“IT WAS FINALLY TIME”
Former Daycare Owner Regains Active Lifestyle with Robot-Assisted Knee Replacement
Linda Gile
“Using the app really strengthened my knee before surgery, which made my recovery so much faster,” she said. “I can’t get over how much better I feel. I should have prioritized this years ago.” Today, she is back to an active life with her grandkids.
An active lifestyle can be hard on the knees. Just ask Linda Gile, 67, who experienced the gnawing pain firsthand. As if raising three active boys wasn’t enough, she also ran a child daycare in her home for 20 years—a demanding job that kept her continually busy. Over the years, all that activity took a toll.
“Three years ago, my knee really started hurting a lot,” she said. “I could no longer run around with my grandkids—it was just too painful. I knew that I had arthritis but just never took the time to address it. Once I retired, I finally said ‘enough is enough’ and decided it was time.”
Linda went to see Andrew Luu MD, PIH Health orthopedic surgeon, and X-rays confirmed Linda’s severe arthritis. Dr. Luu recommended a total knee replacement, and Linda was 100 percent on board.
Her knee replacement journey began six weeks before surgery with a smartphone app called mymobility®. The app provides step-by-step instructions, daily exercises and helpful reminders to support a patient’s surgical preparation and recovery.
“I followed the exercises faithfully,” said Linda. “The app was also very informative, explaining what would happen during surgery and how I could best prepare myself.”
Dr. Luu performed Linda’s surgery in January 2023 using a sophisticated robotic technology called the ROSA® Knee System.
“During surgery, the ROSA Knee System helps with accurate bone resections by assessing the state of soft tissues to facilitate implant positioning,” explained Dr. Luu. “Data provided by the system’s software assists with complex decision making, and the robotic hardware enables us to control surgical instruments with greater precision and flexibility.”
Linda’s knee replacement was a complete success. Within a few hours, she was already up and walking, and today, her pain is gone.
“Using the app really strengthened my knee before surgery, which made my recovery so much faster,” she said. “I can’t get over how much better I feel. I should have prioritized this years ago.” Today, she is back to an active life with her grandkids.
To learn more about Orthopedics at PIH Health, including new technology like the ROSA Knee System, visit PIHHealth.org/Ortho
