How game-changing hip surgery helped Joanna get back to her best
For Joanna, a competitive rower in the Masters division, the sport is more than a passion – it's a way of life. At 60 years old, Joanna’s career spans 20 years, and has been marked by intense training sessions, competitive races, and unwavering determination. However, when a nagging pain in her right hip developed into something altogether more debilitating, it threatened to put the brakes on her rowing.
"It started about six or seven years ago," Joanna recalls. "There was a dull ache in my hip whenever I moved my leg in certain ways.” As an athlete, Joanna was well-versed in dealing with pain and so, for years, she did her best to ignore the discomfort and continue training at full capacity. She continued to race, maintaining a rigorous schedule that included cardio, weight training – and long walks with her energetic German Shepherd puppy.
Over time, the discomfort escalated, gradually becoming a constant presence in her life. "Eventually, it wasn’t just during workouts – the pain was constant," Joanna recalls. The discomfort disrupted her ability to perform basic exercises and even sleep through the night. "It got to a point where I had to take painkillers just to train," she says. "I realised I couldn’t carry on like this."
Extensive research, impressive outcomes
After competing in a major rowing event, Joanna decided it was time to seek help. "I made an appointment with my doctor and had an X-ray done," she explains. The results revealed severe osteoarthritis in her right hip.
Motivated to find a solution, Joanna left nothing to chance and began extensive research into treatments tailored to athletes. "I wanted a minimally invasive procedure that would cause the least damage to the muscles. I wanted something that would get me back to racing again – and as soon as possible."
In countries outside the UK, many surgeons have changed the way they do hip replacements and have switched to the Direct Anterior Approach (DAA). This technique is minimally invasive, avoids the need to cut any muscles or detach any tendons, which means that it generally results in a faster recovery from surgery.
Joanna’s research led her to Professor Richard Field, an orthopaedic surgeon who had adopted the DAA in 2008. Working at The Lister Hospital in Chelsea, Professor Field is the UK’s most experienced surgeon in this technique and has undertaken over 3,000 hip replacements using the DAA. Joanna referred herself and went to see him in January 2024.
"I told Professor Field that I'm a competitive athlete, successful in my field, and that I wanted to get back to where I was,” Joanna remembers. “He mentioned his use of the Mako robotic system, and what it offered – faster recovery, less muscle damage.”
A fast recovery
Just two months later, in March of that same year, Joanna underwent surgery at The Lister Hospital. "I was able to walk the same day” says Joanna. The choice of procedure had given her the results she wanted - less disturbance to the soft tissue, a faster recovery and reduced post-operative pain.
"I was discharged the next day, which was fantastic," Joanna recalls. “In fact, the worst bit of the whole experience was probably the journey home. I asked Professor Field when I could get back to racing,” says Joanna, “and I mentioned I had the British Championships in December. He said that was too soon and that the World Championships in February, would be a more realistic goal.”
Joanna, however, was undeterred. “I just think the more you do, the more you can do,” she says, matter-of-factly.
“I did my research, and I knew how important it was to get mobile, get moving and start strengthening the legs.” Professor Field, meanwhile, was slightly more cautious but she trusted his judgment. “I think he was concerned I shouldn’t do too much, so he helped to slow me down a little,” she says.
After starting her recovery on an exercise bike for a few weeks, Joanna eventually built up her time from 10-minute bursts to 60-minute sessions, checking in with Professor Field regularly on her progress. Then, once she had the okay from him, Joanna was able to introduce weight training into her programme. By June, she was rowing again.
With Professor Field’s all-clear, Joanna upped her training to six days a week, carefully mapping her progress, her eyes fixed firmly on December and the British Indoor Championships.
Smashing expectations
As she headed for the Birmingham NEC where the Championships were held, Joanna had an idea of where she could place, “everyone knows everyone's times,” she explains.
Even so, the silver medal she managed to win in her race was an extraordinary feat. It was the result of three combined factors. Professor Field’s unique skill and expertise with the anterior hip replacement, the muscle-sparing accuracy of the Mako robotic arm, and Joanna’s drive and determination to get back to her best.
Joanna’s own view of her performance, however, is much more measured – and seems typical of her pragmatic approach and calm focus. “I don't feel as if I've done anything extraordinary,” she says. “I need to train. I'm an athlete, and I need to do it for my own mental health. If I couldn't do this, I’d have to find something else to be competing in,” she thinks for a second, before adding, “How do you navigate your life if you're not working towards a goal?” she asks.
Thankfully, that’s one question she won’t have to struggle with quite yet. The British Championships in December 2025 are on the horizon, and Joanna’s eyes are firmly fixed on success.
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This content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.