Hip replacement surgery: Firefighter Mark’s story

Meet Mark Steggles from Dorset

Mark Steggles is a highly fit and active 64-year-old on-call firefighter from Dorset. In the last ten years he has had two hip replacements at Bath Clinic, based on the edge of Bath. After falling off a horse years ago and injuring his right hip, Mark had his first successful hip replacement with orthopaedic consultant Mr Matthew Burwell. In recent years following his first hip replacement, Mark developed severe osteoarthritis in his left hip, which caused immense pain and stiffness. Mark was signed off work as a firefighter because he couldn't pass certain fitness tests required to stay active in duty.

"My job is very physical, and my hip was getting in the way of this - it was highly frustrating. I couldn't get through my fitness tests at work. One test involved walking on a treadmill that inclined by three degrees every two minutes, eventually reaching 15 degrees. I couldn't last a minute walking at a nine-degree incline without pain and stiffness, so my instructor had no choice but to fail me." - Mark

Mark's hip pain began to interfere significantly with his everyday life, preventing him from staying active in his job and outside of work, as well. Knowing the major benefits of hip replacement surgery from having it years prior, Mark decided to have a second hip replacement on his left hip to be able to get back to doing the things he loved.

Having his second hip replacement at Bath Clinic

Mark was already familiar with Bath Clinic and Mr Matthew Burwell (who he describes as 'absolutely brilliant'), from years before, so requested him again, after being so impressed with the outcome of his last surgery.

"I felt so lucky to have Matthew as my surgeon again. I cannot fault him and the team at Bath Clinic. They all make you feel so at ease and supported, which is so important. They let it be known that they know exactly what they're doing and that they're in control. I really couldn't praise them enough."

Mark went on to praise his anaesthetist, who injected his spine with anaesthetic to numb his body from the waist down. A hip replacement can be performed using either general anaesthesia, meaning you are not awake during the operation, or spinal anaesthetic. If you have spinal anaesthesia, you will be awake during the operation but numb from the waist down, so you won't feel anything - which was the case for Mark.

"Having spinal anaesthetic was great for me. I wasn't uncomfortable at all, and I could hear the operation happening around me, which I loved. My anaesthetist chatted to me to make sure I felt supported throughout, and it was amazing how quickly it all went. It was very smooth from start to finish."

Recovering from surgery at home

Mark was taken to recovery immediately after surgery, where he stayed for around an hour before being taken to a private room. He has nothing but positive things to say about the team of healthcare professionals who looked after him while he was in his private room recovering.

"They looked after me very well and I was very supported. My recovery room was pleasant, and the staff regularly checked in on me. I was shown how to use my walking frame when I felt ready to get out of bed and go to the toilet. The food was absolutely brilliant. My partner was with me, so the staff made her a cup of tea and brought her a sandwich as I was recovering - it's those little things that we really appreciated."

Back at home, Mark continues to follow specialist physiotherapy exercises. He no longer needs to walk with crutches or a walking frame, and he has no pain in his hip, which has dramatically improved his quality of life. He has a follow-up appointment with Mr Burwell soon to monitor how he's feeling.

"I already feel so much better. I've not needed many painkillers and my mobility is so much better. I would 100% recommend this surgery to someone with arthritis - you wouldn't believe how much it changes your life."

Your hip replacement at Bath Clinic

If you want to find out more about hip replacement surgery at Bath Clinic, call us or book online.