Bob Andrews' Story

Fed Up with the Pain

For years, 71-year-old Bob Andrews was the epitome of health. He was a woodworking expert, building cabinets and other furniture. His other interests included his boats, which he uses to traverse local waterways. Then, in the '90s, he began experiencing pain in his knees.

"I couldn't get around as well," Bob says.

Bob looked into the benefits of arthroscopic knee surgery to combat the arthritis he felt in his joints. Before moving to Fort Myers, he had surgery on his left knee in 1998 but the results were not what he had hoped. Ten years later, Bob decided once again to seek medical help for the pain in his knees. His search for a local orthopedic surgeon led him to Dr. Edward Humbert.

Engineering New Knees

"I liked that Dr. Humbert was a mechanical engineer in his early life," Bob says.

Dr. Humbert's past experience with degrees in Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, gives him a unique perspective into the joint reconstruction he does for his patients. Even so, Dr. Humbert offered Bob a less invasive/conservative options before replacement surgery. He gave Bob cortisone shots, which proved effective for a short time.

"I felt like I was a young kid again, but that feeling wore off," Bob says.

Bob is like so many of Dr. Humbert's patients who are looking for pain relief and a return to a normal lifestyle, whether that includes routine visits to the grocery store, or something more strenuous, like athletics.

"There is nothing better than your original parts," Dr. Humbert says. "But when those knees and hips wear out, joint replacement is a great option. Patients always ask the question which is the best joint, I always tell them the best joint replacement is the one that is put in properly."

Dr. Humbert replaced Bob's left knee in February 2009, then performed the same procedure on his right knee in January 2010.

Back to Life

Within a few short months, Bob was back on the water, sailing his prized sailboat, and taking his speed boats for jaunts along Florida's coast. He recently swapped his nautical miles for car keys and took a 3,000-mile car trip through the southern part of the country. Along the way he had no trouble walking or getting where he wanted to go.

"Before, climbing stairs was painful," Bob says. "Now, I can go up and down ladders, no problem. I have no pain whatsoever."

Bob's progress is music to Dr. Humbert's ears. "I love doing the surgery and making an arthritic joint functional again," he says. "Seeing patients back and doing well—you can't put a dollar amount on that."

Bob hopes that his joint problems are part of his past, but if he needs help in the future, he knows where he will go.

"If I had another knee problem, I would not walk back to Dr. Humbert," Bob says. "I would run."