After years of living with knee pain, Jeff Goddard found lasting relief and renewed energy through advanced outpatient knee replacement at Midwest Center for Joint Replacement.
For Jeff Goddard, knee pain had been a constant companion since tearing his ACL in college. What began as a manageable injury turned into a 25-year struggle that slowly took away the things he loved most: coaching his kids’ softball teams, staying active, and enjoying everyday movement.
“There were all sorts of incremental lifestyle things that just kept getting taken away from me,” he says. “I stopped doing things without even realizing it.”
When his doctors told him knee replacement surgery was in his future, Jeff asked them who they would trust for their own care. Both recommended Dr. Michael Berend, orthopedic surgeon and founder of Midwest Center for Joint Replacement (MCJR).
“I was always nervous about getting a total knee replacement,” Jeff admits. “I thought it would mean giving up the activities I love.” But during his first meeting, Dr. Berend reassured him that the goal wasn’t limitation, it was liberation.
A Smarter, Simpler Approach to Recovery
What stood out most to Jeff was MCJR’s fully coordinated outpatient care model.
“It was the first time I’d experienced an all-encompassing solution,” he explains. “Everything—from surgery to recovery—was built around convenience, comfort, and great outcomes.”
Undergoing surgery as an outpatient made a world of difference. “The convenience of having it all done in one day made it so much easier for my family,” he says. “I could go in, have surgery, and be home that afternoon. My family didn’t have to rearrange everything.”
Moving Forward, Pain Free
Recovery came quickly, and so did new milestones. “When I was in Australia, I jogged about a mile,” Jeff recalls. “I called my family and texted my kids right away. It was the first time in years I could move without pain.”
Today, he continues to grow stronger with each passing month. “It’s been a steady progression—building strength, doing more, and enjoying life again,” he says. “It’s been a lot of fun.”
Thanks to Dr. Berend and the MCJR team, Jeff’s life has been restored in more ways than one.
“Dr. Berend told me I’d be able to do almost everything I wanted,” Jeff says. “He was right.”
