Earlier this year, local resident Louise Royal became the first successful knee surgery patient at Highlands-Cashiers Hospital. Her knee had started to swell painfully months earlier, but Royal said she put off going to a doctor longer than she should’ve.
“I personally didn’t get care right away, because my granddaughter was getting married, and I was afraid if I went to a doctor, they might interfere with my going to the wedding, so I just kind of hopped along for too long of a time,” she said.
Once she finally did see a doctor, it happened to be at the right time for her to get the surgery here in Highlands. This year, the Highlands-Cashiers Hospital began doing surgeries again for the first time since 2013. Ironically, if she had gone earlier, she’d likely have had to go to Asheville for the surgery.
“I think it’s important for a small community to have a local hospital, where they can get services that are reasonable and safe to be provided for that community,” hospital CEO and Chief Nursing Officer Tom Neal said.
In addition to Royal’s knee replacement surgery, Neal said Highlands-Cashiers Hospital did a shoulder replacement last month and did its first hip replacement on Wednesday, May 1.
Royal got the surgery in February and then spent a few weeks doing physical therapy. Neal noted that the hospital offers inpatient rehab services, which some bigger hospitals don’t have. By May, Royal said she’s walking well again.
Asked what she was looking forward to doing with the new knee, she responded instantly: “Clogging. Square dancing – that’s the truth.”
She said she was looking forward to Wednesday nights at the Ugly Dog Public House in town, where one can go and do some dancing every week.
“When I was growing up, we headed to the barn, we went squaredancing all the time,” she said.
She said overall she’s been feeling much better and has had no problem continuing with normal life since leaving the hospital after her surgery, though she’s been careful. “I can kneel down. I haven’t done anything like trying to bend left or right… I’ve been very careful about walking. I don’t think falling would be a good thing.”
She had a cane she’s decorated with flowers and other baubles collected from various shopping trips, but said it isn’t necessary.
“The only reason I’m using the cane is for balance,” she said. “I can walk very well.”
Royal and hospital staff said they wanted to illuminate things for other people who might be nervous about surgery. One thing she recommended for other people who need surgery is that they do research on what might be the best for them.
“My son was upset I didn’t go to Charlotte to see a surgeon,” Royal said. “I looked up resources, and if I had listened to my son, I’d be waiting a year or a year and a half to get the surgery.”
Royal said she learned in her research that surgeons will mark the knee they’re supposed to work on with a marker, to make sure they have the correct knee to operate on.
“That’s the last thing I remember,” Royal said. “He came in and said hello, and I was watching to see if he does that. And he does.”
The surgeon who worked on Royal’s knee was Dr. Mark Moriarty, who Neal described as “very specific” in his methods.
Moriarty said he thought it was “wonderful” that the hospital was doing surgeries again.
“I certainly hope the practice will continue,” he said.
Royal described a jovial, personable mood in the hospital as she was getting the surgery and recovering after.
“The minute I got here, everybody was friendly, I felt so comfortable,” she said. “They were wonderful. After the surgery, everybody in the operating room came to see me. They bought me flowers. I made a lot of friends with the nursing staff and everybody.”