A New Lease on Life

Knee replacement surgery restores a young mother’s active lifestyle.

Christy Jackson’s situation had literally gotten to the point where she had no leg to stand on. Now able to run and play with her eight-year-old son, Jackson is grateful to Central States Orthopedic Specialists orthopedic surgeon Ronald S. LaButti, D.O.

Christy Jackson is only 29 years old. However, advanced rheumatoid arthritis and intense knee pain had plagued her for 10 years. “My knees got to where they hurt so much that I could hardly walk, much less run,” she says. “When I was 26, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. By that time, my knees had begun to bend in towards each other. You could tell by looking at them that something was terribly wrong. It had gotten to the point where I simply didn’t go out because people would stare, and children would come up and ask me what was wrong with my knees.”

The situation was bad enough, but for a mother of an active, eight-year-old son, it was intolerable. “There was no way I could keep up with my son,” Jackson says. “That was the hardest thing of all. I would have to ask him to get things for me. If I got down on my knees, I couldn’t get up without help.”

Jackson was using a cane and was being pressured by her physician at the time to use a wheelchair. “That’s where I drew the line. That’s also where Dr. LaButti came into the picture and changed everything,” she says. After being denied help for years, Jackson was amazed when Dr. LaButti said he could improve her situation.

“Dr. LaButti was the first doctor to offer me hope,” Jackson says. “He was positive and reassuring but very open and upfront at the same time. I couldn’t have asked for a better doctor.”

Dr. LaButti performed total knee replacement surgery on Jackson’s left knee in July 2006. Two months later, he performed the same surgery on her right knee. “When I met Christy, her knees were bent inwards at a 45-degree angle,” Dr. LaButti says. “She was severely disabled and in a great deal of pain. My goal is to improve my patients’ quality of life by reducing pain and restoring mobility. The best part of my job is being able to help people like Christy reclaim their lives and return to the many activities they thought they could never again enjoy.”

Both of the surgeries went very smoothly and marked the beginning of Jackson’s active, new life. “Following the first surgery, I thought I’d probably be up and walking in a few weeks,” says Jackson. “However, Dr. LaButti had something else in mind; he and his staff had me up and walking the very next day! I would never have dreamed that would be possible. The entire staff was wonderful. They were all supportive and very attentive to my every need. After I was discharged, the optimal level of care continued. If I ever had a question, all I had to do was call. Someone was always immediately available to talk to me.” Following each surgery, a physical therapist worked with Jackson at home for several weeks to ensure her knees regained strength and mobility.

Today, Jackson marvels at her pain-free knees. She is busy catching up on all the activities she simply could not do a year ago. “Being able to do things with my son has brought us even closer,” she says. “I thank Dr. LaButti for that and for so much more. Not only has he given me a leg to stand on, but he has given me my life back.”

For more information about Ronald S. LaButti, D.O., and total joint replacement surgery, call Central States Orthopedic Specialists, Inc. at (918) 481-2767 or visit him online at www.hipandkneedoc.com.

For more information, contact

Dr. Ronald LaButti

Central States Orthopedic Specialists, Inc.

(918) 481-2767

www.hipandkneedoc.com