In 2017, Fern had a traditional total knee replacement on her right knee. She hoped she would never have to undergo surgery again, but when the pain in her left knee started to worsen, she knew she couldn’t ignore it.
Fern’s daughter, Michelle, who works for UPMC as an office manager at one of its primary care practices, suggested her mother try Orthopaedic Specialists of Central PA-UPMC in Lancaster, Pa.
“I traveled to the location on Manheim Pike and saw Dr. Seth Baublitz,” Fern says. “UPMC felt different right away — in all of the best ways.”
In January 2025, orthopaedic surgeon Seth D. Baublitz, DO, performed Fern’s left knee replacement, and she couldn’t be happier.
Fern wants others to know what she learned — where you choose to go for health care matters. And being listened to by your doctor can make all the difference.
Worsening Knee Pain
“At first, we thought it was just mild to moderate arthritis,” Fern says.
That didn’t explain why her pain was becoming unmanageable. By late 2023, she was having trouble walking.
The turning point came during the summer of 2024, when her daughters took her to a country music concert at Penn State for her birthday. The walk from the parking lot was excruciating. “By the time we got to our seats, I couldn’t walk anymore,” she says.
She had to have a wheelchair brought.
“I ended up at a nearby emergency clinic,” Fern says. “They gave me a walker, which I needed just to be able to get home.”
Although the thought of having another knee replacement made her nervous, she was unable to do the things she loved, like gardening and traveling. Her two great-grandchildren would ask her to play ball in the yard, and she couldn’t.
At her first visit with Dr. Baublitz toward the end of that summer, he diagnosed the source of her pain. It wasn’t just mild arthritis — she also had tears in her meniscus. “He said the arthritis is what made the meniscus tear,” she says.
He also told her she could wait until she felt ready to get a knee replacement, and that he would do everything he could to help — but the pain would only get worse.
“When I told him about my concerns, he assured me everything would go smoothly,” she says.
That proved to be true.
Using a Robotic Approach
Right away, Dr. Baublitz explained the details of the procedure. “He said using the robot was a newer technique and meant less stitches,” Fern says.
She was also told she’d have a nerve block. While she wouldn’t feel anything and wouldn’t be awake, it wasn’t the same as the anesthesia she’d had previously.
Fern agreed to the surgery but wanted to get through the holidays first. They scheduled the surgery for mid-January.
Although she was nervous, Dr. Baublitz had earned her trust with his honest, straightforward manner. “He was always very caring and concerned about my well-being,” she says.
On the day of surgery, she had to be at UPMC Lititz at 7 a.m. Her daughter took her, and before she knew it, she was waking up. “I felt good immediately,” she says.
The nurses got her up to walk shortly after the surgery. They also showed her how to go up and down stairs. She spent one night in the hospital but had very little pain.
Unlike her first surgery, she had no metal staples. “I only had to get one stitch out, where the robotic hand was,” she says.
It was a different experience from her previous traditional knee replacement, according to Fern. She was able to start physical therapy that day after she went home.
Her three daughters all took turns helping with things as their mother recovered. It helped that she lives with Michelle and her husband.
Fern went to physical therapy for about three months, finishing in April.
Getting Back to Life
“My girls will tell you; I’m not one to want to sit around a lot,” Fern says. She takes care of the house for her daughter and family, and she was happy to get back to doing the housework and other things.
One of the things she’s most excited about is joining a gym.
Her grandson is a manager at a gym. “He’s already shown me some exercises to help keep my knees strong,” she says. “I’m in good shape at my age, and I want to stay active.”
With warmer weather around the corner, she looks forward to getting outside in the garden again. And of course, to finally play ball with her great-grandchildren.
She’s also planning to go on vacation with her family in September. “It’s why I need my knees strong,” she says.
She often thinks about what happened at that concert, how she couldn’t even walk. She never wants to have to go through that again. “It was just so scary,” she says.
Fern is so glad she came to UPMC. “I felt completely at ease with everyone I met there,” she says. “I would recommend them, and Dr. Baublitz, in a heartbeat.”
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on , and was last reviewed on .