http://www.or-live.com/shawneemission/2225 MERRIAM, Kan. – Shawnee Mission Medical Center (SMMC) will host a Total Knee Replacement (TKR) Live Surgery Webcast on Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. The Webcast will feature Robert Sharpe, MD, of Midwest Orthopaedics, PA, as he surgically reconstructs a patient’s knee. Burrel Gaddy, MD, who is also with Midwest Orthopaedics, will serve as the moderator, answering questions live from the audience. A TKR is a surgical procedure done to replace a damaged knee with a prosthesis, which is an artificial joint typically made up of metal and plastic. Knee replacements may be necessary when knee conditions cause the cartilage to deteriorate to the point when there are no other options to relieve pain. Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and knee joint injury typically create the pain that leads to a TKR. The procedure is very common, with more than 300,000 TKR surgeries being performed every year in the United States. According to Sharpe, patients who undergo a total knee replacement surgery reap a number of benefits following the procedure. "Once a patient undergoes a total knee replacement surgery, they have nearly a full range of motion in the knee and can walk on their leg almost immediately," he said. "Patients also regain a majority of the activities that they were doing prior to the knee replacement, without the pain they were enduring before." Through education, both Sharpe and Gaddy hope the TKR Webcast will help patients better understand the procedure and the positive impact most patients report on their lifestyle afterward, which according to Gaddy can be dramatic. "Patients often come into my office limping, complaining of their limited ability to perform daily activities because the discomfort is so overwhelming," he said. "The difference in the patient's ability to perform daily tasks after the procedure is remarkable." About Shawnee Mission Medical Center: Shawnee Mission Medical Center (SMMC) is ...