Dan Milosevic
Entrepreneur Dan, 46, has been Corin’s distributor in Croatia since having had his left hip resurfaced in February 2003. His hobbies include motorcycling, mountain biking, beach volley, football, basketball, scuba diving and cliff diving.
"My rapidly deteriorating left hip left me with a limp. The ensuing pain and discomfort affected my everyday life and work – getting in and out of a car, driving, sleeping etc. The effect on my hobbies and pursuits was more significant, as I found it difficult to climb on my motorcycle and mountain bike, as well as partnering my young son in sports and games.
"In February 2003 I was operated on by Mr Steve Krikler at St Cross Hospital in Rugby, Warwickshire where he performed my hip resurfacing operation and implanted a Corin Cormet prosthesis.
"My recovery was unexpectedly fast: walking with two sticks on day one; walking with one stick on day two; climbing up/down the stairs on day two with one stick; walking and climbing stairs unaided on day three; driving a car at the end of week two; starting a physiotherapy programme at week five (three hours daily, six days a week for three weeks) after which I regained most of my range of movement.
"After a week in hospital I spent another week recovering without a specific exercise and physiotherapy programme. I would occasionally flex, extend and try to rotate my operated leg. As I could not secure a local physiotherapy programme that would involve multiple sessions per week, I flew to Croatia four weeks after the operation and booked a physiotherapy course there. After the four weeks I had no further physiotherapy, exercise or recovery programme.
"From memory I'd say that I was back to full fitness at about 12 weeks post -operation. Functionality was restored, back to the level prior to the onset of osteoarthritis in my left hip, at approximately eight weeks post-op. I started running, playing recreational football (with my son) and basketball at about ten weeks post-op. I cycled dynamically (my mountain bike) at eight weeks post-op. I do not recall any milestones post ten weeks after the operation. Later that summer (five months post-op) I scuba dived extensively - more than 30 dives below 120 feet - as well as cliff diving from rocks in excess of 18 feet high. I rode my motorcycle at four months post-op and I drove my car in a nonstop fashion for four hours, travelling some 400km at seven months post-op.
"Having had my hip resurfaced I believe my return to an active life is back to the level I was at before I started having problems with my hip some five to six year earlier.
"When I opted for a hip resurfacing my aim was to be able to enjoy sports with my (then) five year old son. I can do much more than that now. There are no restrictions or limits to what I can do physically these days that are related to my left hip at all. To paraphrase another hip resurfacing patient - 'I got my life back!'"
