Into the Wild

Two local outdoor enthusiasts, a hiker-outdoorsman and a nature photographer, have both been able to return to their favorite pursuits after successful knee replacements performed by Dr. Nigel Azer at Inova Alexandria Hospital.

If you are unable to find relief for your painful knee or hip, then Inova Alexandria Hospital’s Joint Replacement Program may be able to help. It offers advanced minimally invasive procedures to restore your mobility and permanently eliminate your pain.

“The Joint Replacement Program at Inova Alexandria Hospital is an excellent facility, and we have the capabilities of doing complex primary and revisional joint replacements,” says Nigel Azer, MD, orthopedic surgeon, who completed a fellowship in joint replacement at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

“I’m excited about how our team works together with the patients to minimize pain and accelerate recovery.”

Climb any Mountain

Knee replacement surgery at Inova Alexandria Hospital helped two nature lovers. Less than two years after his surgery, Wayne Thaemert, a 70-year-old financial planner, set out to hike the Grand Canyon with his son. An avid outdoorsman, Thaemert was physically prepared for the 4,000-foot descent into the canyon; he’d been living pain-free since his operation and was back to an active lifestyle. What he didn’t expect was the toll the hike would take on the rest of his body.

“It wasn’t my knee that was the problem, it was my calf muscles,” says Thaemert. “Going down and then back up in one day was probably the most strenuous hiking I had done since I climbed Long’s Peak in Colorado.”

In the months before Thaemert had his left knee replaced, he was barely able to walk without severe pain and a limp. Having suffered from osteoarthritis for years, he twisted his knee while helping a friend move a carpet seven years ago, and from then on he lived with a constant ache. When his son, a doctor in Boston, recommended Dr. Azer, Thaemert knew he was in good hands. “Dr. Azer is a young, energetic professional who is very physically active himself, so he can empathize with a person who wants to be active,” says Thaemert.

Dr. Azer prescribed conservative treatments involving medication, exercise and injections, but when the pain persisted, he recommended surgery. In December 2013, immediately following the procedure, Thaemert was walking up and down a set of stairs in the hospital. He participated in physical therapy for two weeks at home, then drove to an outpatient facility to continue therapy for four more weeks.

“I don’t even notice my knee today,” says Thaemert. “I’m back to hiking, golfing and biking, and I’m back to normal, like I would have been 20 years or so ago.”

Picture Perfect

Ceasar Sharper, whose passion for nature photography has taken him to many parts of the world, also benefited from a knee replacement surgery. After retiring as a colonel in the Air Force a decade ago, he pursued his dream of capturing beautiful imagery in rugged terrains where few others venture. But for much of his adult life, Sharper has suffered from severe knee pain aggravated by a meniscus tear 14 years ago, which has made venturing into the wilderness a challenge.

“It became increasingly painful to stand and walk,” recalls the 64-year-old. “I went to the emergency room when the pain level suddenly increased, and I started to walk with a cane.”

Sharper knew that in order to continue his pursuit of photography, which requires long hikes hauling 10 to 20 pounds of photography gear and climbing uneven surfaces, he had to do something about his knee. It was in July 2013 that he met with Dr. Azer. “Dr. Azer is a skilled surgeon and a passionate individual who cares for his patients’ mind, body and soul,” says Sharper.

Dr. Azer performed a total knee replacement, and within weeks of the operation, Sharper was able to spend short periods of time caring for his many hybrid tea roses. With physical therapy sessions to improve his strength and flexibility, he was able to return to work and pursue photography within six weeks of his surgery. Last winter, Sharper renewed his passion for downhill skiing. At first he exercised caution on the intermediate slopes but soon gained confidence and returned to his former freedom and ease of motion as an experienced skier.

Recently he voyaged to Iceland for 10 days to photograph the wildlife and landscape. Carrying his camera gear, he routinely hiked formidable trails with steep inclines; to capture an image of a rock outcropping on a beach, he climbed down and back up a 200-foot cliff.

“I feel great with a full range of motion and without pain,” says Sharper.

No Pain, More Gain

At Inova Alexandria Hospital, the surgical team knows how to stop the pain before it starts. “Because we use pre-emptive multimodal anesthesia, we’re treating people’s pain before they have it and that means we’re able to get most people up out of bed the same day of surgery,” says Nigel Azer, MD. “Because of the good pain control, good rehabilitation and the minimally invasive techniques, in most cases we’re able to send folks home the first day after surgery.”

Successful pain relief during and after surgery is also important, he adds, because it allows patients to participate in physical therapy more effectively.

Click to learn more about Inova Alexandria Hospital’s Joint Replacement Program >