At the age of 47, Alan Kelly reappraised
his increasingly sedentary lifestyle, and started actively
exercising and running half marathons – until arthritis in
his hip started limiting his activities. Now he is aiming to
get back to a “normal” lifestyle, thanks to a revolutionary
new hip replacement operation.
Following a serious football injury, which resulted in
permanent damage to his lower spine, Alan Kelly admits that
he became less and less active over a period of years, until
weight gain, and a general feeling of tiredness and lack of
motivation prompted him to reassess his lifestyle. The
result was his first ever visit to a gym at the age of 47,
where he started working out four times a week, including
weights, circuits and aerobics. This led to an increasing
involvement in other sports – in the last few years he has
completed three half marathons, has become a keen hill
walker, and takes part in Dragon Boat racing.
It was thus a particular blow when, four
years ago, he started experiencing shooting pains in his
right leg. What he originally believed was a trapped nerve
was eventually diagnosed as arthritis in his hip by his GP.
“The initial shooting pain became worse. I began to limp
noticeably. I had to set the timer on my PC at work to
remind me to get up and walk around every twenty minutes or
so otherwise I would struggle to move for a time. At the gym
my stride became shorter and basic stretching got
increasingly difficult and painful. I became unable to use
some of the equipment including the bikes. Visits to the
theatre, cinema and restaurants were difficult. I was in
constant pain whilst seated, often having to get up and move
just to ease the problem. Getting in and out of the car was
an exercise in itself. Driving any distance was painful.
Sleeping became more and more difficult – I was having to
get up two or three times in the night just to get some
relief”.
Preparing for the Operation
Alan’s first goal was to find a good Surgeon. “Without the
skills of a first rate surgeon, no prosthesis, no matter how
well designed or manufactured, will achieve optimum results.
I think we all have the right to choose a surgeon we feel
will give us the best possible outcome” claims Alan.
The next problem was identifying the right kind of hip
replacement implant. “Given a skilled surgeon, the ultimate
success of the procedure is also dependent on the quality
and design of the prosthesis.” At the age of 56, the
prospect of a conventional hip replacement, which would
place limits on future sporting activities and would
eventually need replacing itself, was not attractive, so
Alan looked for alternatives. Hip Resurfacing, which is a
relatively new technique, was developed by Corin in
Cirencester, near Alan’s home town of Bath and this seemed
to offer a real alternative.
As far as Alan was concerned, pain relief was a secondary
issue. “The most important thing for me was to regain my
mobility, for as long as possible, and that is why I made
the decision to ask for Cormet Hip Resurfacing rather than a
conventional hip replacement”.
Research into hip replacement also provided Alan with some
insight into the problems typically faced by patients, and
he decided that he could speed his recovery by starting a
programme of training and physiotherapy before the
operation. In this way, his muscles would be optimally
“tuned” to get back to normal activity more quickly.
“I think that pre-operative physiotherapy is an area which
has the least focus at present” explains Alan. “Most
patients arrive for their hip replacement after years of
deteriorating mobility and activity. As a result,
post-operative recovery is at best restricted by the
condition of their muscles and in many cases subsequent
long-term recovery is limited by this problem. Patients
preparing for surgery should be encouraged to work closely
with a physiotherapist who is experienced in treating hip
replacement patients, so that pre-operative strength and
flexibility can be maximised. The same ethos should apply
post-operatively so that patients gain the maximum benefit
from their procedure”.
The 1st Operation
Alan waited several months on the NHS urgent waiting list
for Hip Resurfacing at the Royal United Hospital Bath. “I
decided that I would opt for private surgery because of the
increasing pain and lack of mobility. It was a decision that
was vindicated at surgery, since my surgeon, Mr Bishay, told
me that further delay would almost certainly have resulted
in a level of deterioration of the bone which would have
made Resurfacing difficult.”
After years of increasing pain and decreasing mobility, the
initial aftermath of the operation was extremely positive.
“The most obvious result was the lack of pain!” recalls
Alan. “Within weeks I had got back in the gym, but have
avoided high impact activities for the moment”.
Alan also had to face up to the knowledge that his other hip
would need replacing in the near future, and so planned the
second operation with Mr Bishay.
“At this point, I had a firm conviction that by the choosing
the Corin Resurfacing Hip I would be able to achieve my main
aim, which is a return to a high activity level, with the
added bonus of being pain free under normal circumstances. I
don’t believe any other procedure offers me this prospect”.
Alan’s approach to pre-operative preparation may be a
revolutionary one, but it seems to be paying dividends in
his recovery and return to normal activities and has been
lauded both by his surgeon and his physiotherapist. He has
even convinced Corin to consider running training courses
for physiotherapists, so that they understand the
differences between this procedure and conventional hip
replacement.
The 2nd Operation
“I prepared for the second operation by increasing the level
and intensity of physiotherapy. I must say that I did
occasionally have some doubts about the final outcome. The
initial improvements from the first operation were being
countered by the increasingly rapid deterioration in the
left hip. My back became increasingly sore and the pain
transmitted over to the right side too (this happened in
reverse the first time I should say). Ian Herbert, my
physiotherapist, was confident thought that things would be
fine, albeit with some intensive post-operative work. As
with most things in life you have to work hard to get the
results you want”.
“After two, last minute NHS delays I went into the Royal
United Hospital in Bath at the end of March and after six
days returned home with my second "Cormet" in place. Once
again the surgeon was Mr Bishay. The same surgeon and the
same prosthesis were the two mandatory conditions which I
had constantly stipulated during the run up to the second
operation. The second hip had not deteriorated to the same
degree as the first at the time of the operation and that
coupled with the extra physiotherapy treatment which I had
undertaken enabled me to begin mobilisation sooner than for
the first hip”.
As before the immediate relief from
constant pain was a tremendous boost and for the first time
in many years I was able to enjoy some of the normal things
in life without recourse to anti-inflammatory and pain
killing drugs. I have now resumed a normal (for me anyway)
activity level in the gym. I should say that after years of
enforced inactivity a lot of work remains to be done with
the physiotherapist to rebuild and strengthen the muscle and
tissue areas around the hips. Only then will I be able to
fully realise the potential that the Hip Resurfacing
technique offers. However at this time I am certain that my
decision to opt for this technique was correct, offering me,
as it does, the best opportunity of regaining the high level
of physical activity which was always my main aim”.
Not only is Alan back Dragon Boat Racing,
but together with other members of his teams, he is
considering taking on the gruelling Three Peaks Challenge
next year – climbing the UK’s three highest mountains in 24
hours.
