Hip and knee replacements - NHS consultant / registrar question

Bryony

I'm wondering how many of you were actually seen by your consultant surgeon before you had your hip or knee replacement on the NHS, or were you seen only by registrars, and didn't see him/her until the actual operation?

Fran54

@Bryony

I was seen by my consultant surgeon who diagnosed me as having degenerative Osteoarthritis in both my hips ( originally thought it was my knee as that was where I had all the pain ). He advised me to have my right hip done first and said there was a 3 month waiting list.

On the day of the operation I saw him again before the op. I have not seen him since, when I had various check ups. I am due to see him hopefully, on the 4th April to discuss the way forward for having the other hip replaced.

Hope this helps.🙂

Bryony

Thanks for your reply.

alwayssewing

I have seen my consultant surgeon every time for both my THR's but it was at a private hospital paid for by NHS. I was able to choose which hospital right at the beginning. I have also had telephone consultations with him to discuss ex-rays and the way forward .

Bryony

Thanks. I think at private hospitals (that are also NHS contractors) they don't use registrars, so I think they are the better option.

Unfortunately the hospitals I was offered all featured the same consultant surgeons, of whom only one does partial knee replacements, so my chances of having that were very limited, even though I was very likely suitable. I had to go slightly out of area to where there are a number trained in PKR but I had no control over that, as the e-referral system wasn't available. I couldn't make an appointment with a specific surgeon, we just get allocated the first appointment available, with whoever it is. I had my first appointment cancelled 5 times by them, and allocated a different surgeon 4 out of those 5 times.

At that NHS hospital I was only seen by registrars, the first of whom was a complete rookie and a total waste of time. In the end, after 2 years wait felt I had to go elsewhere as although I'd not been seen by the consultant surgeon, I'd learnt enough about him to have zero trust in him. I also feared he'd let loose the rookie registrar on my knee surgery. Decided to cut my losses and restart the whole process elsewhere.

To get back some sort of control, I decided which consultant surgeon I wanted to see, by looking up on the National Joint Registry, which hospitals he worked, and then booked privately the first appointment, and then asked to go on his NHS list at that same private hospital. Well worth the £175. Got to see him within a week. Now on the waiting list which is 6-9 months. But I finally feel confident I'll get a competently performed surgery.

That is what I'd advise people to do. Choose your surgeon, book the first appointment privately (at a hospital that also is contracted to do NHS surgery) then ask to be put on their NHS waiting list at the private hospital. I wish I had known that 2 years ago. I'd have had two new knees more than a year ago, had I done that.

The consultant did express surprise that the surgeon at my first hospital hadn't made the effort to at least introduce himself, which is what made me wonder what the norm is.

cocoa

@bryony , that’s a good idea wish I’d known could choose which surgeon . I attend a private hosp thru the nhs have been waiting a year and have seen the consultant once who just saud he would do the op if I wanted it doing ! Needless to say I went in his list had the pre assessments this week and am diwn fir thr on 9 July .was told can only choose which anaesthetic on the day of the op . Bit worried about that . Also extra blood test two days befire surgery

Cocoa

Bryony

Good to hear you will be having your operation very soon now!

Moira

You have had quite a journey.

Registrars are highly qualified doctors who specialise. With my knee surgery (NHS) I saw the Specialist for the first appointment, the next I saw the Resistrar, who was lovely, as was the nurse who gave me the pre-op. In the op itself there will be the consultant aided by registrars and theatre nurses (all highly trained and all with specific jobs in the theatre). After the op a regusrtar came to see how I was on teh wards, as the team were still in the operating theatre with other patients.

There is a shortage of orthopaedic surgeons in Britain. Hense the long waiting lists. We can't always demand who we would like on NHS. That;s not how a free service works.

Many surgeons also work privately but the op will cost you much more than the initial consultant fee, as will the hospital stay and physio in the private hospital. It is unusaul to skip the queue by starting privately with an intial fee and then jumping the queue into the NHS. Check that one out. If you are done in a private hospital you will have to pay; as my husband did for his eye surgery - even althogh the specialist also practiced on the NHS. Because he was seen in the private hospital and not in the local NHS, he had to pay for the op and his stay.

My recent wrist op I have had the NHS surgeon on each appointment. But I had to wait 2 years. But with the NHS I didn't have to pay for the op nor the Hand Clinic appointments afterwards. He thought that he could do the op by local but on the day of the op I had to have a general because of changes in my wrist and blood count on teh day. There are often medical reasons why they have to wait for the day if there is a choice of aneaestic.

Hope it all works out for you.

Moira