Royal College of Surgeons comment on Duke of Edinburgh’s successful hip replacement

Buckingham Palace has said the Duke of Edinburgh has undergone a successful hip replacement operation.

Responding to the news, Mrs Scarlett McNally, a Royal College of Surgeons council member and consultant orthopaedic surgeon, said:

“We welcome news that the Duke of Edinburgh has had a successful operation. Hip replacement is a very common type of surgery where a damaged ball-and-socket hip joint is replaced with an artificial joint. It is one of the most clinically effective and cost effective operations available.

“The National Joint Registry suggests that over 800 patients 90 years or older undergo hip replacement each year in the UK, excluding Scotland.  

“There is a multi-disciplinary team involved in post-operative care, including nurses, physiotherapists and surgeons. Patients have to learn to walk again with the new hip and build up muscles.  Every individual has different needs and recovers in different ways but the majority of patients can get back to their chosen lifestyle, a few weeks after surgery, free from pain and with improved mobility.”

Notes to editors

1. The Royal College of Surgeons of England is a professional membership organisation and registered charity, which exists to advance surgical standards and improve patient care.

2. National Joint Registry data can be found here. 

3. For more information, please contact the Press Office:

• Telephone: 020 7869 6047/6052
• Email: pressoffice@rcseng.ac.uk
• Out of hours media enquiries: 07966 486832