Knee Replacement (Total)

My husband, Leland Millsaps, worked for Jim Walter Mines in Brookwood, AL for more than 30 years. After leaving the mine industry, Leland has spent the last 15 years owning and managing a garage door installation business.

I’m almost 72 now, and very modestly state that younger men can not believe my physical condition and abilities.

In early 2011, I could barely walk. Dr. Benton Emblom stated my MRI showed bone-on-bone degenerative condition in my left knee. He performed total knee replacement on a Monday morning and I returned to work Thursday afternoon as a construction superintendent on a large school build project.

When you talk about your kids and mention that things run in the family, you might think good grades, sports excellence  or even good looks. For me and my daughter, Danielle, it seems that joint problems run in our family! 

I suffered for years with a worn out knee. I finally decided to see a doctor about my options. I heard about Dr. Benton Emblom from a friend. That was the best advice I could have gotten.

Where were you during the summer of 1992? For me, I was in space serving as a payload specialist aboard the Columbia Space Shuttle. Following the space expedition, I spent time as the chief scientist at the International Space Station and later came to work as a professor at UAB. However, I’m not here to brag about myself. I’m here to brag on the doctors at Andrews Sports Medicine.

People that know me would laugh if I tried to pull myself off as an athlete. Actually, I did play volleyball and did some bowling in my youth that got me some trophies, and even a little rugby.

But in my 30's, my knees started hurting and an orthopedic specialist told me that I would have to have a knee replacement when I was in my 60's.

So here I am, post TKR, with a better knee than I was born with. I am an artist and three weeks after my surgery, I had an outdoor all-day art show! And haven't stopped since.

On February 21, 2018, Dr. Jeffrey Davis and his team performed my total knee replacement using the Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted System. The surgery was a total success!

I worked at St. Vincent's Birmingham for 18 years and saw Andrews Sports Medicine being built. I was having trouble with my knee and received a strong recommendation to see Dr. David Moore, one of Andrews Sports Medicine's joint replacement specialists. Looking back, from the beginning of my experience to the end, I know I couldn’t have chosen a better surgeon.

For several years I had chronic knee pain where the cartilage in my knee joint was wearing out. A co-worker of mine, who had shoulder surgery at Andrews Sports Medicine, recommended I see Dr. Benton Emblom for my pain and promised I would thank him later. I had previously heard great things about Dr. Emblom and his work from my cousin, so I decided to follow through and make an appointment.