Patient Journey: John Langenstein

Think you’re busy? Then meet John Langenstein. He’s in Japan one day, Hawaii the next. As the co-owner of a firm that handles security for major acts during worldwide tours, he’s helped to protect Crosby, Stills & Nash, Jay Z, Jackson Browne, Phish, and even Pope Francis. “I’m constantly in motion,” says Langenstein, 57, of Willow Grove.

But in early 2015, that motion slowed a bit. “My left knee hurt,” he says. “I thought I needed new sneakers.” What he really needed was surgery to repair a torn meniscus. Then, a couple months later, he re-injured his knee. “It crunched like a bag of potato chips,” he says.

Langenstein knew he’d eventually need total knee replacement surgery. But he couldn’t just stop touring. So his Philadelphia-area doctor referred him to orthopedic surgeon Paul Weidner, MD, of Upper Bucks Orthopaedics, and medical director of The Joint Center at Grand View Health. “Grand View was an hour from my home, but Dr. Weidner won me over,” Langenstein says. “He made a chart of pros and cons of the surgery and explained exactly what would happen.”

“Patients often see me after suffering knee problems for a long time,” says Dr. Weidner, who has been practicing in Sellersville and performing orthopaedic surgery for 30 years. “Some have had surgeries and injections, and have used medication or supplements to fight the pain. In all cases, it’s the patient who decides when he’s ready for total knee replacement.”

Langenstein had a tight timeframe – an eight-week touring break late in 2017. On November 7, 2017, he had the surgery at Grand View. “I’ve stayed in hotels worldwide, and Grand View is up there with one of the best,” he says. “I never felt like I was in the hospital.”

That day, Langenstein walked 280 feet to test his new knee. By Christmas day, after physical therapy and rehab, he could run across the room. And 131 days after surgery, he climbed 1,332 steps to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia.

Now back in perpetual motion, Langenstein has a new goal. “Next July, I want to run with the bulls in Pampalona, Spain,” he says.