Professor Damian Griffin OBE TD VR BM BCh MA MPhil FRCS(Tr&Orth)

Written by a private patient at Three Shires Hospital - part of Circle Health Group

I am a 63 year old very active lady. My sports include cable wakeboarding, indoor climbing, wing foiling and road cycling. Last summer I noticed an increasing amount of pain in my left hip. My physiotherapist, Luke Anthony, at GoPerform ( A training and sports rehabilitation centre in Reading, Berkshire)) gave me a number of exercises to try and alleviate the hip, but the pain became more acute. Luke recommended and referred me to Professor Griffin for further investigation. The initial consultation with Professor Griffin was exceptionally thorough and Professor Griffin spent a great deal of time making sure that he understood the problem that I had and how this was affecting my sports. Following x-rays a diagnosis of osteoarthritis was made and Professor Griffin recommended a total hip replacement. We decided that this was the best option as I wanted to return to all my sports. We also decided that the surgery would take place in early 2023 as I had a couple of holidays planned! In the intervening period it also gave the opportunity to undertake as much "pre -hab" as possible to retain strength and mobility in the hip. The surgery itself went extremely well. Professor Griffin and the anaesthetist explained exactly what to expect and there was 100% pain control. A few hours after surgery the physiotherapist helped me get out of bed and take a few steps. Furthermore, by the following morning I was waking with crutches along the corridor of the hospital! I was at the Three Shires Hospital, which was 1.5 hours away from my home so I chose to stay in for a second night, the care in the hospital was excellent. Once home, I needed the crutches for a couple of days, but by day 5 I had progressed onto hiking poles. I also hired a "Game Ready" recovery ice machine that cooled the surgery area and helped keep any swelling under control. By day 8 I was able to walk over 1km with the hiking poles and I began physiotherapy with Luke at GoPerform. The preparation prior to surgery certainly helped, along with the Superb surgery from Professor Griffin. On day 12 I had a video call with Professor Griffin and I was able to remove the dressing, his call was very helpful and I was very impressed with the neatness of the scar! It is now day 18 and I am attending rehabilitation daily at GoPerform along with a 2 km walk. I must say that I am delighted with the overall experience so far and I look forward to progressing over the coming weeks. Professor Griffin and his Team are outstanding !

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Written by a private patient at Three Shires Hospital - part of Circle Health Group

From the first consultation I knew I’d chosen the right man for the job. He filled me with confidence, explained everything clearing, so I felt totally safe in his hands. His level of after care was second to none. I followed his physio instructions to the letter and two weeks after my total hip replacement he suggested I move on to using walking poles instead of crutches. I bought a pair from Amazon and they made walking so easy as I was able to stand upright and the action of moving your arms like marching propels you along. Three months after the operation I don’t even notice or think about my hip - I am totally pain free and back to enjoying long walks of around 6 miles a day. I cannot recommend him highly enough and am truly grateful for everything he has done for me.

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Written by a private patient at The Harley Street Specialist Hospital

I've always been active and especially love yoga and long distance hill walking, so found it extremely frustrating when I developed hip discomfort in the mid 2000's when I was in my thirties. Over the following 15 years I saw specialist after specialist, but nothing made a difference. I blamed myself, because I found it difficult to describe precisely what my symptoms were. It was easy to see that the range of movement in my left hip was restricted, so it was this that tended to be the focus of any physio I was offered. However, there were other symptoms too, which would come and go without any specific trigger. For example, my hip joint would sometimes feel very stiff or as if it was swollen; at other times it would feel as though I had a pinched nerve; it was too uncomfortable to sleep on my left side. In 2022, I had the good fortune of being referred to Prof Griffin. After so many experiences of unsuccessful treatment, I admit that I was sceptical when he told me within my first 30-minute consultation that he was pretty sure he knew what was causing my pain. Three months later, with confirmation of Prof Griffin's diagnosis of synovial chondromatosis, I was admitted to the Harley St Specialist Hospital for a hip arthroscopy. The whole process from start to finish was outstanding. Within an hour of coming out of the anaesthetic I left the hospital on crutches. Within three weeks I was driving and back at work. Six months on, I am still doing physio (no surprise after 15 years of restricted movement) but am as close to my 'old self' as I could be. I am absolutely delighted with the outcome and have no reservation about recommending Prof Griffin to anyone with hip pain. I am so grateful to have 'found' him and it is no exaggeration to say that his care has changed my life for the better.

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Written by a private patient at The Harley Street Specialist Hospital

From my first consultation, Professor Griffin put me at complete ease and made the decision of having surgery very easy. Having a full hip replacement as a very active 40year old came with many questions and worries, all of which were answered sensitively and thoroughly. The experience I had at The New Foscote Hospital was truly fantastic. The level of care throughout my stay was second to none. I was beyond impressed at how smoothly everything went and my recovery post surgery was incredible. I have made a very quick and full return to coaching in a gym, competing as an athlete and have found my love of running again. This was a life changing and highly positive experience.

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Written by a private patient at The Harley Street Specialist Hospital

I am a 22-year-old student from Solihull. I have always been active throughout my life through sports and clubs when I was younger. In 2016 I noticed a clicking in my right hip when I walked or when I straightened my leg after it being crossed for a period. We thought this may have been brought on by a fall I had in 2015. I went to the Doctors, and they proposed 6 weeks of physiotherapy and said that should resolve the issue. This did resolve the clicking, but only for a short period of time, the clicking then returned. After it returned, I went to the doctor again. This time I was referred to have an x-ray. The x-ray diagnosis was: 1) Bilateral hip dysplasia 2) Labral tear left hip After the x-ray, I was given further physiotherapy at Solihull Hospital. Whilst only walking short distances this physiotherapy resolved the issue. I moved to Derby to attend university and the increased walking that came with this caused the clicking. I could not walk for further than 20 minutes without being in a lot of pain in my right hip. It also affected my sleep and my ability to get on with daily activities. I went to the Doctors in Derby, and they referred me to another physiotherapist. This physio then referred me to Professor Griffin as she saw that despite becoming physically stronger in my glutes and legs as a result of the activities she was giving me the pain was not going away. Due to my previous experiences of having no solutions to the clicking, I was nervous and skeptical of Professor Griffin resolving my issue. He started with a consultation where he got to know me personally and how active I am. He explained to me carefully a step-by-step plan of tests that would be undertaken to investigate what was wrong with my hip. It started with an x-ray and MRI scan. I then had another appointment with Professor Griffin where he discussed the results of my MRI scan and x-ray. He carefully explained the results making sure that both my mother and I understood it and knew what would need to be done next. Even when I was at university, he allowed my Mum to join the video consultations to also make notes as he knew that at times, I found the process quite overwhelming. This was followed by further tests to ensure that the proposed surgery was the best option for me. I saw Professor Griffin in Banbury. As well as this I had a CT scan to confirm the results from the previous procedure. By doing this he confirmed that surgery was the best solution to my issue as these tests had shown that other procedures would not resolve my hip problem. Professor Griffin again thoroughly discussed the results with my mother and I and of what would be involved in the operation and the recovery after. On the day of my operation, he came and calmly explained the procedure to me before carrying it out. The scarring I have post-procedure is very minimal and I am pleased to say that I am almost fully recovered 5 months on. I can walk all day without pain and intend to start many of my old sports again. Throughout the whole process from the initial consultation to my final post-operation consultation Professor Griffin was very calming and thorough. I would highly recommend him to any young person who is having issues with their hip, especially if surgery is involved.

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