Jim Bell is a skier, former competitor of Taekwondo and team roping, and general adventure seeker. After a lifetime of activity and wear-and-tear on his knees, they started to give him trouble as he aged. He’s had several meniscus tears, and an X-ray earlier this year showed worn-away cartilage in both of his knees, with his bones scraping together.

A Texas native who regularly gets in turns on Steamboat’s ski slopes every winter, Bell just couldn’t do what he used to. His body couldn’t keep up, and he couldn’t do the activities he loved to do without pain. As a result, he sought medical assistance and decided to undergo bi-lateral knee replacement surgery at Memorial Regional Health by Dr. Michael Sisk, who has more than 22 years of practice under his belt. During the procedure, Bell had both of his knees replaced at the same time.

“Dr. Sisk said he couldn’t believe I was walking, let alone skiing,” Bell explained. “I didn’t know what a knee replacement was, so I didn’t know what to expect, but I liked everything about working with Dr. Sisk. He explained what was going to happen and was very encouraging. You can tell he cares about his patients, and he just couldn’t be more helpful.”

Thanks to the care Bell received at MRH, he went from needing a handrail to go up or down the stairs to walking completely free of pain in less than five weeks post-surgery. He continues to progress with help from his physical therapist, but he owes his new, pain-free lifestyle to his new knees, courtesy of Dr. Sisk and the extraordinary orthopaedic care offered at MRH.

WATCH: Andy Daniels explains how SOSI partnership will benefit Craig and Moffat County residents.

New partnership, same care

Bell is one of many patients who have benefitted from MRH’s partnership with the Steamboat Orthopaedic & Spine Institute (SOSI), which brings high-quality orthopaedic, sports medicine and spinal healthcare to Moffat County. Providers offer expert diagnosis and state-of-the-art treatment of any injury or chronic condition of the musculoskeletal system with sub-specialty expertise in the areas of hand, wrist, elbow, shoulder, hip, knee, total joint replacement, foot/ankle, and operative and non-operative spine. If you have dull or sharp pain in any these areas, whether chronic or acute, an orthopaedic doctor may be able to help.

LISTEN: Dr. Sisk describes what happens during a bi-lateral knee replacement and what patients can expect during and after the procedure.

“SOSI’s reputation and expertise have brought an entirely new level of capability and expertise to MRH for orthopaedic services,” said CEO Andy Daniels.

Office visits, surgery and rehabilitation services are all offered in Craig, and providers work with patients to determine the scope of necessary care and best solutions to get them back to living their active, healthy lifestyles. SOSI visiting physicians include Drs. Andreas Sauerbrey, Michael Sisk, Alexander Meininger, Patrick Johnston, Clint Devin, Bryan Bomberg, Alejandro Miranda, Alexis Tracy and Adam Wilson.

When do you need professional orthopaedic assistance?

An evaluation with an orthopaedic expert is recommended for individuals:

• Experiencing pain, stiffness or discomfort in their day-to-day lives.
• With chronic pain lasting longer than 12 weeks.
• With no soft tissue injury improvements after several days.
• With decreased range of motion.
• With instability while walking or standing.
• Experiencing weakness or numbness in their arms or legs.

Photos courtesy of Jim Bell.
Thanks to his bi-lateral knee replacement surgery, Jim Bell is back in action doing the things he loves most, including skiing, hiking with friends and spending time with his family and friends.

Dr. Sisk told Bell he wanted to have him skiing again by the upcoming season, and Bell believes that’s a real possibility, thanks to the help of the MRH team. Bell has always been passionate about sports and being active, and he’s happy he can get back to living his life exactly the way he wants.

“This whole thing has been a blessing for me,” Bell concluded. “Every single person at MRH, no matter their role, was very professional and caring about their patients. They were always checking in on me and Dr. Sisk was always reminding me to ask questions if I had them. He really wants you to enjoy life, and that positive, upbeat attitude was very refreshing.”