After decades of knee pain, patient finds relief through joint replacement

For nearly four decades, Douglas Brovont learned to live with a badly damaged left knee. He became used to weighing the tradeoffs for every longer trip on foot and pushed through pain that had become part of everyday life.

“If I had to walk 100 yards, I’d have to think about it three times, grit my teeth a little bit and just go get ‘er done," Brovont says.

The injury dated back to the 1980s, and over the years, the pain worsened, making it increasingly difficult to work in the automotive service industry and enjoy daily activities.

After several referrals, he was connected with Eric Orenstein, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at IU Health Orthopedics & Sports Medicine - Lafayette.

By the time he met Orenstein, Brovont described just how unstable his knee had become.

“If I put weight on that leg, my knee would move laterally about two inches,” Brovont says.

Personalized orthopedic care

In April 2024, Orenstein performed a total left knee replacement. Because years of damage had left the joint misaligned, he designed a custom plate to help straighten the knee and restore its stability.

While the successful procedure brought welcome relief, Brovont says what stood out just as much was the care he received throughout the process.

Before surgery, Orenstein took time to explain every step of the procedure, what recovery would look like and the exercises that would be essential afterward, leading Brovont to describe him as professional, organized and kind.

A trusted connection

As Brovont prepared for surgery, he and his wife also discovered an unexpected connection. More than a decade earlier, Orenstein had been the orthopedic surgeon on call when Brovont's wife needed surgery to repair her femur.

The realization strengthened the confidence they felt moving forward, and the results of the first knee replacement made the decision about the second an easy one.

"In the back of my mind, I'm thinking, you know, the other one's probably going to need to be done as well," Brovont says. "I had such a positive experience with the first that having the second one done was just a matter of scheduling."

In April 2026, two years after his total left knee replacement, Orenstein performed a total right knee replacement.

Living without pain

Today, Brovont no longer plans his day around aching joints or calculates whether a walk is worth the pain.

"Now I can walk four miles, and I'm just worn out, but my knees don't hurt," he says.

Looking back, he's grateful not only for the surgeries, but for the team that helped him regain his mobility.

"I feel blessed that I've had such a great experience, and I really feel like the [IU Health] Orthopedics team has had a lot to do with that," Brovont says.

A message for others

For others considering knee replacement, he encourages them to stay committed to the recovery process.

"You have to keep a positive attitude, and you have to do the instructed exercises faithfully to have a good result, but the good result is out there," he says. "It's waiting, and it will change your life."

For Brovont, that change meant something he hadn't experienced in decades: walking without pain.

"The pain of walking—it was such a relief when it was gone that it just kind of makes you want to dance."