Same Surgery, Different Recovery: Vicki's Second Knee Replacement With 365 Surgical
Vicki had her first total knee replacement a little over five years ago. The surgery itself went fine. The recovery didn't. So when it came time for a second knee replacement, she went looking for anything that could make the experience different.
Friends recommended Dr. Greenauer. When he walked her through how he'd perform the surgery, he also described the concierge program that came with it. "Because I had had such a struggle with my first one," Vicki said, "I thought I will do anything extra that I can do to try to make this better." That's what brought her into the program, not curiosity about a perk, but a specific memory of what recovery could go wrong without one.
What Vicki Needed After Her Second Knee Replacement
Vicki wasn't looking for comfort items. She was looking for access. "Some of the things that really appealed to me about the service was 24-hour contact with anybody on that team," she said. That access got tested early: issues came up during her recovery that she needed help resolving, and her liaison, Jade, didn't just take a message.
"Jade was really good about putting me in touch with who could find that out and where I needed to go," Vicki said, "and she got me some very quick appointments." When something felt wrong, Vicki called and said so. Jade's answer was straightforward: "We'll take care of it."
The Nutrition and Recovery Side
Alongside the coordination support, Vicki used the program's nutrition component, including protein shakes designed for recovery, and paired it with a consistent routine: working out on her knee five days out of seven. She credits that combination, structured nutrition plus consistent movement, with clearly helping her recovery along.
24-hour access to a member of the care team
A liaison who could route problems to the right person quickly
Fast-tracked appointments when issues came up
A nutrition program built around recovery, including recovery shakes
Back on the Bike
Before either knee surgery, Vicki rode her bike often. That's the part of her life her second recovery gave back to her. "We have a lot of trails around here," she said, "and now I can ride as much as I like." She and her husband, who also rides, have picked their trips back up together, the kind of routine she'd had before her knees needed attention at all.
Recovery outcomes vary by patient, procedure, and health history, and no program guarantees a specific timeline or result. What Vicki's experience shows is the difference support can make around an otherwise similar surgery: the same category of procedure, a materially different path through recovery, and a return to a life she'd set aside.
What This Shows a Practice
Vicki's account is useful to a surgeon or practice for a specific reason: it isolates the variable. The surgery type didn't change between her two knees. The support around it did. A patient who can reach someone at any hour, who gets routed to the right appointment quickly when something's wrong, and who has a structured nutrition plan to lean on, is a patient who's less likely to end up stuck, frustrated, or calling the front desk repeatedly with no clear next step. That's a lighter load on the practice and a better outcome for the patient, from the same underlying procedure.
If you're a patient,
considering orthopedic surgery, ask your surgeon whether they partner with a concierge program like this one.
If you're a surgeon,
Ready to see if 365 Surgical is a fit for your practice? The program is designed to be evaluated with minimal time investment on your part. Our team will come to you, walk your staff through how it works, and help you determine whether the fit makes sense for your patient population and practice model.
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