Letter to the Editor: Wilkes-Barre mayoral candidate Tony George will end clique’s grip on city

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<p>PLAINS TOWNSHIP &#8212; Dr. James Mattucci doesn&#8217;t tell patients they need knee replacement surgery.</p><p>&#8220;I tell people, when you&#8217;re ready, you&#8217;ll come. You&#8217;ll tell me when you&#8217;re ready to get your knee done,&#8221; Mattucci explained during a recent seminar on joint replacement sponsored by Commonwealth Health at Mohegan Sun Pocono.</p><p>About 20 attendees listened attentively as Mattucci explained most candidates for the surgery have osteoarthritis which he described as a wearing away of cartilage and bone at a joint. &#8220;It&#8217;s like developing a pot hole,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Initial treatments can include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, ice, braces and injections.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve had people I&#8217;ve injected for seven, eight, nine years,&#8221; Mattucci said, citing an example of one man who put off surgery for about 10 years by taking thrice-yearly injections.</p><p>But when pain becomes too great, or range of mobility so limited it affects your quality of life, you may want to replace your problem knee.</p><p>To determine if you&#8217;re a good candidate for total knee arthroplasty, or replacement, Mattucci said, it&#8217;s best to talk to a doctor face-to-face rather than rely on &#8220;what everybody says.&#8221;</p><p>Bringing along a relative or friend to help you ask questions and remember the answers is a good idea, said the surgeon, who performs about 150 knee replacements annually.</p><p>&#8220;Come in with your wife, your daughter, your significant other,&#8221; he advised. &#8220;Come with a friend or neighbor. Two heads are better than one.&#8221;</p><p>Thanks to better strategies for anesthesia, pain medication and physical therapy, Mattucci said, knee-replacement patients today tend to have a faster recovery time than just a few years ago.</p><p>&#8220;Most people walk the day of surgery and in 24 or 48 hours they go home,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It used to take seven to 10 days.&#8221;</p><p>But, he cautioned the group, don&#8217;t compare your progress to someone else&#8217;s.</p><p>&#8220;Ten different people will have 10 different rates of improvement,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Most people are doing &#8216;pretty good&#8217; by six weeks and &#8216;really good&#8217; by 12 weeks.&#8221;</p><p>Julie Saba, 82, of Hanover Township, hopes she&#8217;ll soon be among those people who report feeling better and moving more easily with a new knee.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m calling tomorrow to make an appointment,&#8221; she said, adding Mattucci is the surgeon who handled her sister-in-law&#8217;s knee surgery. &#8220;She&#8217;s doing great.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Dr. James Mattucci discusses knee-replacement surgery during a seminar sponsored by Commonwealth Health at Mohegan Sun Pocono. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_knee.replace1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Dr. James Mattucci discusses knee-replacement surgery during a seminar sponsored by Commonwealth Health at Mohegan Sun Pocono. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_knee.replace2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">After knee-replacement surgery, Dr. James Mattucci advised, don&#8217;t compare yourself to other people because recovery rates can vary. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_knee.replace2.jpg</photo1><caption1>After knee-replacement surgery, Dr. James Mattucci advised, don&#8217;t compare yourself to other people because recovery rates can vary. </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p><strong>By Mary Therese Biebel</strong></p><p>mbiebel@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>PREVENTION</strong></p><p>For younger people with no signs of osteoarthritis, what is the best way to try to stave off future problems?</p><p>&#8220;If you have a choice between being active or inactive,&#8221; Dr. James Mattucci said, &#8220;active is better.&#8221;</p><p>Because extra weight adds stress to the joints, he said, keep your weight within normal range.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mary Therese Biebel at 570-991-6109 or on Twitter @BiebelMT</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Dr. James Mattucci discusses joint replacement surgery