Christine Taylor, a retired elementary school teacher and grandmother of two, was suffering agonizing discomfort from bone-on-bone grinding in both of her knees.
“I couldn’t even take a step without pain,” she says.
Christine taught English and history for 35 years. She now enjoys tending to her garden and dabbling in creative hobbies like art, painting, and crocheting.
Over the course of three years, her knees degraded to the point that she struggled to continue the things she enjoyed most.
“I had to give up so many things because I couldn’t walk anymore,” she says.
As her knees worsened, she struggled to make the short walk from her car to her classroom. Her legs had begun to bow outward. She couldn’t walk in the school hallways because it was too painful.
She had no choice but to retire.
“I physically couldn’t do it anymore,” she says.
Preparing for Surgery
Determined to relieve her pain and make sure she was the best possible candidate for a knee replacement, Christine committed to losing 120 pounds.
“I would do chair yoga and leg lifts,” she says. “I worked my butt off.”
Her hard work was worth the effort. Brian Mata, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon affiliated with UPMC Chautauqua, stepped in to help.
“Christine’s knees were very deformed and curved,” he says. “Her knees were really extreme.”
Knee pain had overtaken much of Christine’s life. She was in disbelief that Dr. Mata was willing to perform the complex double knee replacement surgery she desperately needed.
“It was so emotional,” she says. “I couldn’t believe someone was finally going to do something to make a difference.”
Dr. Mata specializes in orthopaedic surgery and practices with the Lakeshore Orthopedics & Sports Medicine — Great Lakes physician practice. He credits the mentorship and training he received from James Fitzgerald, MD, with his ability to take on highly complex cases like Christine’s.
“When I came on board, I was a little hesitant to take on more complex knee replacements because I specialized in sports medicine rather than adult reconstruction,” he says. “But then, over time, as I was doing more complex cases while learning from Dr. Fitzgerald and getting his mentorship, I became much more comfortable with more complex needs like this.”
A Life-Changing Double-Knee Replacement
In March 2024, Dr. Mata performed a right knee total arthroplasty on Christine.
Before her surgery, Christine continued her exercises to strengthen her knees and prepare them for the procedure. During the recovery process, she researched tips for rehabilitating her joints. She also worked with her physical therapy team on daily workouts she could continue at home.
As a result of Christine’s efforts, Dr. Mata found that she was consistently meeting benchmarks sooner than expected.
“She was very invested in her health and her recovery,” he says. “Beforehand, during, and after the procedure. She did a wonderful job doing her best with what she had.”
At her four-week follow-up appointment with Dr. Mata, Christine wanted her second surgery immediately.
“I’d love to say that everybody who comes in four weeks after their first knee replacement wants to get their second one done the next week,” Dr. Mata says.
After encouraging her to take more time to recover and prepare for her next surgery, Dr. Mata performed her left knee total arthroplasty in May 2024.
A Second Chance to Enjoy Life
Since her second procedure, Christine has been transitioning back to the hobbies she enjoyed before her knees put everything on hold.
“It has changed my life completely,” she says. “I have everything back.”
Before surgery, Christine struggled to get in her truck to drop her granddaughter off at school. After her knee replacements, the pair is back to enjoying their drives together.
On her granddaughter’s last day of school, Christine drove her to the beach.
“She was so happy, and we played in the sand together,” Christine recalls. “She said, ‘Gigi, I am so happy you got your knees done so you can play with me again.’”
Dr. Mata is thankful for the power of orthopaedic surgery and its ability to transform the lives of people struggling with various health conditions.
“Orthopaedic surgery is ultimately really transformative in terms of a person’s lifestyle and how happy and content they are with their lives,” he says. “They can hang out with their families again. You really are changing lives.”
After experiencing firsthand the toll that chronic pain can take, Christine encourages anyone experiencing knee pain to schedule surgery.
”If you’re in pain, don’t wait. Just go and do it,” she says. “Dr. Mata did amazing work. I couldn’t have gotten through it without his team.”
Christine’s grandchildren are back to climbing on her lap, and she’s slowly returning to the activities she loves.
“It’s amazing what I can do now,” she says. ”I’m a whole different person.”