Kevin Rinschler, a dedicated runner and fitness enthusiast, found himself facing an unexpected challenge that threatened his active lifestyle. At just 48 years old, Kevin began experiencing right hip discomfort and lower back pain, which gradually worsened over the next year and significantly limited his ability to engage in the activities he loved.
“I realized just going to the gym and exercising, I was losing mobility on that right side,” says Kevin. “I was starting to have some issues to the point that my wife, Natalie, asked me, ‘Are you going to go have that looked at?’”
The stiffness in his hip was becoming unbearable to continue running and exercising. Hard as it was to give that up, Kevin’s situation became more challenging when routine activities became strenuous too.
“I went from being able to mulch the yard and do what I've always done for years to all-of-a-sudden realizing, ‘It’s so uncomfortable for me to do these things every day,’” Kevin says.
That was the turning point, and he followed Natalie’s advice, who works for Atrium Health.
After being evaluated and consulting with his care team in June, Kevin was referred to Dr. Eric Lee, an orthopedic surgeon, with sub-specialization in arthroplasty, with Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute. Lee diagnosed Kevin with arthritis in his right hip and recommended an anterior approach hip replacement surgery.
It’s a common procedure that is performed on a wide age range of patients. Not taking care of it could lead to further complications down the road.
“I try to counsel patients that it's not necessarily a damaged hip, but it's a worn-out hip that's generating a lot of inflammation, and that inflammation really hurts and limits people and what they want to do,” Lee says. “It's a condition of pain, impacting quality of life.”
With his care team’s guidance, Kevin decided to have his right hip replaced with an artificial hip. It would be his first surgery but he was encouraged by the procedure’s quick recovery time and the chance at a more comfortable life.
“Ultimately it was the combination of the back pain, the hip was going to get worse and my quality of life changed pretty drastically,” Kevin says. “I'm 48 years old, so I wanted to be able to still go out there and run and exercise and be well.”
On July 2, 2025, Kevin became the first patient to have orthopedic surgery at the brand new, Atrium Health Lake Norman, which officially opened to patients the previous day.
“I think that helped with it being nice and brand new, modern, it just gives you a good feeling -- nothing overwhelming or anything to give you an anxious feeling,” Kevin says, about the new hospital.
The surgery was successful and Kevin began his recovery journey. Post-surgery, Kevin experienced a significant reduction in pain, which he had often described as “stiffness.”
Although Kevin is taking his recovery step by step, he’s emerging stronger every day. He’s back to running, doing yardwork and continuously ramping up his activity.
Kevin's experience also highlights the importance of a supportive health care team, which provided the necessary guidance and support, ensuring that Kevin had the resources he needed to recover effectively.
“The experience with Dr. Lee was amazing, along with everyone else at Atrium Health Lake Norman,” Kevin says. “From the security guard who welcomed us into the hospital all the way up to the entire nursing staff and surgical staff, everybody was just awesome.”
For his 50th birthday in a couple of years, Kevin is hoping to work his way up to run a 50K race (31 miles) – another milestone that confirms hip replacement surgery was the right decision.
“Even if I choose not to run the way I did in the past, I want to be the one to make that choice,” Kevin says. “I have a little bit of a competitive side in me.”
