rick’s life after robotic knee surgery: active and full of adventure
rick had resigned himself to a life of limitations until he discovered velys™ robotic knee surgery
published dec 16, 2025
4 minute read
4 minute read
rick’s arthritis in both knees made it difficult for him to walk just a few short years ago. now he’s back to being an avid cyclist. supplied
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johnson & johnson medtech
this story was created by content works, postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of a client.
rick hammond, 77, of cranbrook, b.c., can easily walk 18 holes of golf and is cycling again. his active, adventurous lifestyle is in stark contrast to the life he was living just a few years ago, when he couldn’t even walk down a sloped street without wincing. the thing that changed everything was robotic knee surgery.
“the five years before surgery were really painful,” says rick. “i gave up bow hunting. my wife daphne and i stopped hiking in the mountains. walking nine holes on a flat golf course hurt. i’d do it, but it hurt. i’d even stay in the car while daphne shopped, because it hurt to stand.”
in 2023, x-rays confirmed that rick had advanced arthritis in both knees — “no cartilage left, just a lot of bone splinters,” as he puts it.
at first, rick thought he was doomed to live with the pain. “i started to look at knee replacement, but i got gun-shy because i’d talked to people who’d had replacements, and some were still in pain five or six years later,” he says. he had also seen knee replacements be unsuccessful for people close to him, including his own father.
discovering robotic knee surgery
increasingly distressed at his many physical limitations and worsening pain, rick continued researching and exploring his options. “i kept saying there has to be something out there that’s better than what’s going on right now,” he says. “and that’s when i started looking at robotics.”
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after learning about robotic knee surgery, rick dove even deeper into the research. “i spent hundreds of hours comparing different robotic systems,” he says. determined to get the right system, he finally decided on velys™ robotic knee surgery.
“i was sold reading the reviews. there was no question about which system i wanted to use,” says rick. “i wanted to use velys™. there was no other choice. either i did that or i did nothing. once i found out about velys™, my main question was where i could get it done.”
choosing velys™
compared to traditional knee surgery, the velys™ robotic-assisted solution can offer greater surgical precision, the potential for faster recovery times and stronger long-term outcomes for knee replacement patients. velys™ robotic knee surgery is a modern advancement in total and partial knee replacement that has the potential to help patients regain their active lifestyle.
robotic technology empowers patients to return to the activities they love with less pain from arthritis. “the reviews were consistent,” says rick. “after having velys™ robotic knee surgery, people were becoming active again – golfing, skiing, biking and travelling. with other systems, i saw more inconsistencies.”
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rick was especially drawn to velys™ robotic knee surgery because it took the guesswork out of alignment and fit, offering more precision than a manual approach. “i didn’t want the ‘we’ll just tweak it a little’ approach,” he says.
a positive experience and speedy recovery
velys™ robotic knee surgery was straightforward for rick. “i was in and out of the operating room quickly,” he says. “within 20 minutes post-procedure, they had me out walking and were teaching me how to go up and down stairs.”
rick did his physiotherapy diligently and was astonished at his quick recovery. “within a week, i only used the walker at night to go to the washroom. i never used crutches or a cane,” he says. “within two weeks, i wasn’t using any supports of any kind.”
rick’s range of motion improved rapidly as well. within two weeks, his knee could bend deeply enough for daily activities like climbing stairs and cycling. “the physiotherapy clinic said they’d never seen a recovery quite like it,” he says.
since his knee surgery, rick can easily walk 18 holes of golf. supplied
just two weeks after his knee replacement, rick was biking again – “easy, flat rides” – and he was fully recovered and back to normal within about two months. “the biggest problem was my head – my brain was saying ‘don’t do that’ but the doctor was saying i could,” he says.
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getting the word out
thrilled with the results of his surgery, rick wants to spread the word. “since having the surgery done, i’ve resumed the active life i had before,” he says. “i don’t have any pain now. none. zero.”
he hopes that others experiencing the same pain and limitations he once did will discover the advantages of robotic knee surgery and reap the same benefits he has. “the result of my surgery is actually better than i expected,” he says. “this is such a major improvement.”
talk to your doctor about knee surgery options and visit https://www.jnjmedtech.com/en-ca/patient/velys/robotic-assisted-solution to learn more about velys™.
the testimonial presented herein is applicable to the individual patient. the testimonial is representative of patient experience, but the exact results and experience will be unique and individual to each patient.
this story was created by healthing content works, healthing.ca’s commercial content division, on behalf of johnson & johnson medtech.
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