Sharon Brennan, from Whinmoor, had hip replacement surgery at Spire Leeds Hospital  under the care of consultant orthopaedic surgeon Mr Aaron Ng.

At 53, Sharon Brennan, was considered a little young for total hip replacement surgery, however she was dealing with severe pain, which affected her work and daily activities.

After suffering for five years with pain in her right hip joint and groin which was getting steadily worse, Sharon, a community assistant for the elderly, who lives in Leeds, had reached the point where she could not walk more than a short distance without pain, she struggled to go up and down stairs and night pain was disturbing her sleep. “It felt like bone on bone and would send sharp pain like an electric shock down my leg,” she said. “I decided it was not going to stop me living my life and it was time to do something about it.”

Sharon, who lives in the Whinmoor area of Leeds, discussed her options with her GP before choosing to have surgery at Spire Leeds Hospital. “My sister in law previously had an operation there and recommended it, and I wanted to have the procedure done close to where I live.”

She had a total hip replacement in September 2012 under the care of Mr Aaron Ng, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Spire Leeds Hospital. He said, “Sharon had severe osteoarthritis of the right hip. We discussed the options and chose total hip replacement surgery as she had tried conservative treatments, such as oral analgesia and physiotherapy without success and the pain was severely affecting her daily activities.”

Mr Ng used a minimal invasive surgery technique, also known as MIS. Surgery took just one hour. He replaced the worn out right hip with an uncemented socket and uncemented stem, using ceramic on ceramic bearings for the ball and socket joint. He explained, “With minimally invasive surgery a small incision is made, resulting in reduced blood loss and allowing less requirement for analgesia post-operatively. I also adopted an enhanced recovery programme whereby Sharon had fantastic pain relief following surgery and was able to go home within three days of surgery.”

Sharon said she felt the benefits within a few weeks of the surgery. “The extreme pain had gone and three months later I was able to return to my active job. Now I can go for long walks, climb stairs and get back to my beloved gardening. I would definitely recommend having the procedure to anyone of my age who is considering having it done,” added Sharon.

Mr Ng added, “There are a lot of young patients with hip arthritis who are afraid to have surgery and I would recommend they see a surgeon and discuss the options available. There is good evidence that young patients can benefit from total hip replacement surgery using the modern advanced technology such as uncemented hip replacements and ceramic on ceramic bearings. Modern technology minimises the wear in the implant and helps to improve the longevity of the implant.”