Orthopedic surgeon Tarek Taha, MD, is a firm believer in the role of post-operative therapy following total joint replacements. “We can do the surgery but if patients don’t rehab, they are going to be limited with how much function they get back. If patients don’t get range of motion early on, they it’s going to be hard for them to get it later on,” he says.
Sharon Faber of Zilwaukee is one of Dr. Taha’s patients. She suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and her knees were noticeably deformed in what is called a “wind swept” pattern – with one leg knock kneed and the other bow legged.
“Both of Sharon’s knees were pretty bad and both needed to be replaced,” Dr. Taha says. “She was very restricted in her movement so we offered to take care of both knees, one at a time.”
Sharon came to HealthSource for inpatient and outpatient therapy following both surgeries.
When she came to see Dr. Taha for her first post op appointment, her knees were still a little stiff as expected. “But the post-operative therapy protocol she experienced at HealthSource was helping her tremendously,” he explains. “She told me her therapists pushed her until she had tears in her eyes. Sometimes you have to do that. It’s not trying to be mean or anything. It’s because the early gains a patient gets are the ones that serve them long term.”
He is very pleased with Sharon’s outcomes, noting she is probably one of the worst cases he’s ever done.
“The service patients get at HealthSource is quite exceptional,” Dr. Taha says. “In my experience, the communication I have with the therapists and physicians has been quite good. It helps when you have a facility where you know the people because you can trust the care your patient will get.”