For the past five years , Robert Grewe was accustomed to pushing his own pain aside to help others . But when his daily knee pain started getting in the way of his jobs , he knew it was time to do something .

A native of Winnipeg , Canada , Robert Grewe and his wife came to Washington , PA nine years ago to be a pastor at First Lutheran Church . He has also volunteered as the chaplain for South Strabane Volunteer Fire Department for the past six years . In his role as the chaplain , Grewe rides along in the truck to calls , helping with the spiritual needs of the firefighters at the scenes of fires and other accidents .

Grewe also works at the Washington County Sheriff ’ s office , assisting with the spiritual needs of the officers and deputies . He says that his experience in the Royal Canadian Navy has helped him understand the emotions of people who may be accustomed to “ toughing it out ” and not showing their emotions .

Grewe found out that “ toughing it out ” isn ’ t a good way to deal with emotional or physical pain . Over thirty years ago , he tore his ACL because of a sports injury . He had surgery to repair the tear , but over the decades he started to lose mobility and eventually the pain and swelling caused him to lose his ability to walk on the leg . He knew it was time to get help so that he could continue to support others .

Help came in the form of Dr . Donald Ravasio . Dr . Ravasio brought his expertise in same-day joint replacement surgery to WHS . Advancement in technology and pain management has made it possible for many patients to get their joint replaced and go home the same day .

“ The benefits of same day joint replacements ( hips , knees , shoulders ) are profound ,” says Dr . Ravasio . Patients don ’ t need to be hospitalized or catheterized , which diminishes the risk for infection .

“ Patients actively recover — they are up and participating in physical therapy literally 90 minutes after their surgery is completed ,” he says . His patients are often home by dinner time .

“ Dr . Ravasio is a blessing from God !” says Grewe . He felt a connection with the orthopedic surgeon because of their shared military experience . He appreciated the doctor ’ s honesty and his sense of humor . Dr . Ravasio and his team answered all his questions without hesitation .

On the morning of Grewe ’ s surgery , he was greeted warmly by the staff at the hospital . They made sure that he understood the procedure , answered any last questions , and made him comfortable . Dr . Ravasio opted for general anesthesia with a nerve blocker for the knee . The surgery was performed seamlessly .

Following surgery , Grewe was led to the hospital ’ s occupational therapy unit to learn how to perform various tasks as he recovered from surgery . The therapy team showed him how to climb stairs , get into and out of a car and bed .

Just weeks later , Grewe is walking and climbing stairs unassisted .

“ Considering I am only 31 days since my operation and can go hours without any pain is something I haven ’ t felt for 5 years ,” says Grewe .

Grewe ’ s recovery and diminished pain benefits not only him , but also his community .

“ I was so worried that I would have to step down as chaplain from the fire department and from the sheriff ’ s office ,” says Grewe . Now he is looking forward to many more years of serving his church and his community .

“ I look forward to getting back on the trucks , leading worship and being able to walk up all those steps to the sheriff ’ s office again ,” he says .

To learn more about same-day joint replacement surgery , contact WHS Center for Orthopedic Excellence at ( 724 ) 206-0610 .

Dr . Ravasio

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IN Upper St. Clair Fall 2023 | Page 27

YOUR HEALTH

Serving the Community After a Same Day Knee Replacement .

For the past five years , Robert Grewe was accustomed to pushing his own pain aside to help others . But when his daily knee pain started getting in the way of his jobs , he knew it was time to do something .