Leading Hip Surgery Practice

Over the years I have honed my practice and now treat exclusively problems associated with the hip.   The hip can present a wide range of problems and pathologies, and as such an orthopaedic surgeon needs a range of abilities to help the variety of patients who seek help.
Primary hip replacement is the staple procedure for most hip specialists, and improving surgical techniques and technologies mean that we can offer solutions to even the youngest of arthritic patients (I am one of the few surgeons in the country to have replaced the hips of children unfortunate enough to be stricken at such a young age), and have a reasonable expectation of life long or near life long success. The designs of hip implants mean we can preserve a patient’s bone for longer, and conservative designs mean that subsequent procedures, should they be required, carry less trauma and risk than previously.
Revision hip replacement has likewise improved of late, with designs ‘loading’ the bone better than ever before and thereby maintaining bone strength for longer.
Younger patients are increasingly presenting with ‘pre-arthritic’ symptoms such as impingement lesions and labral tears. These can now be treated either as open or (now in over 99% of cases) key-hole procedures allowing day-case surgery, and we hope, along with returning people to their sporting lives, we can in some cases delay the onset of symptoms and signs of arthritis.

Education

I have always enjoyed teaching and training, and from humble beginnings as a demonstrator in the Anatomy department in Sheffield, through Orthopaedic Lecturer at the University of Bristol (awarded Medical School teacher of the year), to a career in postgraduate medical education (junior doctors), initially as tutor for the Severn region, then as Programme director for all Orthopaedic trainees up to consultancy, and latterly as Head of the School of Surgery, overseeing surgical training in all specialities across the region. From 2016-2018, I acted as chair of the CoPSS committee which oversees all surgical training  delivery across the United Kingdom.

Currently I am Chair of the FRCS (Trauma and Orthopaedic) Intercollegiate Examination Board, and from April 2019 will be the Divisional Lead for NeuroSciences and Musculoskeletal Services within North Bristol NHS Trust, and the regional network which it serves.

I have also been fortunate enough to have run training conferences across the world (including Singapore, India, Australia, Japan, China, Russia, Thailand, and Canada), and perform live training surgery in China.

Sport

I believe I can empathise with my patients and their desire to return to function, activity and sport through my own love of all things active and outdoorsy. As a junior doctor I competed in triathlon and represented Great Britain in two World Championships. As I’ve aged and become slower, I’ve gone longer and steadier, and am a five times ironman finisher. With running being sidelined by injuries (not hip!), cycling is my go-to pastime – travelling abroad when able to cycle and enjoy iconic locations. The Pyrenees end to end (RAID), Swiss Alpine passes and Paris-Roubaix are amongst my favourites thus far. Recently I completed in the country’s first Otillo swim-run event travelling all around the Isles of Scilly running in a wetsuit and swimming in my running shoes.