"Elective hip replacement June 2013"

Anything else?

From the initial consultation with the surgeon in February, through pre-assessment, admission and surgery - I cannot fault the standards of all staff and the hospital. As a former Staff Nurse in Theatres I was somewhat apprehensive, so particular praise to the anaesthetist who, made the surgical procedure almost painless! The ward staff were brilliant, but as a Mum with two youngish children at home, I was keen to get out the following day, especially as machines on another patient in the ward had beeped on and off for most of the night, and two-hourly nursing observations, meant I was desperate to sleep properly! I did my compulsory proof of ability [mainly walking up and down stairs] with the Physio, and was told at 2.50pm I could be discharged in about 40 minutes, which turned into over five and a half hours, my eldest daughter having to keep running out to feed the parking machine! A couple of smaller points, such as the ability to process everything that was said to me when feeling quite drugged up, and much of what was seen on the DVD was forgotten in the week following discharge, when a small infection was detected in my wound, it is certainly worth watching the video again post-operatively within a day or two of discharge if you are a patient! The fact that the District Nurse tore off my jubilee dressing on Day 5, to see the infection, [but didn't take a swab], and my GP issuing anti-biotics, instead of referring me back to the hospital, both indicated a lack of continuous care into the community following the procedure. Although still early days [almost four weeks], I am as ambulant, if not moreso, than I was pre-operatively, so a huge thank you for what appears to be a job well done!