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21.07.2021 09:15

"A fall on the golf course kept me off the green, but Mr Trikha got me back on my feet again."

Brenda lives an active lifestyle, but after a fall on a golf course led to severe knee pain, she had to limit her activities. She decided to to use her health insurance to get to the bottom of her pain as quickly as possible and saw Mr Paul Trikha, an expert in knee conditions. While her diagnosis was worse than she initially thought, Mr Trikha was able to ease any concerns and Brenda shares her positive experience following Total Knee Replacement surgery.

I believe as you get older, it's really important to make the effort to keep active. Easier said than done perhaps, but I think that the trick is to find hobbies that you love. For me, it's cycling and golf. I just love being outside, especially if it means spending time with like minded friends.

However, what do they say about good intentions? In early December 2020, I was playing a round of golf at my local course, tripped on some tree roots and fell quite awkwardly. My knee hurt for quite a while after and when I tried to play golf again but it hurt too much to bear. 

I contacted my doctor who referred me to a Physiotherapist. They suspected I had torn my meniscus, which in my limited experience, I knew to be quite a nasty injury. The physio recommended that I have an MRI, but having not heard anything for four weeks after the referral was made, I decided to use my health insurance. My insurer gave me names of Consultants I could see and I researched them all quite thoroughly. I kept coming back to Mr Paul Trikha at Schoen Clinic London as he is a Consultant Knee Specialist with extensive experience. 

I went to see Paul and found him to be a wonderful individual. He is open and honest which is exactly what I wanted. He used layman's terms with me and was totally open to discussion at all times. 

He recommended that I have an MRI scan on my knee to see exactly what the damage was. I returned to him later to discuss the scans and he said that unfortunately, I'd need a total knee replacement, sooner rather than later. This was not the news I was hoping for. 

I stalled making a decision and after some discussion with Paul, he gave me a steroid injection, which may be useful as the scan showed that I had extensive arthritis as well as a torn meniscus. He also removed the build-up of fluid from my knee. Neither the steroid injection nor fluid removal made a lot of difference though. 

I saw a physio to help me build up the muscles that supported my knee. We did quite a lot of work over several weeks but despite this, we shared the view that I'd need to go back to Paul and tell him that physio wasn't making a difference. My injury and arthritis were just too severe. 

So, I decided it was time to sort this out definitively and go for the surgery. We agreed on a date in June and I felt much more relaxed in the knowledge that arrangements had been made. I have to say, the organisation at the hospital is excellent and I didn't need to worry about a thing when it came to scheduling the surgery. One less thing to worry about! 

Prior to surgery, the Anaesthetist called me to talk through my analgesia options during surgery. Having suffered problems in the past with general anaesthesia, we decided on spinal anaesthesia and gentle sedation, which meant I would feel nothing and sleep throughout. I was very grateful to have this conversation prior to my coming into the hospital and I felt fully informed throughout. 

As I lay in the theatre side room, the Anaesthetist asked me where I'd like to go on holiday. I started telling him about Hawaii as I drifted off into a deep sleep. It was a complete joy compared to previous experiences. 

I woke up feeling relieved it was done and dusted and was handed over to the care of the wonderful nurses. Throughout the whole experience, I couldn't fault a single part – not a person, not a procedure. Everything was seamless from start to finish, which is just wonderful when you are undergoing fairly hefty surgery. The aftercare team were outstanding; they explained everything fully and were so full of compassion. In fact, it was my birthday two days after surgery and eight members of the nursing team brought in a cake and sang happy birthday to me! An act of kindness I would never have expected. 

Recovery from the operation was exactly as Paul said it would be. I felt some pain, but I was given pain relief to manage it. I started the exercises that the hospital physio designed for me and took this part very seriously, knowing full well that this would be key to a successful recovery. 

From start to finish, everything has been terrific. Due to the excellent treatment from Paul, coupled with quality Physiotherapists and a good dose of my own dedication thrown in, I have every confidence that I will make a full recovery, and will be back on the golf course by the end of the summer.

- Brenda

Gill was treated by Mr Paul Trikha, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon (Knee) at Schoen Clinic Orthopaedic and Spinal Hospital London. Use your private medical insurance or self-fund your treatment with convenient payment plans.