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Dr. Mary OConnor
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VIDEO: Dr. O'Connor - Knee Arthritis, Is It Common For Women With This To Get Knee Replacements?

Dr. O'Connor recalls if it is common for a woman with knee arthritis to eventually need a knee replacement.

Dr. O'Connor:
Yes, that’s the most common reason why women get knee replacements – because of arthritis in their knee, and it is a great operation. It is just, allows you to restore a level of function that you didn’t have before.

And one of the questions I’d like to ask my women patients, because it really gives me a measure of how bad they are, is I ask them, “Can you shop? Can you go out and shop? Do you, if you enjoy shopping, can you go and shop?” Because women understand that. They want to go out. They want to look at some stores. Maybe they want to buy, maybe they don’t, but it’s a fun activity for them.

And when my female patients say, “Doctor, I am having trouble shopping now. No, I can’t go out and shop.” Then I say, “Well, maybe we need to think about doing something that involves surgery if you are getting that bad.” Now of course, we have tried other treatments first, because surgery is the last treatment that we are going to consider. So, but when it’s the right time it’s a great operation.

About Dr. O'Connor, M.D.:
Dr. Mary O'Connor, M.D., was accepted as a resident in orthopedic surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, New York in 1985. She joined the orthopedic surgery staff at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida in 1991, and since 2005 has served as department chair. Dr. O'Connor cares for people with hip and knee arthritis, failed joint replacements, and pelvic tumors.

Visit Dr. O'Connor at Mayo Clinic

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