Claire's double knee replacement

After breaking her back in 2000, Claire had successful triple fusion surgery in her lower spine. But by 2004, she had developed swollen knees and severe pain in her joints. Walking was getting increasingly difficult. She was eventually referred to an orthopaedic consultant who recommended an urgent bilateral (double) knee replacement — a procedure where both knees are replaced at the same time. It isn’t a common surgery, so it was essential for Claire to find a surgeon she could trust. After extensive research, Claire met Mr Howard Ware, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and director of the Knee Unit at The Wellington Hospital. 'I trusted Howard on sight and he didn’t fail me. I won’t say that I loved every minute of my stay, but I couldn’t have had better care,' she says. She thought she might be self-conscious about her scars but was pleased with the cosmetic outcome. 'My scars are amazing, you can hardly notice them. I have to point them out to people,' she says. After surgery, her goal was to walk the London Marathon which she did five months to the day after her surgery. 'As far as I'm concerned, Howard rebuilt my life for me,' she says.