Robert Melnyk

I have been active in sports all my life, playing baseball, basketball, skiing, running, and most recently tennis. I have also been an avid hiker for many years. About 20 years ago I started to develop problem with my knees. I went to a number of doctors and tried a number of treatments over the years including arthroscopic surgeries, dietary supplements, anti-inflammatories, and cortisone injections. I finally got to the point where I could no longer hike or play tennis without a tremendous amount of pain. I had bone on bone arthritis in both knees. I decided to contact HSS to inquire about knee replacement. My surgeon felt at age 65 and being an active person that I would be a perfect candidate for total knee replacement to resolve my problems. In the fall of 2016 I had both knees totally replaced, 6 weeks apart. It was a long and hard road to recovery, but I worked hard with my physical therapist and the help of my wife who was an awesome home nurse for me. After 4 or 5 months I was resuming normal activities pain free, and after about 8 months I was able to resume playing tennis and hiking - pain free! I have included a picture of me hiking up to Eagle Lake at Lake Tahoe a few weeks ago. Thanks to HSS, I am "back in the game!"