Knee replacement surgery in Harrow

At The Clementine Churchill Hospital, we treat people with knee pain living in Harrow, Wembley, Northold, and further afield. We also welcome people from outside of the UK. If you would like to discuss knee treatment with one of our dedicated consultants, you can book a private consultation at a time that is convenient to you, or call us to speak with a friendly member of our advisory team.

Important: Please note that many of the details on this page are specific to The Clementine Churchill Hospital in Harrow. If you live elsewhere in the UK, Circle Health Group has the UK’s largest network of private hospitals, offering fast access to expert care across the UK.

Knee replacement surgery and alternative treatments

When your knee joint is healthy, the bones inside your knee move freely against one another as the joint is used. This smooth movement is made possible by a lining of articular cartilage on the ends of the bone surfaces, which reduce friction.

Osteoarthritis, a type of arthritis, causes the articular cartilage to become worn and damaged, leading to increased friction in your joint as the bones move across one another. When damage is present, your knee will become stiff and painful to move. As the osteoarthritis progresses and the joint surfaces become increasingly worn and damaged, this pain and stiffness increases, making movement in your knee much more difficult.

A range of treatment options – both operative and non-operative – are available to help manage and reduce this pain and stiffness.

Non-operative treatments include:

• Pain relief medication
• Physiotherapy
• Gentle exercise like swimming
• Joint injections

These are often helpful in the earlier stages of osteoarthritis. Your consultant will ensure you receive the most suitable treatment for your needs at The Churchill Clementine Hospital.

Osteoarthritis develops over time, slowly causing more damage to your joint surfaces. As the joint becomes more extensively damaged, knee surgery will often be recommended as the only way to regain movement in your knee. By the time knee replacement surgery (or partial knee replacement surgery) is needed, a person will often have severe knee pain that is severely limiting their ability to move freely and safely.

Depending on which surfaces in your knee joint are damaged, you might need total knee replacement surgery or partial knee replacement surgery. In both cases, the surgery removes the damaged, worn surface(s) of the joint and replaces it with a smooth artificial surface.

Many people are experiencing knee pain in Harrow

Many people struggling with severe knee pain and stiffness will find themselves waiting many months, and even years in some cases, to have their knee replacement surgery.

According to Harrow council, as of 2019, the total population of Harrow was 251,200¹. This number is forecast to increase every year, with data suggesting that by 2041, 22% (59,400) of Harrow’s residents could be aged 65 or over². For comparison, this was 15.5% in 2018.

Because osteoarthritis in the knee is more common as we age, as the population increases in number and a higher proportion of those people are in an older age bracket, we expect to see an increase in the number of people requiring knee replacement surgery in Harrow.

All of this means that demand for knee replacement surgery in Harrow is likely to continue exceeding capacity for the foreseeable future. One of the main reasons people choose to have knee replacement surgery carried out privately with Circle Health Group is to access fast treatment without delays.

Here are just six of the many reasons people choose to have their private knee replacement surgery with us:

1. Superb facilities – As the largest private hospital in the local area, we offer fast access to modern diagnostic equipment, advanced surgical options like NAVIO robotics-assisted surgery, and extensive facilities. This means that the hospital is a safe and secure place to come for your treatment. We have a long track record of offering high quality knee replacement surgery for the local population in Harrow and the surrounding areas.
2. A streamlined process for you – We’re privileged to carry out a large number of knee replacement operations compared to other private hospitals. This has given us the opportunity to develop a well-rehearsed, smooth and efficient pathway for patients, from surgical preassessment to well-trained theatre staff and competent ward nursing care. You benefit from having exceptionally experienced staff at every point of your journey.
3. Expertise – We have around 15 leading orthopaedic surgeons working here on-site in Harrow who take pride in their outcomes and use the very latest techniques and advances to enhance patient care.
4. Rapid access - While exact waiting times for knee replacement surgery can vary, our streamlined process means you will be seen by a consultant as quickly as possible.
5. Choice - When you have your knee replacement surgery at The Clementine Churchill Hospital, you can choose the surgeon you want to perform your surgery. This may be a surgeon you have been recommended or one you know by reputation.
6. Enhanced recovery – We employ a strategy called Enhanced Recovery Rapid Mobilisation, providing physiotherapy on the ward to help promote faster recovery. Our well-trained team of experienced physiotherapists will help you throughout your recovery. We also offer a specialised wound review clinic and, of course, follow-up appointments with your consultant.  

Content reviewed by Circle in-house team in April 2022. Next review due April 2022.

₁   Harrow council, Population Estimates: https://www.harrow.gov.uk/council/population-estimates

^₂  Harrow council, Local Economic Assessment: https://www.harrow.gov.uk/downloads/file/27931/population