Knee replacement at Spire Cardiff Hospital

At Spire Cardiff, we're a Centre of Excellence for orthopaedics. This means our highly-skilled orthopaedic (bone and muscle) teams meet stringent standards to provide complete orthopaedic care you can trust. Our consultants and multi-disciplinary teams are dedicated to providing top quality treatment and care that’s personalised to you.

We offer fast access to diagnostic tests and scans, so you don’t have to wait long to find out if treatment is right for you. We expect it to take three to four weeks from your initial appointment to having your knee replacement surgery.

At Spire Cardiff, we have wide experience of performing knee replacement surgery in our high-quality facilities, including two operating theatres with laminar flow. These theatres regulate air flow to reduce the risk of infection.

We also offer some of the latest surgical techniques, which may be beneficial to some patients. This includes Signature Personalised Patient Care – 3D MRI scans and custom made alignment guides help your surgeon align and position your new knee joint

We’re proud to offer ConforMis custom implants which are manufactured using your exact knee measurements for a better fit and alignment after surgery. Your consultant will explain the different prostheses available to you in your consultations.

Getting here

Spire Cardiff Hospital is located a short distance from Junction 30 of the M4 and is well signposted, with free parking available. Public transport options are also available.

Your consultations

Your initial consultation will take place in one of our 21 accessible consulting rooms, so don’t worry if you have difficulty walking. During your consultations, we'll:

• Ask about your medical history
• Say whether you need an X-ray, and/or an MRI or CT scan so your consultant can examine your knee in more detail
• Tell you about the different types of artificial knee joints – also called a prosthesis – as well as surgical methods
• Explain about the different anaesthetic options, and help you choose the best one for you
• Give you a chance to ask any questions you have about your surgery

Once you and your consultant have decided to go ahead with knee surgery, your physiotherapist will explain your recovery plan.

On the day of your procedure, our ward staff will show you to your room and get you settled in. If you’ve come with a friend or family member, they’re welcome to wait in our lounge or restaurant while you have your operation.

Your consultant and surgical team will prepare you for your operation.

Anaesthetic options

You’ll probably have a general anaesthetic, so you’ll be completely asleep. However, sometimes it’s preferable or necessary to have an epidural (spinal) anaesthetic, where you’re numb from the waist down. If so, your anaesthetist can give you sedatives to help you relax during the operation.

During your operation

Your consultant will make the necessary incisions and begin to remove worn or damaged areas of your knee joint. They’ll then fit your new knee and close your incisions.

The operation should take no more than a couple of hours. You’ll start your recovery at Spire Cardiff, staying with us for three days.

After surgery, you can begin your knee surgery recovery in one of our private rooms. All our rooms have:

• TV
• Window
• Armchair
• En-suite

Our nursing team will give you pain relief to help you deal with any pain from the surgery. Everyone experiences pain differently and they’ll make sure you’re comfortable and have everything you need.

Although everybody’s different and you should always follow your consultant’s advice, here’s a typical recovery timeline for knee replacement surgery: