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Orthopedic Weight Loss Program Leads to Successful Surgery for St. Petersburg Resident
December 17, 2024
Kathleen Lillie, 72, had excruciating pain in her right hip and needed hip replacement surgery but was told by doctors that she needed to lose weight before she could be considered a candidate for surgery. Because of her pain and condition, Lillie could not exercise to help achieve weight loss. She could only move with the assistance of a walker.
Lillie was referred to BayCare’s Orthopedic Weight Loss Program by Dr. Kurt Hirshorn, an orthopedic surgeon.
The Orthopedic Weight Loss Program is a comprehensive, patient-tailored care plan designed to meet needs of patients like Lillie.
The program helps patients unable to have joint replacement surgery because of their weight. The program uses certified or licensed health coaches to guide and help patients reach a weight that is safe for surgery.
“It is not safe to have surgery if you’re over a certain BMI (body mass index),” said Courtney St. Louis, a health coach in the program. BMI is a tool that measures the ratio of height to weight to estimate the body fat amount. BMI is a measure of whether a person is at a healthy weight for their height.
Lillie weighed 251 pounds with a BMI of 47 indicating severe obesity. St. Louis said she needed to get her BMI below 40 to have the surgery.
As a patient in the Orthopedic Weight Loss Program, Lillie was prescribed weight loss medication and received diet and nutrition assistance from St. Louis and the office of weight loss physician Dr. Kevin Huguet.
They worked to adjust her diet, consisting of high-protein foods that included chicken, low-fat cheese, cottage cheese, eggs and yogurt.
Lillie was referred to BayCare’s Orthopedic Weight Loss Program by Dr. Kurt Hirshorn, an orthopedic surgeon.
The Orthopedic Weight Loss Program is a comprehensive, patient-tailored care plan designed to meet needs of patients like Lillie.
The program helps patients unable to have joint replacement surgery because of their weight. The program uses certified or licensed health coaches to guide and help patients reach a weight that is safe for surgery.
“It is not safe to have surgery if you’re over a certain BMI (body mass index),” said Courtney St. Louis, a health coach in the program. BMI is a tool that measures the ratio of height to weight to estimate the body fat amount. BMI is a measure of whether a person is at a healthy weight for their height.
Lillie weighed 251 pounds with a BMI of 47 indicating severe obesity. St. Louis said she needed to get her BMI below 40 to have the surgery.
As a patient in the Orthopedic Weight Loss Program, Lillie was prescribed weight loss medication and received diet and nutrition assistance from St. Louis and the office of weight loss physician Dr. Kevin Huguet.
They worked to adjust her diet, consisting of high-protein foods that included chicken, low-fat cheese, cottage cheese, eggs and yogurt.
Lillie and St. Louis communicated weekly by phone.
“We talked about goals, how she was doing, how the nutrition was going, things she struggled with the most, like hunger, and how her weight loss was progressing,” St. Louis said.
Lillie reported her weight weekly and was motivated to lose weight.
“Pain was my motivation, I needed to get the surgery,” said Lillie, a customer care specialist with a local hospice organization. She slowly but surely lost the weight. She credited her coworkers, her son Timothy and St. Louis for getting her through the weight loss.
“You need the motivation and people behind you supporting you,” she said. “There were times when the scale said I only lost a pound or two, but my son Timothy would encourage me and tell me how proud he was of me.”
Eventually, she reached the target weight to have surgery. Dr. Hirshorn successfully performed hip replacement surgery was performed at St. Petersburg's St. Anthony’s Hospital.
Post-surgery, Lillie has adhered to her weight loss regimen and continues to lose weight. She is down to 192 pounds, almost 60 pounds less than her pre-surgery weight. With a healthy hip, she has incorporated exercise into her routine. She walks and does whole body training on a vibrating plate and platform. The plate can help with circulation, strengthening muscles and burning calories.
Also, with the combination of a healthy hip and weight loss, she is doing things she never imagined before surgery, like parasailing and jet skiing with her son and his family while they vacationed in Cancun. Lillie is especially proud of the cleanup work she did at her home following Hurricane Milton in October.
“We talked about goals, how she was doing, how the nutrition was going, things she struggled with the most, like hunger, and how her weight loss was progressing,” St. Louis said.
Lillie reported her weight weekly and was motivated to lose weight.
“Pain was my motivation, I needed to get the surgery,” said Lillie, a customer care specialist with a local hospice organization. She slowly but surely lost the weight. She credited her coworkers, her son Timothy and St. Louis for getting her through the weight loss.
“You need the motivation and people behind you supporting you,” she said. “There were times when the scale said I only lost a pound or two, but my son Timothy would encourage me and tell me how proud he was of me.”
Eventually, she reached the target weight to have surgery. Dr. Hirshorn successfully performed hip replacement surgery was performed at St. Petersburg's St. Anthony’s Hospital.
Post-surgery, Lillie has adhered to her weight loss regimen and continues to lose weight. She is down to 192 pounds, almost 60 pounds less than her pre-surgery weight. With a healthy hip, she has incorporated exercise into her routine. She walks and does whole body training on a vibrating plate and platform. The plate can help with circulation, strengthening muscles and burning calories.
Also, with the combination of a healthy hip and weight loss, she is doing things she never imagined before surgery, like parasailing and jet skiing with her son and his family while they vacationed in Cancun. Lillie is especially proud of the cleanup work she did at her home following Hurricane Milton in October.
“I cleaned up my entire lawn,” she said. “I filled 27 bags with leaves and storm debris from trees. I did it all by myself.”
“Kathleen was so disciplined and such a great client,” St. Louis said about her participation in the Orthopedic Weight Loss Program. “She tried so hard and put in the work. If you put in the work, you are going to see results. She did what I asked and was compliant. She did what she needed to do and followed the plan. She followed all the steps to lose the weight. She did everything needed to have the surgery.”
“I loved my time with her (Courtney),” Lillie said. “I tell everyone she’s my coach. I didn’t know her before this, but she became a friend that supports you and helps you do what’s necessary. This has been an amazing program, and I absolutely recommend it. It was life-changing. It’s making up your mind, it’s willpower, it’s having the backing. It gives you the boost you need and gets you into the right habits. But you need the coaches.”
BayCare's Orthopedic Weight Loss Program was launched in 2023 and is part of BayCare’s Orthopedic Institute. The program was developed to guide patients through their weight loss journey and to build lifelong healthy habits to reach their goal of having hip or knee replacement. BayCare is dedicated to supporting patients throughout their health care journey at every stage of their lives.
All orthopedic surgeons affiliated with BayCare can refer eligible patients to the program.
For more information: BayCare.org/OrthoWeightLoss.
A list of BayCare orthopedic surgeons can be found here.
“Kathleen was so disciplined and such a great client,” St. Louis said about her participation in the Orthopedic Weight Loss Program. “She tried so hard and put in the work. If you put in the work, you are going to see results. She did what I asked and was compliant. She did what she needed to do and followed the plan. She followed all the steps to lose the weight. She did everything needed to have the surgery.”
“I loved my time with her (Courtney),” Lillie said. “I tell everyone she’s my coach. I didn’t know her before this, but she became a friend that supports you and helps you do what’s necessary. This has been an amazing program, and I absolutely recommend it. It was life-changing. It’s making up your mind, it’s willpower, it’s having the backing. It gives you the boost you need and gets you into the right habits. But you need the coaches.”
BayCare's Orthopedic Weight Loss Program was launched in 2023 and is part of BayCare’s Orthopedic Institute. The program was developed to guide patients through their weight loss journey and to build lifelong healthy habits to reach their goal of having hip or knee replacement. BayCare is dedicated to supporting patients throughout their health care journey at every stage of their lives.
All orthopedic surgeons affiliated with BayCare can refer eligible patients to the program.
For more information: BayCare.org/OrthoWeightLoss.
A list of BayCare orthopedic surgeons can be found here.