Al Roker Recovers from Total Knee Replacement Surgery

According to recent news release from the Today Show, long-time anchor and television personality Al Roker is recovering from his most recent total knee replacement operation. Roker says he is doing great and will stay in the recovery center until he is cleared to go home by his physical therapy team.  Footage of Roker moving around with the assistance of a walker was included in the release by the show.

Roker also discussed how this was not the first time he had undergone knee surgery.  Around 15 years ago, he had a total knee replacement performed on his other knee after being involved in a car accident, and from general wear and tear on his knee due to being overweight most of his life.  He is, of course, much thinner now after his successful bariatric surgery.  He said that technology has come a long way since his first total knee replacement procedure, and this time, he was up and walking around in less than a day.

It is very important for patients to get up and moving around as soon as possible, since lying in bed following surgery can result in the formation of clots known as deep vein thrombosis (DVTs).  These DVT clots can result in serious injury, including stroke or a puncture of the lungs known a pulmonary embolism (PE).  Both of these conditions can result in death.  There is also a concern that the longer a patient stays in the hospital after surgery, the greater the risk of developing a serious staff infection.  However, it should be noted that a patient can develop a staff infection even when the hospital provides a clean environment and is fully compliant with all local health regulations. In many cases a patient will develop staff without any negligence on behalf of the hospital.   As for Roker, he expects to be back at work full time in less than a month.

While it is true that total knee replacement operations have come a long way in the past decade or so, there is very little chance of a successful outcome if a surgeon unknowingly implants a defective artificial knee into a patient, and, as our Boston knee replacement injury attorneys have seen, many defective artificial knees have hit the market over the years, and these defective products have resulted in serious pain and suffering.  In addition to pain and suffering, victims have suffered other types of loss, including increased medical expenses, more time away from work (lost wages), increased rehabilitation costs, and other types of special damages.

If you have had a total knee replacement and have experienced problems with that device, you should tell your doctor immediately and then contact and experienced knee replacement injury lawyer as soon as possible to see if you have case.  These devices are supposed to last for at least 10 years, if not 20, and if you are told you need to have a new knee implanted in less time than that, it may be due to a defective artificial knee.

Call the Boston Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers for a free and confidential appointment — (617) 777-7777.

Additional Resources:

Al Roker takes first steps after knee surgery, October 13, 2016, By Randee Dawn, The Today Show

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