David Gillon
Left Knee Replacement
"I injured both knees in the 1980s and had minor surgery on both, then a major procedure on the left. The effectiveness of these procedures lasted only a short time. I could not run and experienced many episodes of swelling and pain due to minor injuries during normal activities of daily living. I saw Dr. Gallivan to discuss my options. I opted for the surgery rather than the other stopgap measures. Surgery was scheduled. Dr. Gallivan explained in detail the surgery and made available detailed information via the internet.
Because of Covid-19, I entered Cottage hospital in the morning of December 1, 2020 and was discharged that evening. I was given the opportunity to watch the surgery in it’s entirety. It was fascinating.
My post-op instructions were clear and I went home with all the medications I needed from the hospital pharmacy. The post-op equipment I needed was ordered by Dr. Gallivan and delivered to my home the day prior to surgery. The operation of the equipment was fully explained.
A physical therapist came to the house three times a week. She was clear and knowledgeable. I continue to do the exercises twice a day, every day, as taught by her. Within two weeks, I had increased my daily walk to 2-4 miles each day.
It takes a long time to fully recover from a total knee replacement, but already, I have less pain than I did for all those years before the surgery. The recovery has been more rapid than I had anticipated.
Thank you, Dr. Gallivan, and all those who were involved.
