Patient Reviews

Nancy B.

3/9/2018

Dr. Laura Matsen Ko was highly recommended to provide a total knee replacement. She was both compassionate and highly competent using modern techniques. To prevent infection, she stitches under the skin, glues the wound on top and covers it with a waterproof dressing. At 4 weeks, I have a pink, thin scar that will fade. Her technique also helped me achieve a 124 degree range of motion at 3 weeks and a 132 range of motion at 4 weeks.

Part of my positive outcome was also done to the Swedish Joint Replacement class, Swedish personnel and a personal commitment to do all of the exercises as ordered.

Good luck!

Mary M.

3/30/2018

I can walk again without limping!  An injury to both knees had left me bow-legged and avoiding any activity outside of work that involved walking because of the pain. I asked my PCP for a referral, and she sent me to OPA, and to Dr. Matsen Ko.  Once I decided to have knee replacement surgery, she and her staff were very organized and efficient, helping me prepare for surgery and for the recovery afterward. They gave me a notebook covering everything I would need to know to prepare myself, and when I had questions, there was always somebody with answers who would call me back on the same day.  They even had a presentation for patients to attend prior to surgery that was very helpful.

And Dr. Matsen-Ko's assistant, Rihana (sp?) even arranged for in-home physical therapy and a nurse to check in on me a couple of times a week until I was ready for out-patient visits.  The surgery on the first knee was so successful that I could hardly wait to have the other one done. And now that I've had the other one done, I'm looking forward to walking, shopping, and hiking.  I can walk up and down stairs so easily that I don't even stop to think about it anymore! THANK YOU, Dr Matsen Ko! And I am no longer bow-legged, praise God!

JA S.

12/10/2017

I consulted Dr Matsen-Ko a few years after a knee fracture that had required surgery. The outcome of that earlier surgery (by another surgeon) was not good. This left me wary of orthopedists. It also meant that a standard cut and paste knee replacement was not desirable. Dr Matsen-Ko was the first surgeon I consulted who went beyond a pro forma intake. Others gave me a sales pitch on total knee replacement and went straight to discussing scheduling. Dr Matsen-Ko thoroughly studied the specifics of my altered knee and made clear that she understood the mechanics of the problem and the result I hoped for.

She was VERY honest about the limitations of surgery, even suggesting we delay or cancel surgery unless my expectations were realistic. (Yes, I just cited concrete evidence of a surgeon who is more concerned about the overall outcome for her patients than racking up surgery numbers.) As it turned out, her concern was unfounded. Even in my wildest dreams I had never hoped for the result she achieved.

Prior to Dr Matsen-Ko's intervention, the altered mechanics of my injured knee had resulted in atrophy and pain that had severely limited my activity. In the years since the earlier injury I had lost nearly 20 pounds, my blood pressure had increase about 20 points, I had damaged my hip and foot compensating for the knee. Realistically, I anticipated a steady decline in my health and a shortened life span.

One year ago, Dr Matsen-Ko performed a complex knee replacement that incorporated correcting the earlier surgery. It is no exaggeration to say that she has expanded my life, both in time and quality. I am back to my previous high level of activity, blood pressure down, muscle mass up. Plus, it's just so much fun to look down at my leg and see everything in the right place again!

There's more. Several months later I went back for a more conventional replacement of the other knee. Dr Matsen-Ko demonstrated the same level of attention to this more mundane case. I know because she allowed me to observe the surgeries on video! This, of course, is not everyone's cup of tea, but you have to respect and trust a surgeon who is comfortable letting you watch her work.

Barbara K.

8/7/2017

Dr. Matsen Ko is excellent.  Her staff is also outstanding.  Hip surgery can be nerve-wracking, but Dr. Matsen Ko was very informative, reassuring, thorough and efficient.  Thanks to her expertise, I'm pain-free for the first time in 4 years. I attribute my fantastic experience with the whole pre- and post-surgical process to her excellence as a physician who cares about each patient's unique situation.