Laurie Reasons – “Mobility is not to be taken for granted.”

After dealing with bone on bone knee pain for more than a decade, Laurie Reasons was diagnosed with arthritis at 45 years of age. By age 53, the pain had become unbearable.   

“Every step made me want to cry,” Reasons recalls. “It came to a point where I wasn’t sure I could get through the grocery store and back to my car.”   

Reasons made an appointment with an orthopaedic surgeon at Marshall Health, Ali Oliashirazi, MD. “Dr. Oli,” as his patients affectionately call him, is professor and chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine and surgical director of the Mary H. Hodges Joint Replacement Center at Cabell Huntington Hospital. His practice is solely devoted to various types of knee replacement surgeries, including computer and robotic surgeries.   

Dr. Oli performed Reasons’ first total knee replacement in 2014. She experienced immediate relief but knew it was only a matter of time before her other knee would need replaced. Reasons heeded the advice of Dr. Oli and lost more than 80 pounds, taking additional pressure off her joints and allowing her to postpone her second total knee replacement until September 2021.  

She also did “prehab” on her knee, performing specific exercises and motions that Dr. Oli instructed to prepare her knee for surgery.  

“Once conservative management, which includes arthritis medicines, injections, bracing and therapy, are no longer helping immensely and the pain is getting in the way of what patients like to do, it is time to replace the knee,” says Dr. Oli. “I tell patients that they will know when it’s the right time.”  

Dr. Oli told her that although full recovery takes time, much of the recovery happens in the first six weeks. By week eight, Dr. Oli had even cleared her to go on a cruise. 

“I was out of the hospital in a day, but the physical therapy was my biggest fear,” Reasons said. “It was hard at first but every day was a little better.” Dr. Oli and his team gave her comfort before, during and after surgery.  

“He expects, demands and pursues excellence,” Reasons said. “Knowing he was at the helm gave me such reassurance. Not only that, but Dr. Oli is the most humble, kind-hearted person you’ll ever meet.”  

Reasons now exercises daily, including six miles on her stationary bike and walking on her treadmill. Her favorite activities with her new knees include walking her dog and playing with her grandchildren. Most of all, she says, she’s enjoying being an active participant in her own life.   

Looking back, Reasons said she wishes had done the operation even sooner.  

“It’s sad to me that I let fear control my decision for a long time,” she said.  

The Mary H. Hodges Joint Replacement Center at Cabell Huntington Hospital is consistently ranked #1 by Healthgrades for best joint replacement care in West Virginia and Kentucky; the Center is tied for first in Ohio.  

“I’m so glad it’s done!” Reasons said. “Life is vastly different. Mobility is not to be taken for granted. It’s a great thing.”  

Marshall Orthopaedics sees patients experiencing any type of joint pain without a referral. To learn more about joint replacement options at Marshall Health or schedule an appointment, visit marshallhealth.org/joint-replacement or call Marshall Orthopaedics at 304-691-1262.