“It does not feel like an artificial hip”
After experiencing stiffness in his left hip and discomfort in his right hip, Brian Hargreaves discovered via an X-ray that they would both need replacing, but he was mindful of taking one step at a time.
Brian explained: “I didn’t want both done at once. I felt it was important to give myself adequate time to recover properly after the first.”
He chose to have his first hip replacement in 2021 at a hospital in London, close to where he lives. When the time came to consider surgery for the second hip, he decided on a different path.
He said: “The right hip was starting to give me pain throughout the day, particularly during longer periods of walking and lying on it in bed. I was conscious that it was becoming painful and wasn’t going to get any better, so I bit the bullet and decided to go ahead with the operation.
“I wanted to get it done sooner rather than later and didn’t want to have more pain than I was already experiencing. I’m quite an active person, I enjoy gardening and DIY, so I wanted to get back to activities pain-free as soon as I could.”
Having previously lived in Kent, Brian was familiar with The Horder Centre’s reputation and booked in to have his second hip replacement under the care of Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Mr Senthil Velayudham.
He explained: “You want someone who is doing hip replacements on a daily basis. Mr Velayudham was very knowledgeable, confident, and positive.
“I was on medication, and some of that had to be stopped for the operation, which was all adequately explained to me. It was also nice to be given anaesthetic options, which again was explained by Mr Velayudham.
“Because I had done it before, I knew what to expect. The anaesthetist was very proficient. Before you know it, you are under, and the next thing you know, you are waking up after the operation. Everything went smoothly. I had the operation around 9am, and that afternoon I was walking around. By 2pm the next day, I was home recovering and felt pretty good.
“I had one appointment with the physiotherapist at The Horder Centre about a week after the operation, which I found reassuring.
“The Horder Centre is all geared up for orthopaedic surgeries. Everyone is really knowledgeable, which puts you at ease because they are professional. This professionalism is infectious and gives you confidence that you are in the right place.”
Six months on from his operation, Brian says he is not experiencing any discomfort and states: “It does not feel like an artificial hip, it feels like my original hip.”
We provide outstanding patient experiences
The Horder Centre is an award-winning Centre of Excellence that offers patients a unique therapeutic environment. Specifically designed for orthopaedic surgery, our facilities include a physiotherapy inpatient gym and courtyard gardens designed by clinical experts to enhance recovery. Finance options available.
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