Pain Is No Fun-Knee Business

Local teacher Karen Goldsmith is pain-free after a knee replacement by Dr. Ronald LaButti.

Karen Goldsmith is a native Chicagoan who moved to Oklahoma 17 years ago and teaches at Jenks High School. Last year, Karen started an exercise program after her kids convinced her to take better care of her health. She began walking on the treadmill and riding a ­stationary bike, but after a few weeks, knee pain began slowing her down. “I thought I had overworked it from exercising, so I tried an elastic wrap,” says Karen. “But that didn’t help. It got to the point where taking a shower or covering my knee with the bed sheet – anything that touched it – was excruciating.”

Karen had experienced shoulder problems in the past and was referred to an orthopedic surgeon by her primary care physician. She decided to call that same surgeon for her knee problem. Karen scheduled an appointment with Dr. Ronald LaButti of Central States Orthopedic Specialists. “He gave me the good news and the bad news,” says Karen. “The good news? I was going to be fine. The bad news? My knee had no cartilage left and was bone on bone. The only thing that would help the pain was a total knee replacement.”

As it turned out, the “bad” news wasn’t so bad after all. Karen decided to go through with the operation, and says she would do it again in a heartbeat. “It’s difficult to describe how it feels to have something hurt for so long, and then to have the pain be gone. It’s wonderful.”

After Dr. LaButti ­performed the knee replacement surgery, it was time for Karen to recover. “My daughter is a nurse, and she told me the first step: ‘You’re going to have to get out of bed and walk!’” says Karen. “I began with a walker and did physical therapy exercises. I ­started out doing what I could, and eventually was back to ­normal – better, in fact.”

Karen believes at some point in the future, she will probably need to have her other knee replaced, and she knows just who she will call. She is quick to praise the doctor and his staff for their professionalism, punctuality and skills. “Dr. LaButti knows what he is doing. He’s very meticulous and straightforward, and I always felt I was in good hands,” she says. “Another thing that sets him apart from others is that he is always on time for appointments – I was never left waiting. I highly recommend Dr. LaButti for anyone experiencing knee pain.”

Now that her own ­excruciating knee pain is no longer an issue, Karen has a much easier time getting around. As an English teacher to special education students at Jenks, she does a lot of standing and ­moving around at work. “My job and everyday activities are much easier for me now,” says Karen. “I’ve gotten back into working out, too. At the gym I swim, walk on the treadmill and ride the bike with no problems.”   

If you’re experiencing knee pain and want to have a success story like Karen’s, consider Dr. LaButti as your orthopedic ­specialist. For more information, visit www.hipandkneedoc.com. 

For more information, contact

Dr. Ronald S. LaButti

6585 S. Yale, Ste. 200

Tulsa, OK 74136

(918) 528-4780

www.hipandkneedoc.com