Cornwall resident back in the saddle after full hip replacement

Company news

Jul 28, 2014

When Kathleen Clarke limped into her local GP surgery the 63 year old had never considered she might need a full hip replacement.

Two years prior, the avid horse rider had fallen during a ride. At the time she injured her hip, but hadn’t realised to what extent her condition had deteriorated since the accident.

Whilst at her GPsurgery for a different condition, her doctor asked why she was limping. Further investigation revealed she would need to undergo an operation to replace both hips.

Speaking about the fall and diagnosis, Kathleen said: “My GP said I would need a full hip replacement and recommended five different hospitals in my area. I liked that I was offered so much choice to make my own decision. I went off and did my own research and I decided I wanted to go to Care UK’s Peninsula NHS Treatment Centre in Plymouth.

“I had only read good things about the centre, and the care they provide, so I really wanted to go there. Luckily, my GP was more than happy to refer me to my first choice, as she had also heard good things from other patients.”

Six-weeks after the operation the Albaston resident walked into her GP surgery for a checkup. Kathleen said: “My recovery was fantastic. Thanks to the support of my husband Neil I was back to being me in just a short period of time. I was nervous about having such a big operation, but the care I received put me at ease and I was sitting up in bed eating tea by six o’clock on the day of the operation.”

In just three-months Kathleen said she has almost fully recovered. She has since returned to riding her horse, walking and gardening.

Kathleen said others facing the prospect of a hip operation have nothing to fear: “I would absolutely recommend others choose the Peninsula NHS Treatment Centre. I cannot find fault with it. I had amazing care, the staff were friendly and even the food was great. It was like staying in a hotel.”

Care UK orthopedic surgeon MR Jac Ciampolini said one of the key factors to ensure a speedy recovery is to follow the exercises provided by the physiotherapist.

Mr Ciampolini’s top five tips for those recovering from a full hip replacement include:

1. Avoid bending your hip to more than a right angle, or 90 degrees, during any activity
2. Try to avoid twisting your hip
3. Avoid lying on your side where possible
4. Don’t cross your legs over each other
5. Don’t force the hip to do anything that makes it feel uncomfortable.