FRIDAY, 19 MAY, 2023

Photographs and video attached: 1 – Mr Stephen Dalgleish with Jon after his procedure, 2 – Jon with the surgical team, 3 – Jon tackling the stairs following his operation, 4 – video of Jon walking in the ward

Stracathro patient back on his feet and home hours after knee replacement

The surgical team at Stracathro Hospital has carried out its first knee replacement as a day case procedure, with the patient walking out of hospital just hours after their operation.

Jon Ragan, age 62 from Dundee, was admitted to the surgical unit at Stracathro for a right total knee replacement last week. Most people having this operation would spend several days in hospital, but for some patients it is possible to have the procedure safely and effectively and be discharged home all in a single day.

NHS Tayside’s orthopaedic department introduced a new enhanced recovery approach to allow same-day discharge for hip replacement surgery in November 2021, and a similar approach was then developed for knee replacement. Jon is the first patient to have a day case knee replacement at Stracathro following a successful trial at Ninewells last year.

Jon said, “I have suffered from arthritis for many years and this is my second knee replacement this year. I had the first procedure done 10 weeks ago at Perth Royal Infirmary which went well and I was able to be discharged the following day. However, I had to be pushed around for a couple of weeks before I was back on my feet.

“This time I went in at 9am and was out by 6pm the same day, just in time for tea! The recovery has been much quicker and I’ve been getting about great on my crutches. I was walking in the hospital and able to go out shopping after just two days. The nurses were great with me in both PRI and Stracathro, they couldn’t do enough for me, but it’s good to be in the comfort of your own home to relax, recover and watch a bit of football.

“My first operation was a bit of a shock to the system and I really relied on my wife to help me for the first few weeks. With the second operation I knew what to expect so I was less anxious about it, and I’ve been up and about so much sooner.

“I’m feeling great and can’t wait to get back on the golf course soon. I honestly couldn’t say enough good things about Stephen and the whole team who looked after me so well. It’s shown me that there’s more to life than being in pain and I’m looking forward to the future.”

This first day case knee replacement was performed by Mr Stephen Dalgleish, consultant orthopaedic surgeon and clinical director of the orthopaedic department.

Mr Dalgleish carries out knee replacements without tourniquet around the thigh, which used to be applied routinely during surgery, and this has been shown to reduce post-operative pain, help the patient’s range of movement and speed up functional recovery. Performing knee replacement without a tourniquet, along with advances in anaesthetic technique such as specific nerve blocks and local anaesthetic infiltrations around the knee during the operation, means that patients can experience better pain management and can recover more quickly.

It is also hoped these new pathways will allow more patients to have surgery in a timely manner as the reduced time spent in hospital can help free up beds and staff to carry out more procedures.

Mr Dalgleish said “Credit is due to the hard work of the multiple teams involved in a patient’s journey, who have helped develop these pathways and make it a reality. I am absolutely delighted that Jon is making great progress with his recovery. Hopefully, some of this work will allow us to help more people on the orthopaedic waiting list, as we continue to remobilise our services from the COVID pandemic.”

Contact:

Louise Wilson

NHS Tayside Communications

(01382) 740718