Helena Man’s Knee Revision Surgery Benefits Adventure Pup, Too

As Van Barron of Helena modeled his new knee for Dr. Tysen Timmer, the Benefis orthopedic surgeon said, “That is good and stable. I like it.”

Van said he appreciated all that the new knee is already allowing him to do, but more than that he appreciated the ethical approach Dr. Timmer took to treating his knee – willing to help and not pressuring him on the course.

“Ethics is important to me,” he told Dr. Timmer as he described his long quest to find the right surgeon in the region.

When Van first had knee surgery elsewhere in 2008, he knew it might not last forever, but it was necessary for the knee that had been giving him issues for 30 years and also was worked on in 1985.

The artificial joint started failing in 2020. It felt out of alignment, and Van couldn’t put pressure on it at times. The knee swelled bigger than his head and developed a lump on the side. The condition was debilitating.

“It caused a lot of grief. I fell down a lot. I had pain,” Van said. “I was grumpy.”

One time, Van and his dog, Loki, were bird hunting. Van was 500 yards from his truck when his knee gave out. He had to lay in the field for more than half an hour until he could crawl back to the truck, using his shotgun for leverage to get up. Then he was laid up for the next three days.

“I couldn’t do anything,” he said. “My dog got fat. I got fat.”

Van, 64, visited orthopedic surgeons around Montana, but they only were interested in his left knee, which likely will need to be artificial at some point but isn’t giving him trouble yet. No one would touch his failing artificial joint.

“I said, I don’t care. I don’t know this doctor, Dr. Timmer, but I’m getting this knee done whatever it takes,” he said. “I’ve been to 40 orthopedic offices over the years, but nobody would do anything.”

After initial X-rays, “Dr. Timmer came in and said, ‘You’ve got a problem, and we’re going to do something about it,'” Van said.

Dr. Timmer started with a cortisone shot to the knee and then outlined what a joint revision surgery would entail. Van, a certified tax advisor, was all in by 10 a.m. on April 16, ready for the next phase of his life. He said Benefis quickly arranged the appointments he needed ahead of his surgery in May.

As Van recovered, shocked to be free of pain, he sent his sister out for a pack of thank you cards.

“I gave everyone a thank you card, and I’ve never done that in my life. I don’t even answer surveys, but at Benefis everyone from the time I walked in, the people at the front desk, the various nurses and techs, the anesthesiologist, everybody was over and above,” he said. “I can’t tell you enough about the workings of Benefis as a whole. I can’t even nitpick.”

At physical therapy, he’s shown off his flexibility – more than he’s had in adulthood – and he's stronger and down 15 pounds.

“I’m moving in the right direction now that I can do stuff again,” he said.

Van recently took Loki for a walk. They’re gearing up for hunting season.

“It worked out even better than Dr. Timmer said it would,” Van said. “It was so great I don’t even know what to say.”