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Treatments
You’ll be in safe hands with specialist, patient-led care, state-of-the-art facilities and rapid access to treatment.
Treatments offered by Mr Richard Carrington
Mr Carrington brings his wide-ranging expertise to a number of treatments. The following information is designed to give you an over view of what’s involved, for a more detailed discussion of any of these procedures, or to talk through any symptoms you may have, you can book a consultation here.
Cartilage surgery (knee)
Cartilage is the coating that protects the bones in your joints. Over time, or as the result of injury, it can become damaged or torn.
Depending on the extent of the injury or wear, surgery will typically involve smoothing, trimming and replacing pieces of worn or damaged cartilage.
Depending on the extent of the injury or wear, surgery will typically involve smoothing, trimming and replacing pieces of worn or damaged cartilage.
While minor damage to the cartilage can heal by itself, more serious injuries require surgical treatment. For example, if your injury is limiting your range of motion and impacting on your day-to-day life, for instance if you can’t bear weight on the affected leg, or are experiencing pain when resting, you may well need surgery to regain movement and have a full recovery.
You may also need surgery if the torn cartilage is affecting other structures within the knee and leading to pain and inflammation.
Similarly, if you have had a course of physiotherapy, and this not improved your symptoms, then surgery is a route that your doctor might suggest in order to get you back to a full and active life.
You may also need surgery if the torn cartilage is affecting other structures within the knee and leading to pain and inflammation.
Similarly, if you have had a course of physiotherapy, and this not improved your symptoms, then surgery is a route that your doctor might suggest in order to get you back to a full and active life.
Cartilage surgery is usually carried out as a minimally invasive, keyhole procedure to ensure minimum damage to the surrounding tissue.
The use of keyhole surgery means there is less scarring and a recovery is quicker.
The use of keyhole surgery means there is less scarring and a recovery is quicker.
Hip replacement surgery
A hip replacement (arthroplasty) is a procedure where a hip joint that’s become damaged by wear and tear, injury or disease is replaced with an artificial joint. As with knee replacement surgery (below) it’s major surgery and tends to be recommended only once other treatments (typically steroid injections and physiotherapy) have yielded no positive results.
Hip replacement surgery would be considered as an option if the damage from wear and tear or disease is limiting your day-to-day activities and causing severe pain, even while resting.
You may be offered hip replacement surgery if:
- You’re in severe pain, with swelling and stiffness in your hip joint that greatly reduces your mobility
- Your hip pain is so severe, it interrupts your sleep and reduces the overall quality of your day-to-day life
- Day-to-day tasks have become difficult or impossible to carry out
- The pain and lack of mobility have left you feeling depressed
- You are unable to work or have a functioning social life
- You're in good enough health to cope with a major operation and the subsequent rehabilitation demands
Most people enjoy significant reduction in pain and a much-improved range of motion in their hip following surgery.
Knee arthroscopy
Arthroscopy is a common procedure that allows your consultant to see inside your knee joint using a small surgical camera (arthroscope). This camera is inserted into the knee through small incisions and transmits images to a high-definition monitor in the operating room.
Knee arthroscopy tends to be common among older age groups. As we age, the more wear and tear our knees are exposed to, and the more likely we are to develop painful conditions.
However, younger people with very active lifestyles can also develop knee pain through overuse and injury. In those cases, arthroscopy can help us to identify the source of your pain and treat it.
While we’ve touched on some of the advantages of arthroscopy above, here’s a summary of the patient benefits:
- Faster recovery
- Fewer stitches
- Less bleeding
- Less post-operative pain
- Lower risk of infection
- Reduced tissue damage
- Quicker discharge and faster recovery
It’s an incredibly useful diagnostic tool, and it’s also used to treat a range of common knee problems from repairing worn or damaged cartilage to removing cysts.
It reduces the need for open surgery, meaning less damage to surrounding tissue, less post-operative pain and a quicker recovery for the patient.
It reduces the need for open surgery, meaning less damage to surrounding tissue, less post-operative pain and a quicker recovery for the patient.
Knee replacement
Knee replacement surgery (also known as arthroplasty) is an operation to replace a damaged, worn or diseased knee with an artificial joint. It is major surgery and, as a result, is generally only recommended once other treatments (including steroid injections and physiotherapy) have been tried.
Knee replacement surgery is usually necessary when the damage from wear and tear or disease is greatly limiting your mobility and causing severe pain, even while you’re resting.
You may be offered knee replacement surgery if:
- You’re in severe pain, with swelling and stiffness in your knee joint that greatly reduces your mobility
- Your knee pain is so severe, it interrupts your sleep and reduces the overall quality of your day-to-day life
- Day-to-day tasks have become difficult or impossible to carry out
- The pain and lack of mobility have left you feeling depressed
- You are unable to work or have a functioning social life
Partial knee replacement
A partial knee replacement is a procedure to treat an arthritic joint by replacing only the most damaged portion.
Mr Carrington may recommend partial knee replacement surgery if you’re suffering with persistent and severe pain that hasn’t responded to other treatments.
One of the most common causes is osteoarthritis, caused by the bones’ protective tissue, articular cartilage, wearing away over time.
Partial knee replacement is often used in younger patients with arthritis, allowing them to keep more of their original knee joint.
Similarly, if the arthritis only affects one side of the joint, the patient might benefit from a partial knee replacement that allows them to preserve the unaffected area.
Partial knee replacement is often used in younger patients with arthritis, allowing them to keep more of their original knee joint.
Similarly, if the arthritis only affects one side of the joint, the patient might benefit from a partial knee replacement that allows them to preserve the unaffected area.
As a partial knee replacement requires a smaller incision, it's can be a good alternative to total knee replacement for some patients.
It causes less damage to the bones and patients typically enjoy a faster recovery.
As well as relief from pain, other benefits of a partial knee replacement include:
- Improved range of motion
- Less damage to the surrounding tissue
- Less invasive surgery
- Lower risk of complications
- Faster rehabilitation and recovery
- Preservation of healthy bone and ligaments
- Reduced blood loss
- Reduced post-operative pain
Robotic surgery (knee, partial knee, hip replacement)
Robotic, or robotically-assisted joint replacement allows surgeons to perform these highly complex procedures with more precision and greater control than more conventional techniques allow.
Before the procedure, the surgical team create a personalised plan based on the patient’s individual anatomy. This involves taking a scan and uploading it into the system software to create a 3D model of the joint. Mr Carrington then uses this model to plan your procedure.
While this technology is a great help, the surgeon remains in control of the surgery at all times. The robotic arm is simply a tool that surgeons use to ensure the best possible outcome for their patients.