Knee replacement at Spire Sussex Hospital

At Spire Sussex, we provide high-quality orthopaedic (bone and muscle) services and are extremely proud to be rated as Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for our private hospital care. Our dedicated team of surgeons, nurses and physiotherapists will deliver a treatment and aftercare plan that’s personal to your needs to help you get the most from your knee replacement operation.

At Spire Sussex, we have wide experience of performing knee replacement surgery in our high-quality facilities. We have two laminar flow operating theatres which regulate air flow to minimise the risk of infection.

Our consultants at Spire Sussex use trusted and clinically proven techniques for knee replacement. Your consultant will explain the procedure in more detail during your consultations.

Getting here

We are situated near Hastings, the nearest railway stations are Hastings Town and Battle, both approximately three miles away, or 10 minutes by car. We have free on-site parking available for you and your visitors.

Your consultations

Before your treatment, you’ll meet your consultant in one of our six consultation rooms. All our rooms are accessible, so there’s no need to worry if walking is difficult for you. They’ll ask about your health, symptoms and answer any questions you may have.

If you haven’t been diagnosed yet, they may recommend our diagnostic tests and scans to help them assess your knee in more detail. Both your initial consultation and tests at this stage are charged separately to the cost of any treatment needed.

If you decide to go ahead with treatment, your consultant will advise you about:

• What your personalised treatment and care plan will involve
• Different types of prosthetic joints available
• Anaesthetic options
• Potential risks and complications
• Things you can do to help your recovery

When you come in for your operation, you’ll be with us for two to three days. You’ll stay in one of our large, bright, private en-suite rooms which has a locked space for your things and entertainment to keep you occupied as you start your recovery.

Here’s what will happen on the day of your knee replacement operation:

• You’ll meet your surgery team and anaesthetist
• Your anaesthetist will administer the type of anaesthetic that you’ve agreed with your consultant – either a general, where you’re asleep, or a spinal or epidural, where you won’t feel anything below the waist
• Once it’s taken effect, your surgeon will make an incision in your knee, move your kneecap to one side and begin fitting your artificial knee

Once your consultant has finished the operation, you’ll be taken back to your private room. We have 22 private rooms at Spire Sussex, all of which have:

• TV
• Window
• Armchair
• WiFi

You may feel some discomfort and swelling in your leg at first, which is completely normal. We’ll give you pain relief to help you and make sure you’re comfortable.

One of our physiotherapists will get you walking again and give you some exercises you should do throughout your recovery to help you get the most from your knee replacement.

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