Answers to the questions patients ask Mr Edmondson most often. If your question is not here, please get in touch or book a consultation.
No referral is needed to book privately as a self-pay patient. If you are using private insurance, your insurer may ask for a referral, so it is worth checking with them first.
A new consultation is £250 and a follow-up appointment is £135. See the fees page for surgery package prices.
Patients are usually seen within a week, at Nuffield Health Haywards Heath or Spire Montefiore Hospital, Hove.
Cover depends on your policy and insurer. Many procedures are covered, and self-pay fixed price packages are available. The practice can help you check what your policy includes before you commit.
Surgery is offered when a condition is affecting your everyday activities because of pain or stiffness, as well as your ability to sleep, and when other treatments have failed to improve your symptoms.
A hip replacement has three parts: a socket component, usually made of metal with a hard-wearing plastic or ceramic liner; a stem placed into the thigh bone; and a new ball made of ceramic that moves smoothly within the socket. The stem is either cemented in place or press-fitted so that bone grows on to it. Mr Edmondson will recommend the best type of replacement for your condition.
A knee replacement resurfaces the worn ends of the thigh bone (femur) and shin bone (tibia), and usually the kneecap (patella), with durable metal and plastic components held to the bone with cement. Mr Edmondson will recommend the combination best suited to your knee.
Modern hip replacements are expected to work well for at least 20 years, and about 80% last for more than 30 years. Knee replacements should be expected to function well for up to around 20 years. Your age, weight and activity level all play a part.
Some clicking can be normal. The implant is made of metal and plastic, so it is not quite as tight a fit as your own joint. If clicking comes with pain or instability, have it checked.
Surgery is normally carried out under a regional (spinal) anaesthetic or a general anaesthetic. The choice is made with the anaesthetist after assessing your health.
A hip replacement usually takes around one to one and a half hours. A knee replacement usually takes around one to two hours.
A typical hospital stay is one to four nights. You go home once you are walking safely and your pain is controlled.
Complications after hip and knee replacement are rare. They include infection (less than 1%, usually treated effectively with antibiotics), deep vein thrombosis (less than 1%, reduced by blood-thinning injections, compression stockings and moving around early), dislocation (around 1% after hip replacement), fracture (around 1%), and serious nerve injury (extremely rare, less than 0.2%). Swelling, bruising and some stiffness are common in the early weeks and improve with time, exercise and physiotherapy. Over many years an implant can wear or loosen, and revision surgery may then be needed. Mr Edmondson will talk through the risks that apply to you.
You will be in hospital for one to four nights and will be shown how to walk using crutches, which you may need for up to six weeks. It is normal for the whole leg to swell and bruise, with swelling at its worst around a week after surgery. In most cases you should be able to return to light everyday activities within three to six weeks.
Most people are helped to walk by the physiotherapists the same day, once it is safe to do so, then build up with crutches.
Yes. You will be advised to arrange to see a physiotherapist so that you can follow a rehabilitation programme to help you return to fitness as soon as possible. Most people can bear weight on their leg soon after the operation and walk confidently without crutches within six weeks. Two walks a day of increasing distance are recommended, and an exercise bike can be used from two weeks. After a knee replacement, the first two weeks focus on reducing swelling and pain (ice helps) and improving the bend of the knee, aiming for 0 to 90 degrees. From two to six weeks, the focus is on increasing range of movement, building strength in the surrounding muscles and improving balance.
A good guide is if you are confident walking without crutches and can get into your car without help, which is usually around six weeks after surgery. The DVLA states that it is the responsibility of the driver to ensure they are always in control of the vehicle, and insurers usually suggest a six-week period off driving, so always check with your car insurance company first.
Depending on the kind of work you do, you may need up to six weeks off work. After a hip replacement, we normally recommend that you do not work at all for the first two weeks, gradually returning to normal after four to six weeks if your job mainly involves sitting down. After a knee replacement, we normally recommend no work for the first four weeks, gradually returning to normal after six weeks. Commuting during rush hour is not recommended for at least six weeks, and manual workers may need up to three months to return to normal.
In most cases, people who have hip or knee replacement surgery have much less pain and find everyday tasks far easier. Low impact sports such as tennis, swimming, golf, walking and cycling are usually fine as you recover, and an exercise bike can often be used from two weeks. Your joint keeps improving for up to a year after surgery, and sometimes longer in younger patients. It is important to discuss any concerns with Mr Edmondson and to have realistic expectations about what is possible.
Running is a high impact activity. To protect your replacement, high impact activities such as running, jumping, sprinting, squash, rugby, football, hockey and downhill skiing are best avoided. Mr Edmondson will give you advice tailored to your joint and your goals.
Flying, especially long haul, raises the risk of a blood clot in the early weeks. It is best to avoid long journeys soon after surgery and to discuss any travel plans with Mr Edmondson first.
Possibly. Hip and knee replacements may set off airport security detectors, but in most cases you will not need to go into great detail with security staff. Many people have had some type of surgery involving a metal device, and a brief explanation should be enough.
If you need a dental procedure, let your dentist know, as you may need antibiotics before your treatment to avoid any infection reaching your replacement.
Looking after your replacement will help protect and extend its life. Exercise to maintain mobility and strength, and keep your weight down. Avoid falls, as breaking a bone in your leg may mean further surgery. Avoid high impact activities. Deal promptly with any infection anywhere in the body, and keep your dentist informed.
Yes. Mr Edmondson uses two systems. MAKO, used at Spire Montefiore Hospital, Hove, is a CT-based system with a robotic arm. CORI, used at Nuffield Health Haywards Heath, is imageless, so no CT scan is needed, and the cuts are made with a robotic burr. He stays in control throughout. See the robotic knee replacement page.
The potential benefits include improved accuracy, greater bone conservation, better ligament balancing, alignment closer to your knee’s natural alignment, and reduced pain in the early stages of recovery.
Yes. Mr Edmondson also offers conventional, jig-based knee replacement, a proven and reliable technique. Whether robotic or conventional surgery suits you depends on your knee, your anatomy and the hospital.
It is a hip replacement carried out through a shorter incision that spares muscle where possible. The implant and the goal are the same, and it suits some patients rather than all. See mini hip replacement.
Age matters less than most people expect. Modern implants last a long time, and the decision is really about your activity, your anatomy and how much the hip affects your life. See hip replacement surgery for more on how the decision is made.
It depends on how much of the knee is worn. A partial replacement suits arthritis in one compartment and can mean a quicker recovery. A total replacement suits wider wear. See knee replacement surgery.
A painful replacement can usually be assessed and put right. Causes include wear, loosening and infection, and treatment ranges from monitoring to revision surgery. See revision hip surgery or revision knee replacement, depending on which joint is affected.
It can be. The sacroiliac joint is an under-diagnosed source of pain and is easily mistaken for hip or back pain. See sacroiliac joint pain.
