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) 2020-03-29 Person 5 5 0

I would recommend anyone experiencing hip pain to go to Professor Griffin as soon as possible. He’s a world leader in hip surgery and his passion is hip preservation, offering the best options available to get you back to unrestricted activity. His approach and manner leaves no doubt that you are in the best hands and the level of care you will receive is second to none. I began to suffer with hip pain in my early thirties; stiffness and discomfort in both hip joints and a sharp stabbing pain in my right hip on certain movements. For the following 15 years each time I visited my GP he said it was “probably arthritis”. I had great range of movement and he could not replicate the sharp pain when maneuvering my leg so he just kept offering pain relief, which I was loath to take. I tried my best to stay fit and active, working through the pain but eventually it became life limiting - a constant dull pain along with a sharp stabbing pain whenever I walked down stairs or twisted. I finally insisted on an x-ray, which came back confirming that there was no arthritis, but offered no explanation for the pain. I asked for a referral to an Orthopedic Surgeon who immediately diagnosed dysplasia. He explained that I might benefit from an arthroscopy but he didn’t perform them so referred me on to Professor Griffin, explaining that his techniques offered the best chance of preserving my natural hip for as long as possible. My first meeting with Prof Griffin was such a relief! His calm and reassuring manner filled me with hope and confidence that I would finally get the treatment I had needed for so long. After a scan and initial investigations, we decided on an arthroscopy so that he could repair the damage to the labrum and buy me some time before needing invasive treatment. In all the discussions we had, he reassured me and encouraged me to just take one step at a time, see the outcome and then discuss further options if and when we needed to. The keyhole procedure was straightforward, I was in the hospital gym within hours of the operation and I recovered very quickly. Months of physio followed and a return to Pilates, swimming and cycling but sadly the pain returned. Prof Griffin then discussed the further options with me – a Periacetabular Osteotomy (PAO) or Minimally Invasive Total Hip Replacement. I opted for the THR after considering the long recovery time of a PAO and the likelihood of needing a THR years later anyway due to the condition of my hip. It was so wonderful to actually have a choice though! Also to know that I would be in the best hands, with a minimally invasive procedure that would enable swift recovery with no limitations. A few months later I had a THR on my right hip and the outcome was exactly as expected: swift recovery, no limitations and at long last, no pain. My family and friends were astounded at the improvement and pretty soon we all forgot that I had even had a replacement. Four years later I started to get the same sharp pains in the other hip and I knew it had also deteriorated in spite of being not quite as shallow as the right hip had been. I waited until it started to become life limiting and then went back to see Prof Griffin - there was no hesitation in my mind that he was the only surgeon I would want to operate on the other hip. After initial investigations, we decided to go straight to the THR and a few weeks ago, I underwent surgery. Over recent years, the Prof has slightly adjusted the angle of the incision for a ‘gentler’ approach. This time there was less bruising and I feel that I have got my range of movement back slightly sooner than last time. I left hospital after three days and was off pain relief after about 10 days post op. At my two-week follow up appointment, the tape came off the wound to reveal a perfect thin line and I was able to come off crutches. After three weeks I still have a little bit of swelling and discomfort in the soft tissue as it heals but it improves every day. The other aspect of Prof Griffin’s care is the Physiotherapy. In hospital the team working with Prof Griffin are excellent and they provide reports and information for your own Physiotherapist. Prof Griffin also wrote to my Physio to make contact and offer support should she have any queries. She was very impressed at how mobile I was just days after the op and with the lack of restrictions in movement. No doubt she will also be referring future patients to Prof Griffin!