Mr Zameer Shah 2013-01-03 Person 5 5 0

After years of deteriorating osteoarthritis of the knees and progressively reduced mobility and quality of life, on 19 September 2012 my GP felt that I had exhausted all other options and that only surgery could now help. Never having been in hospital before – and only knowing the NHS from what I had read in the papers – I was apprehensive. I needn’t have worried. Within a fortnight, I saw Mr Zameer Shah at Guy’s, having first had a series of preliminary x-rays and tests. He showed exactly what was wrong; and, after discussing the possibilities we agreed that a partial replacement of both knees was the best option. Within days I received a phone call to book a date; and on 26 October had the operation on my right knee. It was completely successful and after only six weeks I was pretty well back to normal – although not yet fully confident about kneeling. That will presumably come with time. The whole experience could not have been better. The staff who conducted both the preliminary pre-operative tests and the post-operative physiotherapy were efficient, friendly and effective. The operation went without a hitch and the progress of the recuperation process – the disappearance of the swelling, the healing of a very neat wound, the restoration of mobility etc– was just as predicted. I found Mr Shah impressive both in terms of surgical skill and what is called ’a bedside manner’. In other words I found him friendly, informative, reassuringly competent and ready to listen. I am returning in a few weeks to have the same operation performed on my left knee. I can’t say I am actually looking forward to it (after all, an operation is an operation) but I have no doubts that in the hands of Mr Shah and his team there will be an equally good result.