Dr. Jason Hurbanek, First Patient at Silver Cross Hospital to undergo the MACI Procedure
At 20 years old, Taylor Munn didn’t think knee surgery would be in her near future. After dislocating her knee cap in September 2015, surgery was eventually her only option. Munn, who lives in Manhattan, eventually became the first patient at Silver Cross Hospital to undergo the MACI (matrix-induced autologous cultured chondrocytes on porcine collagen membrane) procedure. The new procedure is an evolution on the previous ACI (autologous cultured chondrocytes on porcine collagen membrane procedure), but is more efficient.
It all started while Munn was at the gym when she twisted her knee and her knee cap dislocated. She met with Dr. Jason Hurbanek, orthopedic surgeon with Hinsdale Orthopaedics at Silver Cross Hospital. She had surgery in September 2015 to repair the ligament, but noticed a clicking noise in her knee a few months later.
“Dr. Hurbanek thought it was a cartilage defect and the MRI confirmed that,” Munn said. When she went in for her scope in October 2016 the MACI procedure had not yet been approved by the FDA. The MACI procedure was only FDA approved last December.
The MACI procedure uses a patient’s own cells to repair knee cartilage. Dr. Hurbanek said the cells are distributed on a collagen membrane in a lab allowing for a more efficient procedure and requires less time in the operating room.
Her options were the standard ACI or the DeNovo procedure, which is an implant that repairs cartilage damage. However, when she came in to see Dr. Hurbanek for her pre-op appointment in April, he mentioned that the MACI procedure had been approved. So, on May 5, she underwent the MACI procedure, and she said her recovery has been remarkable.
“I spent about two and a half months in a brace, and just recently got out of it. My physical therapists are really pleased with the range of motion I had right off the bat after surgery,” Munn said.
Munn said Dr. Hurbanek was always very quick to respond to any questions she had. “He’s very personable. I was very happy with him.” She’s currently attending Moraine Valley Community College, and she plans to study to become a physician’s assistant (PA). In fact, she already has plans to shadow Dr. Hurbanek’s PA this fall.
“Taylor has been an excellent patient. She has been extremely compliant and has followed all of the postoperative instructions,” Dr. Hurbanek said.
Today, Munn said her strength is coming back every day. “Overall my recovery is pretty astonishing.”
To learn more about the new MACI procedure or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Hurbanek, call (815) 462-3474.