Skiing with Birmingham Hip Resurfacings and Birmingham Knee Replacement

Published on Apr 23, 2013

Giles Village had a Birmingham Knee Replacement to add to his previous bilateral Birmingham Hip Resurfacings, all performed by Mr McMinn. Giles was back in action to enjoy the skiing season.

To read Giles’ personal blog, please visit our website here: http://www.mcminncentre.co.uk/blog/?p…

Solicitor Giles story from surgery to slopes in six months…
Having already had bilateral BHRs I could ski and cycle but then I started getting some knee pain. It was when I couldn’t walk round a golf course that I decided to do something about it and I went to see Mr McMinn…again!

Skiing is my sport and my intention was to add a Total Knee Replacement, to my shiny metal hips, in July so that I could get back to skiing for the new season that winter!

I was operated on 31st July and all went well. By the afternoon I was lively and relatively pain free and able to flex my new joint. Wait till they take the epidural out everybody warned. And the next day it hurt. I managed to flex 90 degrees (almost) on day 1. I realized immediately that co-codamol made me feel awful. I was able to keep going on paracetamol and ibuprofen. The Olympics were on which proved to be ideal for the bed ridden great entertainment 0630 to 2330 and an athletic example to emulate.

After seven days I was able to travel to the Alps to recover and recuperate. After a further seven days I was lifted into Lake Geneva for the most refreshing swim ever and thereafter it was a daily swim in the pool or lake. Three weeks post operatively I was able to cycle gently. The routine September to December was physio, regular cycling and cross training, the elastic band by the office chair for the quad exercises.

We decided to test the new knee for the first weekend of the ski season and it worked.
Since then I have skied a lot during the winter. I have grown in strength and confidence and am now managing powder and bumps which I have struggled with in recent years due to the knee pain. Below you will see a video of me just six months after my Birmingham Knee Replacement surgery by Derek McMinn

I would like to thank Mr McMinn, Chandra, Joseph and the nursing and physio staff for their great skill and care. I did not think I would get to where I am now!

For more information on Derek McMinn, the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing and the Birmingham Knee Replacement please visit http://www.mcminncentre.co.uk/