AUGUSTA, Ga. - Knee replacement surgery is one of the fastest growing medical operations as more and more "Baby Boomers" go under the knife.

Walking, standing up and other basic daily chores used to be a challenge for Robin Bailie because of the pain his left knee gave him.

“When you go to sleep and wake up because you can’t sleep because the pain is so bad, over a period of time, that takes its toll on you,” said Bailie.

The pain was so unbearable it forced him to undergo knee replacement surgery.

University Hospital Orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Lee Fullerton Jr. says it’s done for pain relief more than anything else.

It’s a procedure that’s being done more than ever before and at younger ages. According to studies by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, from 1998 to 2005, total knee replacement surgeries increased from 266,000 to 534,000

“You’ll see people in their 30s sometimes who need a knee replacement,” said Dr. Fullerton. “The baby boomer generation is hitting us now and we get a lot of patients who need this surgery.”

Bailie was one of many who hurt himself playing school sports in his younger days.

“It was a time period when equipment wasn’t the best it was if we had equipment at all,” said Bailie. “When they assessed me, they were shocked at what the findings were. At the time I was in my 30s and… some of the pictures of my ankles and all led them to believe I was in my upper 70s, early 80s of age.”

John Gunn is Dr. Fullerton’s latest knee replacement surgery patient. He shares a story to Bailies’—an injury he received decades ago on his high school football team lead him to get knee replacement surgery.

“I broke my knee playing football about 39, 40 years ago. It was a pretty severe break,” said Gunn.

“Our society is more active and they know this technology is there and if your choice is to take a risk that will last your whole life or sit in a bench for 15 years until you get to be 60, people are pushing us more to try and do the operation earlier,” said Dr. Fullerton.

Dr. Fullerton warns that the surgery is a costly procedure that should be done after alternatives remedies have been exhausted.