Nuffield Health’s pioneering double hip replacement procedure puts Leicester-based sportsman back on the road to success.
Whether it’s skiing, cycling, or representing England in the All-England Championships for badminton, keen sportsman Andrew is no stranger to the wear and tear an active lifestyle can have on your body.
But when hip pain stopped him following his passions, he knew he needed professional help, which is when he reached out to Nuffield Health Hospital Leicester and hip expert, Mr Ashwin Kulkarni, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Leicester Hospital who recommended a pioneering operation…
The treatment
“Mr Kulkarni understood that recovery was key for me: less recovery time meant more time doing the things I love, like cycling. He recommended the SuperPath® surgery which is a minimally invasive hip replacement that didn’t require cutting into the muscle,” explains Andrew.
Minimally invasive replacement hip surgery reduces how deep the surgeon creates an incision. Rather than cutting muscles to gain access to the hip joint, the soft-tissue is simply moved aside, which reduces trauma to the soft-tissue around the hip – meaning faster recovery time – whether it’s the first hip, or both, like Andrew.
“I’d heard that someone who also underwent the same surgery walked in unaided for their next review with the consultant just two weeks after their super path hip operation. Given my competitive nature, I was determined to match that record,” Andrew jokes.
Back in the saddle
Almost 12 weeks after Andrew’s surgery and physiotherapy treatments at Nuffield Health’s Leicester Fitness and Wellbeing Centre, he was back on the bike and training for his next cycling challenge.
“The connected health aspect that Nuffield Health offer played a contributing factor to my recovery, I saw a great physio in the gym at Leicester and carried on the daily exercises at home to accelerate my recovery,” says Andrew.
Since the surgery, Andrew’s travelled far and wide raising money and awareness for some incredible charities. Last year he joined 60 fellow riders to Ireland and they cycled just under 400 miles over four days to raise funds for Hope Against Cancer, a local Leicestershire and Rutland cancer research charity that is close to Andrew’s heart.
History repeating itself
Roll on six years later and many thousands of cycling miles, Andrew started to feel similar twinges of pain in his other hip. After the success of the first hip surgery, he contacted Mr Kulkarni to discuss the symptoms he was experiencing. An MRI revealed that Andrew’s hip joint had worn away and the bone was rubbing against bone which was causing a great deal of pain.
Mr Kulkarni explains, “When articular cartilage on the surface of a hip joint is worn out, it can lead to arthritis. In arthritic joints, sensitive exposed bone under the cartilage grinds against opposing side bone, creating significant pain and as a result disability to perform activities.
“A hip replacement, replaces this bad surface with a smooth artificial surface, often made from ceramic and special plastic. This takes the pain away and improves quality of life.”
“Having my hip replaced and the increased mobility it rewarded me, was one of the best things I’ve done. I was so impressed with the whole experience that I’ve booked to have surgery on my second hip with Mr Kulkarni later this year” says Andrew.
His specialist predicts that Andrew will get 100% of his mobility back after the operation.
For more information or to book a consultation, call 0300 13 11 416, email [email protected] or visit the website.
