Ronnie Raines

Walking down the trail along the Roanoke River in Southwest Virginia, Ronnie Raines cannot help but smile and breathe in the fresh air. Each step forward is effortless. It's a stark contrast from a few months prior before he received robotic total knee replacement surgery at LewisGale Medical Center.

“Last year, I went from no pain to severe pain in my knee overnight. I couldn’t walk and it was difficult to drive,” Raines said. “My family knew something was wrong when I didn’t go back for seconds at Christmas dinner because it hurt too much. I started missing out on trips and events. I knew that was when I needed to see someone."

Ronnie and his family researched their options thoroughly, and selected Dennis Chen, MD, a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon with LewisGale Physicians Orthopedics in Salem, Virginia. He wanted to have his surgery at LewisGale Medical Center with the highly-skilled orthopedic team.

“From the first time we interacted, I really liked Dr. Chen. He listened to what I had to say and provided me options, even though I already knew I wanted surgery,” Raines said. “He listened to what was important to me, like being able to pick up my granddaughter from school. I was devastated when the pain stopped me from doing that.”

Dr. Chen operated on Raines at LewisGale Medical Center with the latest innovation in robotic surgery. Using robotic-arm assisted technology, Dr. Chen pre-planned the total knee replacement surgery and used the robotic-assistance to make precision cuts. LewisGale Medical Center was the first hospital in the area to introduce the technology, which is also used for partial knee and total hip replacement.

This type of procedure reduces risk by creating a personalized surgical plan based on the patient’s unique anatomy before they enter the operating room. Most important, like in Raines’ case, the technology can lead to less pain and faster recovery times.

“When I got up to walk the next morning after surgery, I ended up carrying the walker instead of using it to go down the hall,” Raines said. “I wasn’t in as much pain as I thought I’d be. I didn’t even take any of my prescription pain medication, just over-the-counter pain killers.”

No longer consumed with pain, Raines is spending quality time with his granddaughter again, playing in the yard, and doing house projects with his wife. With his regained independence, he’s walking a mile a day and driving himself around town.

“For nearly six months, I didn’t do anything other than sit because of the pain. I was so excited when I woke up the morning after surgery,” Raines said. “It was the best medical experience I’ve ever had. When people ask me about it, I tell them they need to go see Dr. Chen and LewisGale because I had a fantastic experience there.”