Duke of Edinburgh in ‘good spirits’ after successful hip operation

THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH has undergone a successful hip replacement operation and is comfortable and “in good spirits”, Buckingham Palace said yesterday.

Prince Philip, 96, was operated on earlier on Wednesday in a planned procedure after suffering with a hip problem for about a month.

The Queen, who is at Windsor Castle for the traditional Easter Court, is being kept fully informed about the condition of the Duke, who was admitted to the private King Edward VII hospital in Marylebone, central London, on Tuesday.

Buckingham Palace said in a short statement: “The Duke of Edinburgh has undergone a successful hip replacement operation. He is progressing satisfactorily at this early stage. His Royal Highness is likely to remain in hospital for several days. He is comfortable and in good spirits.”

Details about which of the Duke’s hip joints has been replaced have not been released by Buckingham Palace.

The late Queen Mother underwent two successful hip operations in the 1990s, first when she was aged 95 then later when she was 97.

The Duke of Edinburgh is not alone in having a hip replacement in his nineties. There were 851 male patients aged 90 or over who underwent the procedure in 2016, according to figures from the National Joint Registry, which covers both private and NHS patients across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man.

The surgery usually takes around an hour to an hour-and-a-half to complete – during which patients are either given an epidural or put under general anaesthetic.

But the road to recovery can be a long one. Information from NHS Choices states the rehabilitation process after surgery “can be a demanding time and requires commitment”.

It states that for the first four to six weeks after the operation, patients will need a walking aid, such as crutches.

Most people are able to resume normal activities within two to three months but it can take up to a year before patients experience the full benefits of a new hip, it adds.

Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Scarlett Mcnally, a Royal College of Surgeons council member, said: “Hip replacement is one of the most clinically effective and cost-effective operations available.”