PINEHURST — Bob Weber is retired, but that doesn’t mean he is slowing down.
He and his wife, Rita, are busy giving back to the Moore County community through volunteer service for multiple groups, including FirstHealth Hospice, the new FirstHealth Cancer Center and The Foundation of FirstHealth.
Earlier this year, however, persistent and worsening knee pain was having a negative impact on Bob’s quality of life and his ability to give back. It was also keeping him from fully enjoying one of his favorite hobbies — golf.
“My knee pain gradually increased over time, to the point that in 2023 I sought out treatment options. We started with physical therapy for several months, but that did no good. Earlier this year I knew it was time to explore surgical options, so I made an appointment with Dr. David Casey,” Weber said.
Casey, an orthopaedic surgeon with Pinehurst Surgical Clinic, told Weber that he would need a full replacement of his left knee. Before that surgery could be scheduled, Casey helped Weber ensure that his recovery would go off without a hitch.
“I had some relatively significant vascular issues in my left leg, the same as the knee, so Dr. Casey ordered an ultrasound to determine if the knee could heal properly,” Weber said. “I ended up having some vascular surgery before the knee replacement.”
After recovering from his vascular surgery, Weber’s knee replacement took place on May 9 at Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst. Weber said his experience with Casey, his surgical team and the care teams that helped him recover couldn’t have been better.
“Dr. Casey is very open and tells you exactly what is going to happen. He’s thorough and personable, so you don’t feel like just another surgical patient – you are a person he cares about,” Weber said.
“The surgery happened at the end of the week, and the following Monday I had concerns that something may be wrong. Dr. Casey had given me his personal number and told me to call him if I needed anything, and when my wife picked up the phone and called Dr. Casey, he answered. He gave me reassurance that my concerns were normal.”
Weber continued his recovery with several weeks of physical therapy, improving quickly enough that he volunteered at the 2024 U.S. Open just five weeks after his surgery.
A week after the Open, Weber was hitting golf balls again, and two months out he was back on the course.
“I followed my recovery instructions and the directions they gave me to recover, and I am still doing things Dr. Casey has recommended to strengthen my knee and the muscles around it,” Weber said. “I just can’t say enough good things about Dr. Casey and the team of folks who helped me after the surgery.”
Weber said he and his wife plan to continue with their active philanthropic schedule.
FirstHealth Orthopaedics
FirstHealth offers a full range of diagnostic imaging, a specialized inpatient unit for orthopaedic patients, numerous outpatient rehabilitation clinics, and six fitness centers to help patients get back to the life they enjoy. Our orthopaedic surgeon partners with Pinehurst Surgical Clinic provide a full range of services and many also specialize in one or several areas such as the foot, hand, shoulder, spine, hip or knee, or sports medicine.
For more information about orthopaedic services at FirstHealth, visit www.firsthealth.org/ortho