Dads Knee Replacement

Published Date: 12 December 2008

By Bury Free Press reporter

A father of three has been told to wait 11 years for a knee replacement because he is too young.

Terry House, 39, injured his knee 20 years ago during a footballing accident and had surgery to pin the bones and ligaments back into place.But he said the pain had increased and his condition had deteriorated over the last few years and he was often unable to leave his home as a result.

He has seen specialists at West Suffolk Hospital, in Bury St Edmunds, and the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, in Norwich, who said he was too young for a knee replacement and would need to wait until he was 50 – 11 years.Mr House said: "Everybody keeps saying 'yes, you need it, but we won't do it because you're too young' – but now is the time I need it done because I have three young children and I have no quality time with them."I am on morphine most days and, when I get the severe pain, I cry myself to sleep."I need it done because of them and because I want to lead a normal life like fathers do with their children."
Mr House, of Denham, has two sons and a daughter – four-year-old TJ, Callum, eight, and Ashleigh, 10.

The specialist at Norfolk and Norwich Hospital has since referred Mr House to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital for experimental work on cartilage, but Mr House does not believe this will help.A spokesman for the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital said Mr House did not meet the clinical guidelines for a knee replacement because of his age."We don't recommend people have a knee replacement before they are 50 as the younger you have it, the sooner it will wear out and the worse it will be. His knee is in a better condition than people we generally see for knee replacements."

A spokeswoman for West Suffolk Hospital said the country's leading orthopaedic surgeons warned against knee replacements for younger patients because they were likely to be more active, causing it to wear quickly and need replacing more often.She said: "As surgery always carries a risk, it is often better to explore alternative options first. "We want to ensure the patient is fully aware of all the possible consequences of surgery so they and their consultant can make the appropriate decision."As the surgery involves removing part of the bone, the more times a patient has the operation, the less likely it is that the surgeon will be able to properly reconstruct the knee."