The Transformative Power of Knee Replacement

Fifteen years of excruciating knee pain took a devastating toll on Richard Surber's quality of life.  "The knee did not bend, and when it did bend, it hurt," the 62-year-old oilfield worker recalled.

Richard lost his job when a safety supervisor saw his rigid knees and their potential to cause him to fall out of his truck. That led to a lengthy battle with depression, deepened by his home in San Antonio burning to the ground. He and his wife, Rene, moved in with their daughter, Amanda, who worried her father had lost all hope.  Amanda said, "He's had knee pain my whole life. Even as a little girl, he did not do things that other dads did. He didn't go on field trips. When he came home, he was in so much pain and not himself."

A Daughter’s Determination

Amanda was determined to find help for her father because "My children deserved a healthier grandfather." She convinced Richard to see Mark Gendi, DO, a fellowship-trained Orthopedic Surgeon at St. Luke’s Health-Lakeside Hospital. Dr. Gendi always exhausts all conservative options before considering surgery, but Richard’s condition was so advanced that it was clear he needed knee replacements.

Richard was impressed with Dr. Gendi from the moment he walked into the room.

"Here comes this guy with a smile across his face, and he says, 'You're gonna love what we're gonna do,’” Richard said two months after having both knees replaced.  His spirits lifted when Dr. Gendi asked him about his expectations.  "And of course, the first thing I told him was that I want to be able to walk to the end of the fishing pier," Richard mused. “I felt informed. I was confident and even excited at that time. He got it scheduled, and he didn't waste any time. He was just great all the way around.”

Richard’s osteoarthritic knees were not just swollen; they had mushroomed, meaning they were so worn down from bone rubbing on bone for years that he suffered from a fixed deformity that prevented his knees from extending and bending. “Not only is that debilitating from a pain standpoint, but also from a physical standpoint, meaning that he had difficulty walking, putting on his socks and shoes, getting out of a chair, and things that we take for granted in life,” Dr. Gendi explained.

Richard underwent a right knee replacement on December 2, 2025. He did so well in physical therapy that Dr. Gendi replaced the left knee just six weeks later. 

“Compared to the pain I was in before, it was nothing,” Richard said. He can now fully straighten his knee and do deep knee bends to nearly 130 degrees.

His daughter Amanda was amazed at her father’s progress after six weeks of rehabilitation. “He healed so fast. He was on a walker for only seven days. He was on a cane for 14 days. By week three, he was walking without any assistance. And this was before his left knee was even replaced,” she said.

Life Reimagined

Richard is elated to have regained use of his knees. “They gave me my life back. I feel like a person again. I enjoy everything again -  my grandkids, my daughter. I even got to dance with my daughter in her new home,” he said.

Richard offered this advice for others contemplating knee replacement: “It's not the end of the world. It's just the beginning of your new world. I feel like I'm 30 again. I'm not gonna lie. I feel great. I'm climbing stairs. fishing, walking, helping my granddaughter learn how to throw a shot put, and fixing to play football with my grandson. It's definitely worth it. It will change your life.”

Dr. Gendi also specializes in robotic-assisted knee replacements, which uses 3D technology to perform more precise surgeries, customized to the patient’s anatomy. “The robotics allows us to implant a knee that feels more natural to the patient, helps preserve bone, and results in a better postoperative outcome with improved range of motion, decreased pain, and a decrease in narcotic use,” Dr. Gendi said.

Stories like Richard’s remind us why every moment matters. Discover the compassionate care available at St. Luke’s Health-Lakeside Hospital or find a doctor near you.