Patient Testimony: Howard’s Hip Replacement 

Hip Replacement at St John & St Elizabeth Hospital – Patient’s Journey Transcript

Howard: My name is Howard and I came in for a hip replacement operation. I’ve played competitive sport all my life and as the years roll by things like knees and hips tend to get somewhat arthritic. I’ve hung in there certainly with it for quite a long time to the point that it was very, very uncomfortable and it quite obviously needed treatment.

Mr Jaiswal: I first met Howard in October 2022 and he was referred to me by one of our local physiotherapists and he was suffering with left hip pain for a long period of time. Many years, but it gradually progressed and it really affected his quality of life and the activities he like to do. It was making walking rather difficult and other forms of training.

Howard: It was making walking rather difficult and other forms of training. I trained twice a week and it was inhibiting.

Mr Jaiswal: So obviously as I do with all patients, I took a thorough history; established what was important, what he wanted to get back to, took a detailed history about his past medical problems (of which there were some significant issues). Howard was quite keen to try all non-operative measures possible. We decided together to do an injection into the hip of local anaesthetic and steroids.

Howard: Within a month I was in and had the injection. It gave me immediately significant relief, but it’s really only short term. We had a chat and the answer basically was either you grin and bear it, or you have a new hip. He had an operating slot that just became available, he had a cancellation about 2 and 1/2 weeks after I saw him so I said, “That’s for me.”

Mr Jaiswal: I did a minimally invasive hip replacement. It was done in the morning and he was walking that afternoon. He was only in hospital for a couple of days and he was he was already feeling better.

Howard: You’re up and walking just about as soon as the anaesthetic wears off, you’re out of bed, you’re on crutches and you’re told to put your full weight on the hip. So you don’t get much respite and it certainly works. When I was discharged, I, you know I felt perfectly okay. Perfectly well and confident that I could walk on crutches. I live not far away. I got home. I was able almost immediately to get up the stairs.

Mr Jaiswal: I saw him at 2 weeks just to do a little wound check. And at that point he had minimal discomfort, taking occasional painkillers and using just one crutch for outdoor walking and without crutches indoors.

Howard: So at the final off consultation after 6 weeks, I was physically fine. I got he all-clear so that I could drive, and he was satisfied because I train and my trainers are professional physios. He was happy to see the progress that had been made. I’m probably back to where my hip was 10 years ago