Mr Lee Longstaff 2015-03-09 Person 5 5 0

Although it was becoming more & more painful to stand, walk, use stairs, do my job & to lead a normal "active" life ( for a sixty year old man in full time employment), as the date for my operation approached, the nerves & second thoughts crossed my mind more than a few times. I wondered if it was the right course of action to take, did I really need the operation, was someone else not more deserving of my place? It was with some trepidation that I went into hospital for total knee replacement surgery. Although Mr Longstaff explained to me that the success rate for the procedure is approximately 70 -75% I had visions of being one of the 25% with complications & that coupled with being squeamish about hospitals, needles, blood, pain etc etc. I need not have worried, it will be 6 weeks tomorrow since I had my operation & nearly 5 weeks since discharge from hospital, I know it is still early days but so far, results have been excellent, I could not thank Mr Longstaff, his team, all the nursing & physio staff at University Hospital North Durham enough. I am now back to work, walking like a new man, my posture has improved & the related back pain I suffered from has all but disappeared. Family & friends are commenting on the speed of my recovery. It is still early days, I still have discomfort, swelling around the knee & at night, interrupted sleep. I still have work to do to get my knee bend back to what it was before & to strengthen my leg but that will come with time. I hope this review helps & reassures anyone feeling as I did about this procedure - don't worry, you are in safe hands - go for it!