After a fall reignited years-old knee problems, Peggy found the strength for a third surgery and lasting stability with Dr. Rohan Gopinath at Barrington Orthopedic Specialists.
Peggy's left knee had served her well for well over a decade. She'd had her original knee replacement back in November 2010, and for years afterward, life went on without complications. Then, in 2024, a simple trip and fall changed everything.
When a Stable Knee Starts to Fail
What began as a single fall gradually unraveled into a much bigger problem. By September 2025, the walks Peggy took three times a day, walks that had once been an easy, unremarkable part of her routine, had come to a stop entirely. By January 2026, even standing had become difficult. The knee that had given her over a decade of stability was now shifting and failing beneath her.
The emotional weight of that decline was its own kind of burden. Peggy knew, somewhere in the back of her mind, that another surgery was likely coming. She just hoped to put it off as long as she could.
Finding Dr. Gopinath
After her fall, Peggy went looking for care and found Barrington Orthopedic Specialists' walk-in clinic. X-rays gave her some short-term relief, but as she continued climbing stairs and staying active, the knee kept getting worse. When she returned describing the shifting she felt in the joint, the physician assistant she'd been seeing pointed her toward someone who could help: Dr. Rohan Gopinath.
'From first visit, I was impressed that he not only listened to me, he heard me. Saying we are going to try to fix this.'
That distinction, between simply hearing complaints and truly listening to them, was what gave Peggy the confidence to move forward with a third surgery on the same knee.
Facing Fear Head-On
The idea of a revision surgery brought real hesitation. Peggy was older now, had put on some weight, and wasn't as active as she'd once been. She wondered honestly whether she had it in her to go through the process a third time.
'Made me wonder if I could go through it all for a third time.'
Dr. Gopinath met that doubt with reassurance, telling Peggy he believed in her ability to get through it, even if it meant a bigger effort than before. His team backed that up in the lead-up to surgery, making Peggy feel like she'd known them for years and comfortable asking any question that came to mind.
The Day of Surgery
Peggy arrived early, at 5:15 a.m., for the usual pre-surgical preparations. What stood out most, though, happened the day before she ever set foot in the operating room.
'It was Dr. Gopinath who called me the day before surgery to say he moved me to an earlier surgery. Seriously, how many doctors call their patients themselves?'
When Dr. Gopinath saw her that morning, he came directly to her, asked how she was doing, and offered reassurance before the procedure began.
A Harder Recovery, and a Team That Helped Her Through It
Recovering from this revision proved more demanding than her original replacement. Wearing an immobilizer and being unable to bend her knee tested Peggy's patience, and the brace itself created its own frustrations by slipping down repeatedly. Once it came off after two weeks, she faced a different kind of discomfort, not quite pain, but persistent all the same.
Managing that discomfort took some trial and error, especially since Peggy wasn't interested in relying on opioids. Her care team worked with her directly to find the right approach.
'Suzi and Jordan worked with me to figure out what meds were best, since I wasn't a fan of opiates.'
Where She Stands Now
Peggy is honest about where her recovery stands: there's still some discomfort, and stairs remain her biggest challenge. But the thing that used to worry her most, the shifting and instability in her knee, is gone.
'I can say now I'm comfortable and confident taking a step, knowing there will not be any shifting in my knee.'
Advice for Others Facing a Repeat Surgery
For anyone staring down another knee surgery after a replacement that didn't hold up the way it should have, Peggy's advice comes from firsthand experience with just how hard the process can be.
'It's hard work no matter how many replacements. Push through the best you can. Listen to your body.'
A Team She Trusts Completely
Having now been treated by three different orthopedic surgeons over the years, Peggy has a clear sense of what sets Dr. Gopinath and the Barrington Orthopedic Specialists team apart.
'Dr. Gopinath's bedside manner is outstanding. The whole team, all around.'
Considering a Knee Revision? You Don't Have to Face It Alone
If a previous knee replacement isn't holding up the way it should, you don't have to be scared or discouraged about exploring your options again.
Request an appointment to learn more about knee revision surgery with Dr. Gopinath and the team at Barrington Orthopedic Specialists.
