Joy, sorrow and joint surgery shared

In both good and bad days, Elke and Oswald Reif from Dachau cannot separate them.

The couple, who have been married for 55 years, have now also opted for joint replacement surgery.

Dachau -

After a year with severe knee problems, 77-year-old Oswald Reif decided to have an operation by head physician Professor Dr.

Michael Scherer.

But his wife also suffers - from hip problems.

The solution: on the same day a new knee for him, a new hip for her and a stay together at the Helios Amper-Klinikum Dachau.

After just one week, both can be discharged, the clinic said in a press release.

Climbing stairs, sitting, walking - everyday things were suddenly associated with severe pain in the hip area for 75-year-old Elke Reif.

Her husband, Oswald Reif, had been suffering from knee problems for a year.

"Since the pain did not improve in either of us, we decided on artificial joints," said the couple from Dachau.

“A friend recommended us to us by Professor Scherer.” The interventions were actually planned for different weeks - a real challenge after 55 years of married life.

The chief physician of trauma surgery and orthopedics, Professor Dr.

Michael Scherer, quickly found a practicable solution: staying together in the family room and two operating theaters one after the other - at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

"I won't forget these patients that quickly," said Scherer.

"Although these were routine interventions, two successive operations on a married couple are also very special for me."

Artificial joints for a better quality of life "After the operation I woke up pain-free," says 77-year-old Oswald Reif.

His wife was also pleasantly surprised that both of them were able to get out of bed the next day.

Through various activities such as climbing stairs or balance exercises, the couple trained during their stay in the clinic how to move their knees and hips safely without overloading the prosthesis.

"Professor Scherer visited us every day - be it to inquire about our well-being or to change bandages," says Elke Reif.

The chief physician is also satisfied with the procedure: “Both patients previously suffered from severe pain.

The artificial joints create a whole new quality of life. "

In times of the corona pandemic, increased safety precautions apply in the clinic, such as mask requirements, distance rules and restricted visiting times, the clinic said in the press release.

"I have to admit that at the beginning we had some concerns about going to a hospital due to the increasing corona numbers," says Elke Reif.

“The fear was quickly taken away from us.

Everyone on the ward - from the doctors to the nurses to the physiotherapists - took care of us in a touching way. "

After only a week, both patients were discharged from the Amper Clinic.

Now the couple is facing three weeks of rehab.

“Of course we also spend this in a double room,” adds the 75-year-old with a smile.

dn