Total Knee Replacement Surgery
Jeff Benedict, 69, from Alwoodley had total knee replacement surgery at Spire Leeds Hospital in November 2012 under the care of consultant orthopaedic surgeon Mr Aaron Ng.
When former taxi driver, Jeff Benedict, retired he had planned to spend more time pursuing his golfing hobby. However, he had suffered with debilitating knee problems for most of his life, following a cartilage operation when he was 17 years old, after sustaining a knee injury whilst playing football.
Before the total knee replacement operation, Jeff needed to use a walking stick even for short distances. He had his knee cleaned out twice over the years, which helped temporarily but he put off having a knee replacement, which he knew he needed.
“The pain was excruciating. It had felt like bone on bone for the last seven years and I used a walking stick because I was always afraid of falling and twisting it,” said Jeff. “I lived on a diet of painkillers to keep me going, but I was determined not to let the pain take away my enjoyment of life,” he said.
Then in August 2012 Jeff’s knee gave way completely on the golf course and he needed a golf buggy to take him back to the clubhouse. “That’s when I realised that knee surgery needed to be sooner rather than later.”
Jeff was referred to Mr. Aaron Ng, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Spire Leeds Hospital. Mr. Ng said, “After careful history taking and examination, I organised a radiograph of his knee, which confirmed the diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the right knee. This was due to wear and tear of the knee joint. The symptoms affected his daily activities and quality of life, restricting his walking distance and ability to climb and descend stairs.
"He also had night pain, which disturbed his sleep. He has had previous surgeries to his knee in the form of arthroscopies and lateral menisectomy.”
Jeff underwent total knee replacement of his right knee in November 2012. He opted for a nerve block during the one-hour long surgery, rather than a full anaesthetic. This involved an injection, which helped decrease the recovery time compared with a general anaesthetic. Although he was awake, he said he felt no pain or discomfort, just a sense of being very sleepy during the surgery. His pain was also managed in the first few hours after surgery.
“I cannot remember feeling any pain after the surgery and I could walk with sticks sooner than I expected.”
Three days later Jeff returned home. He walked with two walking sticks for the first six weeks with close supervision from the physiotherapist. This included muscle strengthening and range of motion exercises and was independently mobile after six weeks.
Mr. Ng added, “Jeff has made a very good recovery with range of movements of his knee 0-120º. He reports he has no pain in the knee and is able to play golf again. The surgery has transformed his life and I am delighted with the successful outcome.”
Just six weeks after surgery Jeff was back on the golf course. “I cannot recommend the procedure enough,” he said. “It has completely transformed my life. I just wish I had had it done years ago.”