Ava Brownlee, a Durham resident, recently returned to her passion for swimming and teaching others after undergoing hip replacement surgery at Duke Regional Hospital. Brownlee’s journey with Duke began when she overheard positive remarks about the hospital while in a locker room, prompting her to seek treatment there for arthritis in her hip.
Brownlee’s initial surgery was performed in 2016 due to the lack of cartilage in her left hip. Anticipating future issues with her right hip, she later sought assistance from orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Adam Brekke at Duke. “I was told that I had no cartilage in my left hip, and little cartilage in my right hip,” Brownlee explained.
The collaboration between Dr. Brekke and Brownlee proved successful. “[Dr. Brekke and I were] a match made in heaven,” said Brownlee, who has since referred several people to him. She also worked with James Messersmith, PA-C, who had assisted during her previous surgery.
On February 27, 2024, Brownlee underwent a successful right hip replacement under Dr. Brekke’s care at Duke Regional Hospital. The procedure allowed her to return home the same day. Dr. Brekke emphasized that same-day surgeries are an option but not suitable for everyone: “If you want a very efficient, same-day surgery, we offer that.”
The dedication of Duke’s team solely to joint replacements contributes significantly to their success rates according to Dr. Brekke: “When everyone is dedicated to that one procedure, we get really good outcomes.”
Post-surgery recovery went smoothly for Brownlee as she reported only soreness without pain: “Pain was before I had the hip replacement surgery!” She resumed normal activities within weeks of the operation.
Brownlee encourages those suffering from similar conditions not to delay seeking treatment: “You don’t have to walk around in pain.” Dr. Brekke supports this sentiment: “If your quality of life is being affected now… it may be worthwhile to have hip replacement surgery even if you’re young.”
