New Knees and a New Lease on Life: Richard’s Journey Back to the Slopes

After decades of running a plumbing business and living an active lifestyle filled with hiking and skiing, Richard Kansteiner’s knees began to betray him. “The last five years were really bad,” he recalls. “I was hanging onto handrails just to get around.”

At 68, Richard wasn’t ready to give up the mountains. At first, physical therapy helped, and several cortisone shots from Dr. Cory Dobson at Eagle Valley Family Practice gave him temporary relief. But eventually the pain returned and Dr. Dobson referred Richard to Dr. Daniel O’Connor, the fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon at ValleyOrtho, to discuss replacing his left knee. Dr. O’Connor is ValleyOrtho’s only fellowship-trained joint reconstruction surgeon. After completing medical school and a five-year orthopedic residency at University of California, Davis, Dr. O’Connor underwent an additional year of fellowship study focused solely on joint reconstruction and replacement.

At first, Richard wasn’t quite ready for the process. But late that spring during a multi-day ski trip to Steamboat, Jackson Hole and Utah, his knee finally gave out. That’s when he remembered what Dr. O’Connor had told him: “You’ll know when it’s time.” And he did.

Richard’s first total knee replacement with Dr. O’Connor took place in late April 2024. “I was nervous,” he admits. “I’d never had surgery before. But Dr. O’Connor was calm and honest. He said, ‘If you don’t want to do this, you don’t have to.’ He never pushed me.” Recovery was smoother than expected. Within five days, Richard was walking to the end of his driveway. He avoided strong pain medications and followed his care team’s advice: don’t fall, take breaks and stay consistent.

The following winter, Richard and his wife, Donna, skied 25 days. But on the last day, the “mashed potato” spring conditions in Steamboat flared up the pain he was having his right knee. “I thought, why wait again? Why put up with the pain?” Richard scheduled his second knee replacement in March 2025.

The second recovery was a bit tougher than the first, as Dr. O’Connor had warned. But with excellent physical therapy at Valley View’s Eagle Health Care Center, Richard bounced back. “They were so good, I kept going until they told me to stop,” he laughs.

Now, with two “bionic knees,” Richard is back on the mountain with his wife. “We’ve already been skiing three times this season. I’m pain-free. I walk up, down, sideways—no problem. That’s freedom.”

Reflecting on his journey, Richard says, “I was hesitant at first, but this has truly improved my life. I’m so glad I chose Dr. O’Connor. He’s absolutely amazing.”