A man who has had multiple surgeries after a serious road accident in 2008 is hoping to return to work, thanks to teams at the Essex and Suffolk Elective Orthopaedic Centre.
The surgery, Jake’s first at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, included the replacement of his knee joint using robotic surgery and the removal of previous metalwork.
His procedure was carried out at the Essex and Suffolk Elective Orthopaedic Centre, in the Dame Clare Marx Building, at Colchester Hospital.
Jake Thompson had knee surgery at the Essex & Suffolk Elective Orthopaedic Centre
The 51-year-old from Colchester had cruciate ligament reconstruction in 2013 and had also had his femur bone realigned following the fractures he suffered to his upper leg in the accident.
He had started to lose confidence in his knee being able to sustain the rigours of his job recently.
Jake explained: “I began feeling looseness in my ligament and was always wary of my leg.
“I work as a printer, as a number two on a press, so it’s a very physical job. I am up and down a lot so I needed my knee to be the best it could be.
“I wasn’t expecting miracles, but I had heard that a specific knee hinge could be designed for my problem.
“My consultant suggested I was a bit young for the surgery, but I explained I would prefer it now to give me the best chance of recovering and being able to work for another 10 years or so.”
Jake is still in recovery from his surgery, which he was awake for.
He said: “I had an epidural and It’s a difficult feeling to explain as I could feel the hammering and vibrations, but I had no pain whatsoever, when I knew there should have been.”
With eight theatres, three wards and 72 inpatient beds, the state-of-the-art elective orthopaedic centre is dedicated to elective surgery for bones, joints and muscles.
For patients, it means operations are less likely to be postponed and they won’t have to wait as long for surgery so that they can get back to living their lives pain free as soon as possible.
Mr Tim Parratt
Jake said: “It’s like a hotel – the cleanliness, the attention to detail is second to none – just the feeling you get when you’re there – it was brilliant.
“I had my own room, own toilet and all the staff there were very attentive. The size of the rooms are on a par to what I imagine the Royal Family would have, they were spacious, light and airy.
“I arrived at 11am in the morning, had my operation about 5pm and remember being back in my bed at 6pm.
“It was a fantastic experience.”
Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Mr Tim Parratt was referred Jake’s case from another colleague due to the complexity of the procedure.
He said: “I was very happy with how his operation went. To see him walking up and down the corridor the next day was brilliant.
“He required a specialist operation using robotic surgery which is exactly what the Essex and Suffolk Elective Orthopaedic Centre can offer such patients.”
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