‘Changed everything:’ Double knee replacement transforms quality of life for Connecticut woman

MILFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — A Connecticut woman dealt with debilitating knee pain for years before she said she found a surgeon who listened to her needs and successfully replaced both of her joints.

“I was totally incapacitated,” Gail Rogers Hopkins told News 8.

Going up and down stairs was impossible for her just a couple of years ago.

“I could hardly move because the pain was just that excruciating,” she explained.

Before the pain consumed her, however, she shared her knees just weren’t her top priority.

“You just push it away because there’s kids to take care of and husbands to take care of and houses and work,” she said.

Rogers Hopkins tried all sorts of remedies like cortisone and CBD before exploring surgery.

“Finding the right doctor was key. I fired four orthopedists before I got to Dr. Lahav, because they, because of my weight, they did not want to do the surgery, and they dismissed me.”

The “right” doctor, she said, is orthopedic surgeon Dr. Amit Lahav at Bridgeport Hospital’s Milford Campus.

“Somebody was actually listening to me and that’s, you know, that was the start of it and so I did everything I was told,” Rogers Hopkins explained while fighting back tears.

Lahav helped her develop a weight loss plan in preparation for surgery. Her first knee was replaced in April and the second in June of last year.

Just about a year later, she said, “I didn’t feel like I had a life prior to this, you know, having the surgery done was just incredible, it just has changed everything.”

Lahav is familiar with Rogers Hopkins’ path to surgery, saying, “functional impairments or mechanical symptoms such as arthritis sometimes takes a backseat.”

While he doesn’t discount a hip or knee replacement being major surgery, he added, “a lot of the total joint replacement you do now are same day, you go home, same day, you’re walking just a couple of hours after surgery, full weight-bearing.”

Lahav also emphasizes that recovery isn’t one size fits all.

“It’s a new joint, it does take some work on there, but if you get that work done earlier on and you maximize where you can get, especially over the first few weeks, you can be walking into my office at two weeks saying, I already feel a difference,” Lahav said.

To those struggling with pain like Rogers Hopkins’, she said, “don’t give up.”

She wants others to know, “it was worth the wait.”

Lahav said consider all your options for joint pain, both surgical and non-surgical. If surgery is the option you choose, make sure you understand the process from prep to post-surgery and prioritize quality communication with your medical team.