For Trudy Fair, 65, a perfect day is one spent on her Weatherford, Texas farm, a place she has owned for 25 years. “I love the work, I love the cattle, I love fixing things,” Fair said as she talked about the joy and fulfillment she gets from the time she spends tending to her property and animals.

Fifteen years ago, Fair faced life-changing circumstances that crippled her ability to tend to her farm. Pain and weakness rendered her legs almost useless. “I had trouble stepping over the trailer hitch on my tractor,” she remembered. The pain progressed to the point where this formerly active woman was forced to use a walker to get around.

Texas Hip and Knee Center: Patient Testimonial - Trudy Fair

A friend referred Fair to Ajai Cadambi, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon with Texas Hip and Knee Center, a Texas Health Physicians Group practice. Dr. Cadambi is on the medical staff of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest and Texas Health Hospital Clearfork.

“She had had severely arthritic hips and knees, and it was bone on bone,” Dr. Cadambi said. “We had to formulate a treatment plan for her that ultimately resulted in having both her hips and both her knees replaced.”

Joint replacement surgery is the removal of part or all of a joint that is arthritic or damaged, replacing them with devices that replicate the movement of a healthy joint. At Texas Health hospitals, the approach to joint replacement surgery is designed to help patients heal quickly and comfortably. Patients have individual treatment plans that address their specific needs.

For Fair, Dr. Cadambi recommended a treatment plan that included replacing her hip joints first in a staged fashion, several months apart. An implant was used in each of Fair’s hip joints, an artificial ball and socket that helped to alleviate Fair’s hip pain and give her smooth motion in her new joints. After some time, Fair began experiencing increasing pain in her knees, and the decision was made to move forward with the next stage of the treatment plan. Each knee joint was resurfaced with a metal and plastic implant, essentially creating artificial hinges in Fair’s knees.

Fair was pleased with the outcome immediately.

“The moment I woke up from that surgery, my first conscious thought was ‘The pain is gone – oh my word, the pain is gone!’” Fair remembered.

“She’s way more functional and active, which is the most important thing when you consider that joint replacement is to improve a patient’s functions and also decrease their pain,” Dr. Cadambi said. “She’s done very well and is living an active lifestyle.”

Fair has returned to her daily life on the farm, relishing the opportunity to put her body back to work as she lives out her dream.

“I literally have my life back, and I can literally do anything I want for the rest of my life. It’s an absolute miracle,” Fair said.

To schedule an appointment with a joint replacement specialist, visit our online Find a Physician or call 1-877-THR-WELL (1-877-847-9355).

Physicians employed by Texas Health Physicians Group are not employees or agents of Texas Health Resources hospitals.