Carol Kramer

Over a year ago, I tripped and broke the base of my femur, requiring emergency surgery with plates and bolts to repair and set my leg. I was non-weight bearing for 10 weeks progressing to full weight bearing over several months. Seven months in my recovery, my kneecap dislocated by simply rolling over in bed, sending me to the hospital for sedated manipulation back into place. It happened two more times with ER visits, requiring me to wear a kneecap immobilizer 24/7. With this complication, CT scans were done which showed that my femur grew back at an angle and rotated which caused my lower let to jut out to the right. My kneecap had no channel to sit, forcing me to wear an immobilizer 24/7. Because my legs were deformed, walking short distances were difficult. The plan was to perform a distal femur replacement (removing the base of my femur) and a hinged knee replacement (last resort). I was referred to Dr. Gausden at HSS and after meeting her at my pre-op appt, she said I was too young to loosen the base of my femur and she would do her best to save my femur. With mere determination and over 6 hours of surgery, Dr. Gausden saved my femur and performed a total knee replacement. She was a miracle worker. I had the best experience at HSS with Dr. Gausden and her team. I can't thank Dr. Gausden enough for her skillset and determination to save my femur.