Mr Raghbir Khakha and Prof Adrian Wilson successfully perform surgery on Ian’s knee to restore it to full, pain- free function.

Ian is back to playing squash and tennis within 6 months of his high tibial osteotomy performed by the London Osteotomy team.

The pain increased to the point where he had to rest for longer durations. Imaging studies including MRI confirmed wear and tear in the knee joint along with bowing of the leg and thinning meniscus.

Ian had to stop playing squash and tennis for days to reduce the swelling and pain, but soon realised this couldn’t continue without consequences for the future.

He sought reviews of knee specialists and found out about Prof Adrian Wilson and Mr Raghbir Khakha who fit his requirements. He made an appointment to see them.

In his own words he describes his surgery and recovery period. “Surgery went totally as expected, spent 2 days in hospital after surgery which were very smooth and then went to a recovery centre for 5 days (found this good you release burden on family, but as it turned out this wasn’t really necessary).  I did have an infection down my shin after the surgery which was responded to incredibly quickly by the team especially the anaesthetist who prescribed antibiotics which cleared this up in about 5-7 days.  Pain killers used for about 2 weeks then reduced to paracetamol after this. Walked on crutches for about 2-3 months which was longer than I expected and recovery seemed slow over the first 4-5 months, had repeated scans which showed the bones growing and healing well, then by Feb/March started to feel better by the day to the point of returning to tennis in April.  I did physio once a week for 8 weeks prior to April which helped tremendously to get swelling down and provide exercises to regain strength. After playing tennis and returning to squash in May 2021 I was feeling no knee pain any more, still had a slight stiffness after playing which was deemed to be the plate still being in place as it felt tight around that area, so after final scan and review we decided (as advised) to remove the plate (Early August 2021).  Very quick day surgery and recovery about 1 week and started playing sport within 3 weeks, but full walking and stairs within a few days.”

Ian says he is feeling “excellent, with mild stiffness where the plate was (post op +3 weeks now).”

His advice for patients with similar problems is: “If you feel pain on the inside (or outside) of the knee joint go see the team and check if osteotomy is good for you.  It may have a longer recovery period than a knee replacement but with really good results. Expect to be out of action for around 6 months depending on your weight and condition.”

Ian continues: “Having suffered huge pain across my right knee, Prof Wilson and team performed a massively successful osteotomy which took a frustrating 6 months to recover from however I’m now playing squash and tennis as good as new. Thanks for the support throughout this challenging time for a 54-year-old “big boned” man wanting to continue playing his chosen sports (squash and tennis) for many more years yet!  I’d certainly recommend and team and surgery if you find yourself with a similar problem.”

Mr Raghbir Khakha concludes: “Ian is absolutely delighted with the outcome of his procedure overall. His recovery has been a very positive one. He had a lot of difficulty with his knees, particularly with getting back into his sporting passions and is currently really happy with the way things are going, particularly when playing squash. It has been a pleasure looking after him.”