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Patrick McGonagle endured persistent and severe knee pain for over six years while waiting for a replacement surgery. Initially informed that the wait would be approximately two years, the 71-year-old from Strabane ultimately faced a delay three times longer than expected. He described the agony caused by his knee condition as feeling like “bone rubbing on bone,” which significantly limited his mobility, driving capabilities, and overall quality of life.
During the extended wait for his right knee operation, McGonagle’s left knee also worsened, creating an additional challenge he knows he must tackle after his first surgery. This situation occurs amid the Stormont Executive’s pledge to reduce lengthy health waiting lists as part of its broader government agenda.
Leading up to his operation, which finally took place last Friday, McGonagle relied on powerful painkillers such as Tramadol to manage his discomfort. However, after five years on this medication, the effectiveness had diminished. He explained, “But if I don’t take the Tramadol, I’m all shaky – I’m like a car on three cylinders all the time. It’s a constant gnawing pain on both knees now, so I get the right one done now and the left one has to be done after that.” The waiting itself induced a heavy emotional toll, with McGonagle expressing ongoing worry over his future mobility and lifestyle.
His daily life was deeply affected, especially routines that involved walking or driving any distance. McGonagle said, “You pre-plan everything before you go out of the door, so you don’t have to walk any distance. I feel a lot older than I actually am because I’m planning where I’m going to walk and I’m planning where I’m going to stop.” He added, “There’s days you’re in that much pain, getting up off a chair is very, very painful. Your life revolves around being mobile. And if you can’t be mobile, your quality of life’s not good.” The prospect of never receiving treatment seemed real at times, with regular check-up calls from health services that only raised his anxiety as conditions worsened. He stated, “Every six or seven months somebody would phone you. They’d say: ‘Do you still need your knees done?’ You’d be going: ‘Well, nothing has changed, if anything it’s got worse.’ But it’s nothing to do the hospital really. It’s to do with the government and money. Hopefully things will change now. Stormont can allocate more money for this type of thing.”
His knee replacement surgery was postponed twice before finally occurring on the third scheduled attempt. Reflecting on the cancellations, McGonagle described the frustration and inconvenience, “Nine weeks ago, I came in and it was booked on a Thursday and on a Friday morning they called it off. Four weeks ago, I was on my way to here and they phoned me and called it off.” He continued, “But maybe people don’t understand, you have to make arrangements outside – you’re going to be away for a couple of days or a couple of nights. It’s not only inconvenient but you reach a stage where you think this is not going to happen at all. You begin to think to yourself that nobody really cares anymore.”
The surgery was successfully carried out by trauma and orthopaedic consultant Ashok Ramasamy, who noted that McGonagle and many other patients have been enduring waits of up to five years for treatment. Ramasamy explained, “I see most of the patients who are being booked around 2020/21 time, so they are almost waiting for the last four or five years. Those are the patients I’m seeing in my clinic and then prioritising to get them to the surgery.” He acknowledged the positive impact of the waiting list initiative, which has increased the number of surgeries performed, treating individuals who have endured waits of up to eight years. However, he emphasized that surgery availability relies on several factors, including theatre capacity, patient admissions, and the availability of a multidisciplinary team. “When we are able to improve the infrastructure with the increased capacity, definitely it’s [reduction in waiting time] achievable. And it’s very encouraging for us as well,” Ramasamy added.
Returning home after his operation, McGonagle described himself as “very sore” and currently using crutches but expressed relief to have finally had the surgery. “I need to just get over the initial pain and I’ll see the benefit from it. And then we’ll make a plan to do the left knee,” he said. Grateful for the care he received, he thanked the Altnagelvin Hospital staff, concluding, “At this stage, I’m happy I’ve got this length. And thank Altnagelvin very much for what they’ve done for me.”
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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