Share review of Professor Damian Griffin OBE TD VR BM BCh MA MPhil FRCS(Tr&Orth)

Professor Damian Griffin OBE TD VR BM BCh MA MPhil FRCS(Tr&Orth) 2022-10-05 Person 5 5 0

Professor Griffin carried out minimally invasive hip replacement surgery in my right hip just over 12months ago. This followed a period of a steadily deteriorating hip, finding increasingly in particular that I would start to hobble round the golf course after 15-20minutes and unable to swing the club properly. I was getting nowhere through the NHS route over a period of 2 or 3 years other than being referred for physiotherapy, which didn`t achieve anything in restrospect. Eventually, I managed to be referred to Damian for a 2nd opinion who first required an up to date X-ray & MRI scan. It was a light bulb moment. The answers and possible risks of not having surgery were so clearly explained by him at the first consultation and whilst there were a couple of options explained, in the end the answer as to what to do was obvious. All of this was done virtually during Covid restrictions. Virtual was fine, that didn`t matter as far as I am concerned. After surgery had taken place there followed a period of restriction, yes, alongside physiotherapy over a period of weeks to build the strength back up in the right leg to the same as the left as well as gradually swinging the golf club back to full power. I now exercise more than I did before, have lost a bit of weight as a result and am able to swing a golf club far less restricted than I did before. I walk better than I did before, in the more upright marching gait that Damian advocates. I still do regular specialist golf related physio with a specialist to improve overall flexibility. In other words, there are simply no regrets whatsoever. But the important point is this man is not only a hip expert. I cannot speak highly enough of his insistence of understanding the problem from your own personal point of view and making sure that what he recommends will meet your expectations. Highly skilled & capable people have a way of making difficult things seem easy don`t they. In my case Damian was a prime example of that. Have recently had the 12month review with him following X-ray & he will carry out further reviews in the coming years just to check on everything. If you`re a struggling golfer like I was, go and see this man, you eventually come out the other end with more motivation than you had before. Remarkable.