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Patient Story: Custom Knee Implant

Piedmont Orthopaedic Complex is the only facility in Middle Georgia where patients in need of a total knee replacement can get an implant created specifically for their body using 3D printing technology.

Just as every person is unique, every knee has a distinct size and shape. In a traditional knee replacement, a surgeon must choose from a standardized set of implants based on what he or she feels will best fit the patient. In the custom knee implant, no compromises have to be made because it is created specifically for that patient.

Phil NeSmith recently had both knees replaced using the custom implant.

“My goal was to walk a mile by my 6-week checkup,” Phil said. “By my 2-week checkup I’d already walked a mile.”

Phil was able to get back to work quickly, which is important to him because he is self-employed. He is also able to work on his farm, easily getting up and down on the tractor and walking across the property.

“The pain had gotten to the point that I was unable to walk, and that kind of made me lose the fear of having surgery,” said Phil. “I never had any doubt it was going to be a success.”

Phil said his friends and neighbors are just amazed at how quickly he has recovered. It just so happened that around the same time Phil had his knee replacement, several other people he knew also had knee replacements done, with all but one of them having a more traditional knee replacement. According to Phil, those who didn’t have the custom knee will tell others considering surgery, “You need to get what Phil got!”

He says he and another friend who had the custom knee implant were able to do things the others just weren’t able to do. 

“I’ve done really, really well,” said Phil. “And I’ve noticed that now that I’ve hit the year mark, it has gotten even better.”

Each implant is created specifically for a patient using CT scans and 3D printing by Conformis®.

Learn more about the custom knee implant

posted 05/01/2017 in Blog

Tags: custom knee implant, knee replacement, total knee replacement, conformis, dr bill barnes

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