Two Sisters, Four Knees: Utah Women Undergo Knee Replacement at the Same Time at LDS Hospital

Salt Lake City — They grew up together, raised families at the same time, developed arthritis together and now have had surgery together.

Sisters Barbara Guzman and Shauna Linde went into surgery one right after the other at the Joint Center at LDS Hospital on Tuesday, Sept. 30, to have their knees replaced

. "I used to walk with my husband every day, but I had to stop," says Linde, 65, of Holladay. "I just decided I'm too young to sit in a rocking chair for the rest of my life."

Her decision helped Guzman, 59, make up her own mind. The Centerville woman had been putting off the surgery for a couple of years.

"I'm a nurse, so I'm on my feet a lot. I'm looking forward to having this taken care of," she said.

Kim Bertin, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at the Joint Center at LDS Hospital, who performed both orthopedic surgeries at LDS Hospital, said he's done plenty of siblings before – but never on the same day.

"It's an odd coincidence," says Bertin. "But medically, it demonstrates that osteoarthritis is a genetically influenced disease. It's very common for siblings to have it."

The sisters have been recovering for a few days at LDS Hospital. After that, there will be several weeks of rest and rehabilitation.

"We can do our exercises together," says Guzman with a laugh.

The Joint Center at LDS Hospital offers comprehensive total joint care. It is a Center of Excellence, which means the facility and staff meet strict criteria and use only the latest approaches and tools. The surgeons are recognized nationally and internationally for their advanced surgical techniques, research, and best practice protocols.