Matt Hall’s Story: Reclaiming Life, Mobility, and Confidence After Bilateral Knee Replacement
Matt Hall is a construction manager who has spent most of his life working in commercial construction and building things with his hands. Originally from South Florida, he moved to central Ohio in 2007, where he continued his career and built a life rooted in hard work, family, and the outdoors. A father of three adult children and now engaged, Matt describes himself as someone who has always stayed active, whether on job sites, out on the water, or tackling projects around the house.
Over time, however, persistent pain in both knees began to change the way he lived his life.
What started as discomfort gradually became a constant limitation. For Matt, it wasn’t just about pain, it was about losing function. Simple, everyday movements became calculated decisions. Kneeling, climbing ladders, walking job sites, or even standing in his boat while fishing became increasingly difficult or impossible. He found himself planning his entire day around how many steps he could realistically take, often having to rely on others at work because he could no longer physically complete field inspections himself.
Despite having already managed chronic back issues for years, the decline in his knees created a new level of restriction. It affected not only his work, but the parts of life that mattered most, time outdoors, fishing trips, and being present with family. Matt described feeling as though his life had become defined by what he could no longer do.
After exploring multiple opinions and delaying surgery for several years, Matt was introduced to Dr. Cohen through a family connection. From the very first appointment, the experience felt different.
Instead of focusing only on imaging or limitations, the conversation centered on Matt himself, his goals, his lifestyle, and what he wanted to return to. He was asked direct, meaningful questions about his life outside of the exam room: what he wanted to get back to doing, and what a successful outcome would actually look like for him.
That approach shifted everything.
Matt had been told by other providers that both knee replacements at the same time wouldn’t be an option. In contrast, after reviewing his imaging and listening closely to his concerns about time away from work and recovery logistics, Dr. Cohen confirmed he was a candidate for bilateral knee replacement. More importantly, he explained the process clearly and directly, including the use of advanced planning and robotic-assisted surgical mapping to reduce uncertainty and improve precision.
For Matt, the difference wasn’t just medical, it was trust. He left that first visit with clarity, confidence, and, for the first time in years, a sense of forward momentum instead of hesitation.
When surgery day arrived, the experience was not without challenges. Matt underwent bilateral knee replacement and experienced a more difficult immediate recovery than expected, including complications that required a longer hospital stay. Early on, pain management was difficult, and he also dealt with unexpected complications during the initial post-operative period.
But throughout it all, Matt recalls consistent reassurance and steady communication from Dr. Cohen, who reminded him that recovery would take effort, but that the goal he had set was still achievable. That ongoing encouragement helped him push through the hardest days of early recovery.
As his healing progressed, additional complications were identified and addressed, including a significant reaction to surgical adhesives that required adjustment in his post-operative care. Once those issues were resolved and he transitioned into outpatient physical therapy, his recovery began to accelerate rapidly.
By the two-week mark, his progress noticeably shifted. With consistent rehabilitation and commitment to his home exercise program, Matt moved from assisted walking to steady independence. Within seven weeks post-surgery, he was discharged from formal physical therapy, far ahead of typical recovery expectations for bilateral knee replacement.
What stood out most in his recovery was not just the speed, but the return of function. Matt began regaining strength, stability, and confidence in movement. Activities that once felt impossible, climbing stairs normally, walking without assistance, working on his knees with proper support, and returning to job sites, became part of his everyday life again.
Even beyond the knees themselves, Matt noticed broader improvements. His gait improved, compensatory pain in his back lessened, and he described feeling more balanced overall. He returned to building projects, including constructing a swing set for his nieces, something he said would not have been possible before surgery.
Today, Matt reports being largely pain-free in his knees and fully re-engaged in the activities that define his life. He is back to fishing, working actively in construction, participating in community events, and living without the constant mental calculation of limitation that once dictated his routine.
Reflecting on his experience, Matt emphasizes not just the surgical outcome, but the approach to care. He describes feeling heard, respected, and treated as a person, not a case number or a set of X-rays. Most importantly, he felt that his goals were the priority from the very beginning.
For Matt, the impact goes beyond mobility. It’s about independence, confidence, and the ability to fully participate in his life again.
In his words, the experience didn’t just improve his knees, it gave him his life back.
