He believes that part of this was because of the robotic-assisted procedure and part was because of the Iovera used prior to the surgery.

Dr. Jensen shared that he likes to use Iovera to freeze the nerves around the knee about three weeks prior to surgery.  He explained, “The Iovera freezes the nerves for about two to three months, which helps decrease the use of narcotics patients have to take.”

Over the next few weeks, Michael completed his physical therapy as directed. “Knee replacement recovery is about 50% doing a good knee and 50% is the patient following through with physical therapy. If they do that, they are much more likely to have a good result,” Dr. Jensen stated.

Michael was apprehensive about returning to work too quickly. However, his care team convinced him it was important to normalize his life in a safe and reasonable time frame. He disclosed, “I appreciate the staff pushing me to go back to work – my work is stairs and walking around a power plant – it pushed me to recover faster.” 

When thinking about his experience at the hospital, Michael shared, “I have no complaints. We have good doctors, and we have a good hospital. We lose that, and our community suffers. I learned that as soon as I got into this Mayor position.”

Michael’s right knee no longer causes issues with his day-to-day professional or personal life. He can even sit with his ankles crossed – a seemingly simple movement and position that previously caused his knee to pop out. Overcoming his fear of surgery has led to a much better quality of life.