Having travelled the World in the military, and working as a chef at top class events including the London Summer Olympics 2012, Brian knows all about excellent service. After his total knee replacement surgery with Mr Shah Punwar, he likened the procedure to ‘a five star plus hotel experience’.
Having led a very active life, including playing football and working long shifts on his feet, Brian developed arthritis in both knees. Brian was taking medication for the pain and received regular injections from his physio. But his pain was getting more severe, so he was referred to Mr Shah Punwar for total knee replacement surgery.
He takes us through his knee surgery experience with Mr Punwar and his team.
Discharged in 19 hours!
On the day of surgery 5th January, Brian remembers signing in and going straight up to the ward at The Blackheath Hospital. There he was greeted warmly by the surgical team that all introduced themselves.
“Everyone was so friendly. They were just gorgeous people!” He said.
“When I went down for the surgery, the anaesthetist explained everything that was going to happen. The whole thing was so pleasant!”
Not squeamish, Brian was happy to watch them perform the operation on his right knee under a spinal anaesthetic. “I was peeking over the screen to see what they were doing,” he chuckled. The surgeon fitted the implant, then closed the wound with staples and a special surgical dressing.
After the surgery, when Brian was back in the recovery room he enjoyed being given pots of tea. He recovered that night on the ward, already using a walking frame to move around and visit the toilet, refusing any manual support offered by the nurses.
Keen to get home to get home to his girls (two beautiful black cats) he was determined to pass his early morning checks with the physio. He proved that he could walk with crutches and get up stairs – making it up a whole floor! He was given some pain relief medication to take away, and was able to leave the hospital just 19 hours after his surgery began.
Brian’s recovery – preparing for his other knee replacement
“My neighbours, everybody, couldn’t believe I was walking so quickly,” said Brian. He was already visiting the local shops, and using uneven steps down to his garden to play with his two cats.
Now building up strength with more walking, he said that he feels no pain in his operated knee. The only evidence of the surgery is a very neat, straight line. Mr Punwar has been monitoring his progress in readiness for his second surgery, expected before the Summer. Then, he is planning to go back to living in Tanzania in Africa with ‘his two girls’.
His final word on knee surgery with Mr Punwar,
“I highly recommend it. I’m just so pleased! I couldn’t give Mr Punwar and his team high enough praise.”
