Forward Leap

A dancer her entire life, Karen Salb loves instructing aspiring young dancers at her Hobbs, New Mexico, dance studio. Ever since she danced her way to success in the Miss New Mexico pageant when she was in her teens, Salb has built her career around her passion for ballet.

Last May, however, Salb’s career was put on hold. Having had cartilage removed from her right knee after a college injury, the joint had become bowed. The pain she endured was constant and severe.

“When you’re teaching and you own your own business you sometimes ignore pain because you just have to go through it,” says Salb, now 65.

Salb struggled to get through her classes, but the throbbing in her knee made standing challenging. So when her daughter in Fairfax, Virginia, recommended Salb see James Reeves, MD, at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital’s Joint Replacement Surgery Program, Salb began her journey to recovery.

One Step at a Time

When Salb and her husband flew out for the surgery last May, she felt nurtured by Dr. Reeves’ staff and the office environment.

“Everything was catered toward my well-being,” she remembers. “I was just so impressed.”

During the procedure, Dr. Reeves replaced the damaged cartilage on the surface of her knee joint with metal and plastic components designed to allow the knee to move smoothly.

“Minimally invasive surgery allows us to help our patients rehab a lot faster,” says Dr. Reeves. “We get people walking and moving and in physical therapy the day of surgery, and gradually increase their range of motion, their strengthening and their ambulation.”

For Salb, the recovery was swift. Three days after her procedure, she began physical therapy at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital. Now back in the swing of things, Salb teaches 19 dance classes a week and walks 15,000 steps with her husband on any given day. She has regained her full range of motion and the pain in her knee is gone.

“A lot of times,” she says, “I forget I had my knee done.”

HERE TO HELP

Inova Fair Oaks Hospital’s Joint Replacement Surgery Program has earned the prestigious Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission for outstanding healthcare. To learn more about joint replacement, call our orthopedic patient navigator, Karen DuTeil, RN, M James Reeves, MD SN, ONC, at 703.391.4555.