Knees by Lebolt

by Zinta Aistars

Ed Dublis

A patient story I wrote for one of Michigan's largest health care organizations about a man so grateful for his double knee replacement that he participated in a 5K race just a couple months later to say Thanks, Doc. 

He was #40931, and Edward Dublis walked proud, wearing a bright blue shirt for all to read: “I got my knees from Dr. Lebolt on January 14, 2013.”

Today, that blue shirt hangs, framed and behind glass, among a row of similar sports shirts in the office space of James Lebolt, DO, medical director of sports medicine and an orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine physician.

People came up to Dublis at the finish line and asked about his shirt. They wanted to know: had he really had a double knee replacement in January and was already able to walk a 5K race in May? Dublis, a financial planner and CEO of his own business, Diversified Financial Concepts, was very happy to share his story:

“I had the shirt made because I was so impressed and pleased with my knee surgery,” says Dublis. “My knees have been bad since college, when I played football. I’ve had four or five surgeries on my right knee over the years, but in the last few years, I was in pain all the time. Last year I went to Las Vegas and my family had to wheel me around in a wheelchair because my knees hurt too much to walk for more than a few minutes at a time. It was embarrassing to be a 57-year-old and to feel so helpless.”

Dublis talked to his primary physician who referred him to Dr. James Lebolt to discuss knee replacement surgery.

Dr. Lebolt specializes in shoulder, elbow and knee conditions for all ages. He trained under Dr. James Andrews, physician for many of the top athletes in professional sports, while completing a fellowship in orthopaedic sports medicine at the American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham, Alabama.

“Ed’s knees were significantly impaired,” says Dr. Lebolt. “He had severe arthritis in both knees. Usually we work on one knee replacement at a time due to the recovery and rehabilitation process. Even though Ed was young to need both knees replaced, that’s also part of the reason he was able to undergo both surgeries at one time. We also were able to use a type of implant that should last about 30 years.”

“December and January are quieter times in my business, so that’s when we scheduled the surgery,” Dublis says. “Dr. Lebolt felt that I had more upper body strength than someone older might, so I could handle the therapy for both knees after the surgery.”

Dublis had his surgery at the Center for Joint Replacement at Blodgett Hospital.

“The surgery, the care I received, it all exceeded my expectations,” says Dublis. “The nurses were extremely attentive and responsive to my needs. My pain level never went above 3 on a scale of 10 and I was able to walk the next day!”

In fact, the day after surgery, when Ed was encouraged to walk from his hospital bed to the hospital room door with the help of a walker, he ...

READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE AT THE HEALTH CARE WEBSITE.