Mr Gerard Honeyman is a 70 year old man who suffered problems with his right shoulder for 20 years.  For Mr Honeyman the outlook was bleak as it is commonly believed a shoulder replacement is needed in patients with a history of shoulder problems for this length of time. However, with advancing techniques in arthroscopic surgery he was able to have his shoulder repaired at the Bone and Joint Centre based at Spire Liverpool Hospital.

The Bone and Joint Centre is a partnership of senior orthopaedic surgeons, who have combined their expertise to provide a comprehensive quality orthopaedic service to both private and NHS patients. The team of highly qualified specialists, guarantee that all surgeons registered to practice at the centre only see patients from within their own area of sub-specialty giving patients piece of mind that they are seeing the right specialist.

The surgery was undertaken by Mr Mat Smith who is a specialist shoulder and elbow Orthopaedic Consultant Surgeon and has been with the Bone and Joint Centre since 2009. Mat specialises in both arthroscopic (keyhole) and open surgery of the shoulder and elbow with strong emphasis on shoulder and elbow trauma.

Mr Honeyman said “Mr Smith was excellent he explained everything to me in detail which enabled me to make my own decisions. Once I had agreed to the operation I couldn’t believe it when I was told I could come in the following Monday, I nearly fell off my chair. Unfortunately, that Monday was no good for me so the next available appointment was a fortnight after this. I couldn’t believe the speed and efficiency of everything, I was operated on within 3 weeks. Not only was the hospital efficient it was also flexible and understanding”.

Mr Smith told us “Mr Honeman had shoulder impingement for many years and eventually this lead to a rotator cuff tear. There was definite history an injury that may have caused the tear and despite his advancing years and in view of his excellent health and level of activity I felt it appropriate to repair the tendon”.

“Historically, this procedure is not carried out in this age group as some surgeons believe that repairs of the tendon don’t work on patients in this age range, however this is not our experience when using advanced contemporary repair techniques. Mr Honeyman now has a full range of movement and excellent strength and his quality of life is dramatically improved just weeks week’s post operatively”.

Along with Spires’ bespoke intensive Perform physiotherapy service post- operative recovery is improved as every stage of the patients care can be carried out in one place. Mr Honeyman continued “the aftercare was great, I had an overnight stay and did not feel rushed to go home. The nurses were very caring and the physiotherapist Dave Cheetham was very patient and never pushed me too far. I feel I received excellent care and attention from beginning to end and as an NHS patient I didn’t feel treated differently at all”.