When Philip, 75, was told he might need ankle fusion surgery on both ankles,
his thoughts went to: Am I too old for this? Like many in their seventies, he feared the toll major surgery
might take, and whether the risks were worth it.

Philip, who has always been active, had been suffering with ankle pain since the early 2000’s.
He said: “It’s been a long journey; I’ve had ankle problems for many years and tried to see a
lot of people about it. I had my first op on my right ankle in 2004, a debridement of the
tendons and a calcaneal osteotomy to correct the alignment. It made some improvement
but not as much as I or the surgeon hoped for.”

After multiple operations, which helped to some extent, the pain and difficulty kept
returning for Philip. By 2023, Philip met with a surgeon who suggested ankle fusion surgery.
He described his decision-making process: “My age was a worry, I was concerned I was too
old for the surgeons to take the risk on me. Was it worth it for my remaining years?”

Unlike his previous surgeries, an ankle fusion is irreversible and permanently fuses the bones
together, so the ankle joint loses movement to improve stability. Philip said: “It felt different.
I was aware that it was irreversible, and that’s a big deal. You’re reducing function to relieve
pain.”

Philip knew the time was right, after researching information on ankle surgery, and found
the answers to his questions on the NJR website and found reassurance in a conversation
with a supportive friend who was a GP.

Philip, who is a valued member of the NJR Patient Network, added: “The statistics from the
NJR are very important and helpful, that hard information is invaluable.” For Philip, he also found
confidence in the Patient Network and patient section on the NJR website which features key facts
on joint replacements, patient blogs and Patient Reported Outcome Measures. The NJR Patient Network
is a community dedicated to improving joint replacement outcomes.

The NJR offers patients who are considering undergoing joint surgery, information to find out
more about the implants available to them, information on hospitals and surgeons to enable
them in their decision-making.

My GP friend was so helpful and asked me “What’s the downside now and what’s likely to be
the improvement?”. Philip felt that the potential benefits outweighed the potential risks and
despite knowing that there are no guarantees with any surgery, was ‘completely unreserved
in his feeling it was the right thing to do.’

Philip went on to have two fusion surgeries, one on his right ankle in 2023 and on his left in 2024.

His first fusion was an open surgery, despite an initial infection, he recovered well. He
noticed a dramatic improvement when he took a holiday to South America with his wife
Lindsey.

“After a gradual build of exercise and spending time resting up I felt a huge difference.”
A year later, walking pain-free and looking at planning a ski trip, he has his answer to his
question of would it be worth it. “It certainly was,” he says, with a smile.

Now walking without a limp, kayaking regularly, and eyeing a return to skiing, thanks to a
cleverly designed rear-entry ski boot, Philip is the embodiment of active aging. He rejoices
that he can walk more evenly, limps less and now has a regular gait. For Philip ‘the skies the
limit’ and hopes to return to running having seen research that suggests it is possible for
some fusion patients.

Ankle fusion may not be suitable for all patients with severe arthritis or injury. But for Philip,
it was a way back to life, not just to walking pain-free, but to walking forward with purpose.

Philip’s story was covered in The Telegraph, you can read the piece here.