Rebecca has led a very active life, enjoying gymnastics, skiing, and motorcycles — osteoarthritis in her thumb developed over time. “Before my CMC thumb joint replacement surgery, it was hard to imagine life without my brace and the constant thumb pain due to osteoarthritis. Simple tasks like gripping objects or buttoning a shirt were challenging, and I usually wore a brace. I was hesitant about surgery and put it off for several years. Still, after consulting with hand surgeon Dr. Michael Lilyquist and understanding the procedure he would perform, a CMC thumb joint replacement surgery, I decided to proceed with surgery,” Rebecca explains. “The thumb joint replacement procedure is one of my favorite surgeries and provides patients with far superior results to traditional surgery for thumb joint arthritis,” explains Dr. Michael Lilyquist. He was the first surgeon in Reno to perform the procedure, and one of only a couple surgeons in Northern Nevada trained in CMC thumb joint replacement surgery.
Rebecca’s joint replacement surgery went smoothly. She is thankful for the expertise and professionalism of her surgeon and medical team. She was diligent about following the post-surgical recovery instructions. Rebecca worked with the hand therapists to ensure she optimized her recovery by performing the prescribed at-home exercises.
Today, the thumb pain that was once part of daily life is a distant memory. She has restored strength and function in her thumb. “Dr. Lilyquist is a phenomenal surgeon. For anyone with a painful hand, elbow, or shoulder, I would 100% recommend them to Dr. Lilyquist and the team at Swift Institute,” exclaims Rebecca.
