Joint Replacement: A Physician Assistant's Perspective

Guest Author: Kaycee Young, P.A.

Stepping foot in an operating room and witnessing my first surgery is a memory I will never forget. I was in undergraduate school at the University of Tennessee and had the opportunity to shadow an orthopedic spine surgeon. While I thought I would be standing in the background flying under radar, they quickly threw a sterile gown on me leading me right up to the operating table next to the surgeon.

I watched as he performed a multiple level spinal fusion while he taught and showed me things along the way. It was a thrilling experience and from this first encounter I always knew I wanted to work in a surgical specialty. Throughout my clinical experiences at Trevecca Nazarene University I was only reassured in this while rotating in different surgical fields in the Nashville and surrounding areas. When I learned about the opportunity to work with the Bone and Joint Institute and Dr. Cory Calendine in total joint replacements, I was excited and eager to become part of the orthopedic surgery team. Working in orthopedics was always a field I highly desired and getting to be part of such an amazing group was an added bonus. From day one everyone at Bone and Joint has been helpful, supportive,and like-minded in striving toward the same goal of excellent patient care.

Related Video: Animated Robotic Total Knee Replacement produced by Stryker

Before my first day in the operating room with Dr. Calendine, I had a mental picture of what a total joint replacement would entail including heavy duty equipment,lots of drilling and hammers, and of course hip-hop music playing in the background. After watching my first total knee arthroplasty, I can say that all of that is actually true. However, what I was not expecting was realizing the amount of finesse and precision that is also necessary. The synchronization of the surgical team is an art, and I was quickly impressed at how well the team worked together. When all the moving pieces work in unison, the end result is a true work or medicine. After witnessing all that the procedure involved, seeing how quickly patients recovered was further evidence of the excellence of the surgical team. Improving someone’s quality of life was one of the main aspects that appealed to me when I first considered working in orthopedics. This is something I knew going in, but seeing it repeatedly is one thing I have thoroughly enjoyed since starting. Patients are able to go from using walkers or canes and being in constant pain daily, to walking unassisted with little to no pain. They are able to do all the activities that limited them before and to give back this ability is a gift. In the short time I have been here, I have already learned so much from Dr. Calendine and the rest of the providers. I look forward to continuing to grow as a provider and consider it a privilege to part of the Bone and Joint Institute.

Read more about Knee Replacement Surgery. If you've found this article useful, please consider sharing with your friends and Follow Dr. Cory Calendine on Social Media for regular updates and sign-up below for regular Blog Post Alerts. We are thankful Kaycee Young, PA is part of the Bone and Joint Team, and I appreciate her taking time to share her experience entering the world of Total Joint Replacement.

Kaycee Young is a certified physician assistant to Cory Calendine, M.D., at the Bone and Joint Institute of Tennessee. Originally from Knoxville, TN, she received her Bachelor of Science degree in food science from the University of Tennessee–Knoxville and her Master of Science degree in medicine from Trevecca Nazarene University. Young is certified in advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS), pediatric advanced life support (PALS) and is a member of the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). In her free time, she enjoys playing with her Bernese mountain dog Sadie, running, and spending time with her husband and family in Franklin and Knoxville.