I an Doncaster is remarkably chipper for a man about to undergo major surgery. "I have a busy life. So it's nice to have a break," he jokes. It is 8.30am on a chilly December morning and here at Warwick hospital he is about to receive a new knee - or part of one.
At 62, Doncaster has always been active: he played rugby when young, until a knee injury and subsequent operation meant he had to trade that in for other sports. But now the knee is causing problems again. As a self-employed chartered engineer, he needs to be able to get up and down tower blocks. Even going hiking with his wife seems a wistful dream. "Going forward, it's only going to get worse," he says.
Which is why Doncaster is having a patellofemoral replacement, a partial knee replacement in which the wornout cartilage that covers the end of the femur and underside of the kneecap will be removed and implants inserted.
Pre-op, he has the air of someone who has watched a YouTube video or two. "It's brutal stuff. They cut the knee in half. They rip it apart. I mean, orthopaedic surgery is carpentry, isn't it?" Doncaster says. He's not wrong: when it comes to joint replacements, the tools of the trade wouldn't look out of place in a workshop.
After donning a gown and receiving anaesthetic into his spine, Doncaster is wheeled into the theatre and his leg swiftly wrapped in a yellow antimicrobial film.
Half a dozen or so nurses clad in blue scrubs and masks are ready for action. What is undoubtedly a big day for Doncaster is just a normal morning for the team: typically, such operations are finished in just over an hour.
The nurses check they have the right patient, and the right procedure, and ensure all the instruments - from hefty power tools to delicate scalpels - are primed for use.
This story is from the February 23, 2024 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
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This story is from the February 23, 2024 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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