In January 2018, I underwent a Tibial Osteotomy operation as I had been suffering from the onset of arthritis on my right knee and needed an alternative to a knee replacement operation.
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nothing like a good slip on the sidewalk !
In October 2019, I took the family to San Francisco for a 5 day break. Flying non-stop from Heathrow was great as the flight left the UK early and arriving in the USA at 1pm, this meant we still had a full day; however American immigration had other ideas as we queued for over 2 hours to go through passport control.
The holiday was going well, I was walking freely and pain free and I did forget about my operation earlier in the year until day 2 when we were walking to a breakfast diner and slipped on the pavement. As I walked over damp metal grating, I lost my footing. All I remember was trying to retain my balance as much as I could so that I don’t look like a complete lemon as I hit the deck.
I hit the ground with my right knee (my operated leg) and boy did I feel it. The kids and Loiza helped me up; I didn’t want to make a fuss.
As we sat in the diner, my knee began to throb and by the afternoon, I had to switch out from the trousers I was wearing and into a pair of shorts. My knee was aching and the swelling around the knee was excessive.
I didn’t take a photo of my own knee but the image below sums it up..
Sums up the size of my knee!
I felt annoyed and sorry for myself (stupid, I know). I am seriously doubting if my health can ever be 100% again if a simple fall can set you back.
I ended up buying a knee brace from CVS to help me walk (and cycle over the San Francisco Bridge) and taking Naproxin to reduce the swelling. 4 days on and the swelling and pain is under control.
Doubt is now creeping in about my recovery – thinking I am back to normal to soon.
On a side note, I did manage to walk up to the Coit Tower to take this amazing picture of the bay bridge.
In January 2018, I underwent a Tibial Osteotomy operation at the One Hatfield Hospital in the UK. I had been suffering from the onset of arthritis on my right knee and needed a solution that would avoid a knee replacement operation and get my life back to some level of normality.
If you enjoyed reading my blog entry, don’t forget to like, follow, share and comment!
Was having the Tibial Osteotomy worth it?
No doubt there have been some days recently where I have been questioning myself on the same point. I have started to feel some of the pre-operation pain from time to time in the last few months. As I had the metal plated removed 6 months ago, there is still some pain and swelling as the bone re-grows- I may confusing this pain with what I experienced a few years ago. I need to see in another 6 months.
The Osteotomy is not a miracle cure: rather it has halted the arthritis and its pain giving the patient many aspects of an active lifestyle back.
The inevitable action of a knee replacement is just deferred and on that point I would say yes, it has been worth it.
What would have happened if you didn’t have the operation?
It would have been expensive physio sessions and Cortisone steroid injections while I wait for a knee replacement (partial or full). I am still in my 40’s so what happens after 15 years ? Knee replacements are meant to last between 15-20 years right?
What changes have you noticed?
My leg is a lot straighter than it was before. I am more active now and travelling is back on the agenda.
I am losing weight but its not fast enough. I guess I am more cautious in not pushing myself too much and I need to rest up more.
What lifestyle changes have you made since the operation 1.5 years on?
Eating a healthier diet and trying to lose weight.
Keeping to the physio strength exercises as a regular routine
Building strength and stamina around the knee (I never did this before and has made a big difference)
Knowing my limits and resting more
Would you have the same operation on the other knee?
I am experiencing pain in my left knee but it is not as painful as my right knee. I am 50/50 at the moment as the operation/ recovery time/ adjusting to work is not easy and takes a lot out of a person. Maybe a question to ask next year.
If you have any questions, drop me a question in the comments boxand I will be happy to share my experiences with you.
In January 2018, I underwent a Tibial Osteotomy operation at the One Hatfield Hospital in the UK. I had been suffering from the onset of arthritis on my right knee and needed a solution that would avoid a knee replacement operation and get my life back to some level of normality.
If you enjoyed reading my blog entry, don’t forget to like, follow, share and comment!
Its been a while since I last blogged an update as my daughter guest blogged about our family trip to Mexico; she is writing another post and will appear once she is done.
OK, so my last post ended with me returning home after the removal of the metal plates that was conducted by Mr Minhal Chatoo at the One Hatfield Hospital in March 2019 (earlier this year).
Whilst at home I realized that I get a very bad reaction to Codiene so had to stop taking that pain killer; rather stayed on the Ibuprofen and paracetamol.
Lets focus on the recovery points..
2 Days after operation
The swelling had reduced. Pain killers were working and I was able to move around slowly on crutches. The arrow was drawn on my leg by the surgeon (so he doesn’t carve open the wrong leg).
2 Weeks after operation
Mobility was better as I was using the crutches on occasion and visited the gym to do light cycle work. I wanted to build up stamina. It did help that prior to this operation that I had continued doing the exercises given to me by my physio as well as the work done in the gym. This way I was moving and recovering much faster than the previous year.
3 weeks after the operation
So a close up of the scar and I am pleased with the outcome. No infection but just the pain expected from further bone healing after the removal of the plates and screws.
In my next blog I will return to a Q & A post sharing questions I was asked by friends and family.
If you are about to go into surgery or at home in recovery mode, why not shoot me a few questions?
In January 2018, I underwent a Tibial Osteotomy operation at the One Hatfield Hospital in the UK. I had been suffering from the onset of arthritis on my right knee and needed a solution that would avoid a knee replacement operation and get my life back to some level of normality.
If you enjoyed reading my blog entry, don’t forget to like, follow, share and comment!
Returning in 2019 to remove the metalwork
The osteotomy had given me a lot of improvement. The physio work and muscle built around my knees in the gym has given me 90% of my life back. The knee issue hasn’t gone away but I feel so much stronger, some pain does remain but this differs from day to day – that’s just the ageing process!
RHS shows healed bone
As the metalwork in my leg did irritate me from time to time, I took my surgeons advice and booked myself in to have the metalwork removed on 27th March 2019. Mr Minhal Chatoo would be my surgeon again. He was brilliant.
The metal work extraction procedure would be a day case. The procedure would take up to 1 hour to remove the screws and plates. Due to the nature of the operation, I would be under general anesthetic, meaning the time in the operating theatre increases to allow for the time to recover as well.
Upon arrival and being allocated a room at the hospital, one of the nurses came in and read my BP, went through standard paper work, handed over a gown, pants and socks – I’m not sharing any pictures of that!
Shortly after, the anesthetist came round as well and confirmed that Mr Chatoo would be operating on me as the first patient of his day.
Mr Chatoo came in to mark my leg before the operation and we had a light hearted conversation. He mentioned the operation is very quick and low risk so was happy to proceed.
Once he left, I was taken downstairs to the operating theatre. As I walked down someone talked me through the procedure again and kept me assured.
Once I was asked to lay down on the bed, I was connected to the ECG and given the anethestic. In seconds, I was out.
Coming round after the operation
I felt groggy after the operation. It was about 10:20 am as I noticed the clock. They showed me the metalwork that was removed from my leg – 2 pins 4 inches long, 3 screws 3 inches long and 6 other smaller screws. They told me I was unable to keep the screws due to protocol; though I wish I could have kept them as a souvenir…
The pain was unbearable and the nurses gave me strong pain killers. 20mins later, it still felt bad so they gave me more – but I think it was codeine.
Shortly after I was taken back upstairs to my room and Loiza was sat waiting.
I remember falling in and out of sleep and still in pain. To me, this felt much more painful than the osteotomy last year.
It took a while for me to eat lunch (soup and a sandwich), just the tiredness from the drugs and the pain.
I remember the Physio “Saul” visit . He got me out of the bed and made me go for a walk. We made it to a stairwell and then down a flight of stairs. He did say the pain will be high but I will need to get moving sooner. The recovery period would be :
Next 2 days full rest and some movement
Use crutches for a few days after that
Walk without crutches thereafter
Keep moving and apply icepacks if there is swelling
The recovery period was a lot shorter but I kept in mind that there was a deep cut, stitches and several holes in my tibia that would take time to recover.
I was able to walk however I was very tired due to the drugs. I made it back to the room and then met Mr Chatoo again. I remember him telling me that he placed “wax plugs in the screw holes!” to reduce the bleeding from the bone.
Mr Chatoo also said the operation was uneventful- this is good news.
I rested again and of course, fell asleep. When I came round again I was still in pain and was given more painkillers.
The nurse mentioned that I could be discharged once Mr Chatoo comes round at about 5 pm. The discharge was quick and easy and everything was set for me to go home.
I was wheelchaired to the car – We drove home in my Audi. The ride was great as I was glad to be going home.
When I got home, we took the picture below.
I was exhausted. I slept in Aroon’s room and was out as soon as I hit the pillow. I know I woke up in the middle night and Loiza had to help me to go to the restroom – it was still to early and I was unsteady on my feet – the drugs were not helping and as it transpired I had a bad reaction to the codeine.
Just a short Blog this week. As per last week I wanted to share single point of view on the positive impact of the Tibial Osteotomy can have. The image below was taken from the One Hatfield Hospital’s monthly publication.
You can see in the left hand image the surgical requirements Mr Minhal Chatoo orchestrated pre-operation. On the right hand side you can clearly see the surgical correction.
Accuracy of the surgery has to be at 95-98%. For all the planning it really is up to the expertise and training of the surgeon. I cannot recommend Mr Chatoo enough. There are a number of experts like him in the UK and worth looking into this type of operation as it saves on having a knee replacement operation.
In January 2018, I underwent a Tibial Osteotomy at the One Hatfield Hospital in the UK. I had been suffering from the onset of arthritis on my right knee and needed a solution that would avoid a knee replacement operation and get my life back to some level of normality.
In December 2018, I was thinking more seriously about going back into hospital to have my plates removed. In the last couple of months I was experiencing more irritation caused by the metal plates in my leg. My surgeon did mention this could happen when during my last consultation. I spent a lot of time thinking the knee pain returned, but simple self investigation by pressing on the affected area, it was clearly in the region of where the metal plates were located. The pain would appear in the following ways:
Swelling beneath the knee area – The remedy was to use ice packs to reduce the swelling.
Itchiness beneath the skin- not much I can do other than trying not to scratch the scar area.
In retrospect I didn’t really feel 100% fully recovered and did experience stiffness and pain in the knee area that was brought on by the following :
Tiredness caused by lack of sleep
Stiffness when sat in the same position in a chair in the office
Excessive exercise such as treadmill running.
Leg pain for standing up too long.
The remedy really was to take painkillers to reduce the swelling and of course, to rest. In conclusion I saw myself as 70% recovered – still much better than what I was like before the operation. I found my picture below from our family trip to Athens, Greece where I raced my wife on the ancient Olympic track. Who would have thought that Will I run again!
Just the action shot of me running . Ok Loiza beats me at the end
Clearly I can run again!
My thoughts on returning to the hospital were something else….it would be my 3rd operation in 3 years – I was fed up with going into hospital and then taking time out (a good few months) to rehabilitate thereafter. I am softy at the end of the day!
A lot of points to consider…..
Loiza felt I should go ahead with the plate removal. Due to my private health insurance, I would be able to go back to the same private hospital (the OneHatfield) and have the operation done on a day that is convenient for me. It would be silly if I did not do do this.
Well thats it for now….I need to find a simple view/photo of my Tibial Osteotomy showing pre-operation planning and the affects of the surgery. As soon as I find it, I will post it.
In January 2018, I underwent a Tibial Osteotomy at the One Hatfield Hospital in the UK. I had been suffering from the onset of arthritis on my right knee and needed a solution that would avoid a knee replacement operation and get my life back to some level of normality.
So our family holiday in August 2018 was amazing, we ate, shopped and visited many attractions around the Chicago lakeside area. Going for a bike ride on the lakeside was my favourite experience.
We were lucky that our hotel had an indoor basketball court ( well, Chicago is home of the Bulls) so I was really able to test out the progress of my recovery and it was a success! I was able to play 1on1 with my son – run, jump, turn and shoot and it felt great!. We were in Chicago for 10 days and we played every other day. It had been over 2 years since I was able to engage in a physical sport in that manner, so this was a massive achievement for me.
In terms of strength building I was able to spend longer in the gym and I felt stronger than possibly 2 years ago. I was making a real effort to lose weight and to change my diet. Over the summer I did notice that if I drink alcohol, I do felt aches and pains the day after – so the message here is to drink sensibly ! 🙂
As the UK weather in autumn/ early winter changes to being colder and damp, I noticed the metal work causing me pain in the areas where the plates and screws were.
Sometimes there was swelling in the area and soreness around the scar but taking ibuprofen eased the pain.
Oh and in October, we decided to have a short holiday in Athens, Greece. Strong recommendation from me and the family!
To get to the Acropolis you negotiate a steep climb and in places, over uneven surfaces. Great fun!
In January 2018, I underwent a Tibial Osteotomy at the One Hatfield Hospital in the UK. I had been suffering from the onset of arthritis on my right knee and needed a solution that would avoid a knee replacement operation and get my life back to some level of normality.
I did get the chance to visit Chicago in the summer. Perfect weather!
By June 2018, I was signed off my Physio. He felt I made good enough progress to get my life back to a normal state and gave me some tough exercises to continue with. This was coupled with my surgeons recommendation to return on the 12 month operation anniversary (Jan 2019) to have the metal plates removed. This is a big deal as it means the cycle of pain in the knee could be reaching its end point. A weird part of me wanted to keep the metalwork in my leg as its a great conversation opener or filler (“I have a bionic leg”) however I was experiencing the odd skin irritation or swelling where the plates were located. Mr Chatoo (Surgeon) did mention a number of patients having the same experience. I set my mind to return in January for the final operation.
The gym workouts were going well. I was able to run 5k on the treadmill, lift and pull leg weights that was a clear improvement to pre-operation. I kept to a routine of fitness as well as cutting down on my alcohol intake and losing as much weight as possible, through healthier eating.
In July, I had to take time out from work to help my parents. My dad went into hospital to undergo a Quadruple Heart Bypass operation.
My dad is doing well 12 months on but it was a very tough time for my immediate family. Thank you to the NHS!
At the end of August and as a family, we decided to spend our 10 day summer vacation in Chicago, Illinois. For a Brit living under the cloud of Brexit some destinations were becoming very expensive and we felt that Chicago was a great location and is excellent value for money. Also we booked at the last minute and found a great value deal.
I felt much more confident in travelling and doing more outdoor activities; a real turning point as I felt my confidence was coming back.
Yes, there are some great beaches on the lakeshore. Fresh water also!
In January 2018, I underwent a Tibial Osteotomy at the One Hatfield Hospital in the UK. I had been suffering from the onset of arthritis on my right knee and needed a solution that would avoid a knee replacement operation and get my life back to some level of normality.
So in late April 2018, I went on an overseas business trip to Detroit, Michigan and stopped over at Chicago on both legs of the journey. I would strongly advise to call your airline to explain your condition and request assistance – it takes a lot of stress out of the travel.
After my surgery, I had booked 12 physio sessions with the One Hatfield hospital (https://www.onehealthcare.co.uk/hatfield/) and had completed 10 of the sessions; I tried to keep to a visit every 2 weeks and the physio ensured he pushed me hard with challenging exercises. Here are a few that I still do today:
Bosu Ball – hop on and hop off on both legs
Strengthen calf muscles – slow raises holding a weight dumbell. Alternate on both legs
Strengthen hamstring with leg raises and using resistance from a large (elastic) band
Lunge exercises
On the treadmill, jog – I am now getting to 5km
Cycling
All leg weight training in the gym.
It is fantastic that I am exercising a lot more. It helped with the swelling being reduced (not using icepacks as much), stamina and my mental health.
May 2nd 2018 marked the 6 month review with my surgeon Mr Minhal Chatoo. I was booked in to have an x-ray prior to my consultation.
He had received feedback from my physio and so he knew I had been pushing myself. He then took me through some strength tests and was pleased. He then shared the X-ray results (below)
He explained the bone healing was progressing as planned and filling out correctly. He also mentioned the correction was 97% accurate to his planning.
Within the blue circle you can see the faint grey – bone growth.
I shared the following concerns I had over the last 6 months:
Swelling does flare up from time to time . RESPONSE – the bone is still healing, it will when tiredness sets in.
Feeling pain that feels similar to that prior to the operation. RESPONSE – irritation can be caused by the metalwork and that can swell, so the pain is really where the metal is located on the leg.
I had lost sensation from the front of my leg (shin). RESPONSE – the operation is intrusive and some nerves are affected. He recommended I keep track but no action to be taken as it was not affecting my day to day life. Nerve endings need time to heal, so the sensations may eventually come back.
He recommended I should not hold back and get back to full activity (other than playing football and hard surface running) BUT also to lose as much weight as possible, At 6ft tall, I was 110 kg and had dropped to 105 kg – he recommended to get to 96 kg for body longevity.
My surgeon then recommended the following :
book in for a 12 month review
plan for the removal of the metal plates as a ‘day case’
In January 2018, I underwent a Tibial Osteotomy at the One Hatfield Hospital in the UK. I had been suffering from the onset of arthritis on my right knee and needed a solution that would avoid a knee replacement operation and get my life back to some level of normality.
In April 2018 I traveled on business from London, UK to Detroit, USA – a journey with 2 connecting flights and over 15 hours of combined travel time.
I do like the F250 type truck, this one will do also!
In my previous blog, I forgot to mention that I continued taking pain killers such as standard Ibuprofen, Paracetamol (when needed) and calcium tablets. The purpose was to manage the pain; after 3.5 months, the swelling and pain was still prevalent, advice from the Physio was to take the tablets when needed; pain management is key, you cannot be a hero as the healing process is still ongoing.
So on the flight over, I did not sleep, I kept moving on the aircraft. I decided to work on my laptop standing up and it really worked. When I landed in Chicago (1st stop) I was able to walk OK and the swelling was not bad. I did get some assistance from ground staff, which was great. At my next check in for my flight to Chicago, I boarded first, placed my crutch in the compartment above my seat and rested up. The rest of the journey from the Airport to the hotel was uneventful.
As soon as I did get to my hotel room (around 2pm), I crashed for a few hours and then drank a lot of water. Again, no pain!
A fancy head, in a restaurant!
As I adjusted to the timezone and to the extended work day, pain management and rest was key. The key thing was not to slack off but to keep to the routine to date. I was also conscious of not acting like I was a special needs case – If I needed to use the crutch I would otherwise I would try to walk and ensure my posture was correct. Its so easy to get back pains, impact the good knee or develop hip joint pains; a symptom of overcompensating.
I have seen this building in a movie shot in Detroit, the city is changing by the way; more gentrified
Will I Run Again 