Award-winning American videographer Tim Blanton can walk freely without pain thanks to a successful bilateral knee replacement at Health City Cayman Islands, the popular tertiary care medical facility in the Caribbean.
Blanton had always been a very active man. As a professional videographer, he regularly filmed underwater videos for National Geographic, but for a few years his ability to dive in the ocean to get his shots was limited by serious arthritis in his knees, which gradually reduced his ability to walk even short distances.
His painful condition led him to consult with Dr. Alwin Almeida, Orthopedic Surgeon and specialist in joint replacement at Health City in Grand Cayman, who recommended bilateral knee replacement surgery.
"Six weeks ago I was barely able to walk, I could not go up or down stairs and I had some major problems with my knees. I had my double knee replacement at Health City; it's been an amazing experience beyond my wildest expectations. I saw world-class medical care from some of the finest doctors, anesthesiologists, nurses, the medical staff, the administrative staff at Health City, they were outstanding," said Blanton, who resides with his wife Barbara in Roatán in the Bay Islands of Honduras.
Knee replacement surgery is necessary when medications and other support are no longer helping to relieve pain from severe arthritis. A prosthesis is then needed to replace the damaged tissue in the joint. The procedure relieves patients' pain and allows them to resume their normal activities.
Before having his surgery, Blanton went through the necessary preoperative checkups to determine if his case qualified for the total replacement of both knees.
"His knee joints were giving him considerable pain from arthritis. And he was seeking to find a place where he finally could have the surgery. When I checked his knees they were pretty bad, and he needed a knee replacement in both," Dr. Almeida recalled.
Blanton's surgery was performed in two stages, with each knee being operated several days apart. He achieved highly successful results and was able to return to Honduras two weeks after his second surgery. Six weeks after the knee replacements, Dr. Almeida traveled to Roatán for a post-operative checkup to make sure Blanton was recovering well.
He was delighted to find that his patient had made a full recovery, and could go up and down stairs, bend over and even walk short and medium distances without using a walker.
I feel like a new man," declared Blanton.