After knee replacement surgery, Laurie came back stronger

To think that a bad knee almost knocked her off course.

“When you work on sailboats and you’re out on the ocean, you are on demand 24 hours a day,” Laurie said. “I was super concerned about getting my knee done. I thought I might not be able to sail again.”

Laurie discovered sailing at age 30, while photographing boats. It soon became her passion, and she thrived as a sailor. In the early days, her knee pain was minor, but it grew worse, limiting her mobility and threatening her career.

A friend recommended Daniel Gaccione, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at L + M Hospital. Dr. Gaccione took a holistic approach, never pushing surgery – until Laurie was ready.

“I’ve seen people with more arthritic knee damage who were able to manage their lifestyle without surgery,” Dr. Gaccione said. “However, given the physical demands of Laurie’s profession, I explained all the options, including a total knee replacement.”

Dr. Gaccione operated on Laurie’s knee at L+M Hospital, where its accredited Joint Replacement Center provides both pre- and post-operative care to ensure the best outcomes. With her sea legs back, Laurie is steady at the helm, pain free and ready for new ports of call.

“I call it my bionic knee because I can do things that I couldn’t do for a really long time,” she said. “My next captain’s job, hopefully, will be in a regatta, on a 70-foot classic out of Newport. It’s a sweet boat, and we’re going to sail at the front of the fleet!”