Knee Replacement

Private Knee Replacement & Knee Arthritis Treatment

Mr Alan James Highcock is a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon specialising in knee replacement surgery for self-funding and privately insured patients across the Wirral, Liverpool, Cheshire and North Wales.

He has a specialist interest in the treatment of knee pain and knee arthritis and is recognised as the highest-volume augmented-reality assisted knee replacement surgeon in the UK. He has formal training in robotic knee replacement surgery.

His clinical practice focuses on achieving accurate implant positioning, improved knee stability and reliable functional outcomes, with consistently high patient satisfaction and short hospital stays.

Who this page is for

This page is designed for patients who:

Are considering private knee replacement for arthritis
Are seeking treatment via self-funding or private medical insurance
Have knee pain affecting walking, stairs or sleep
Have a painful or failed previous knee replacement
Are considering robotic or augmented-reality assisted knee replacement

Why choose Mr Highcock for knee replacement

Specialist practice focused exclusively on hip and knee replacement surgery
UK’s highest-volume surgeon using augmented-reality assisted knee replacement
Trained in robotic total knee replacement surgery
Regular trainer of fellow consultant surgeons in medial pivot knee replacement and augmented reality assisted surgery
Excellent outcomes recorded on the National Joint Registry
Extensive experience in complex and revision total knee replacement
98.3% Patient Satisfaction scores on PHIN (Private Healthcare Information Network)

PRIVATE TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT

EXPERIENCE

Mr Highcock has a specialist interest in the surgical management of knee pain and knee arthritis. He uses the latest Augmented Reality assisted surgery in medial pivot total knee replacement to achieve the best outcomes for his patients. He regularly teaches fellow Consultant Surgeons in these techniques. His outcome data shows shorter length of stay and higher satisfaction scores for his knee replacement patients.

Mr Highcock is the highest volume and leading surgeon in the UK for Augmented Reality Assisted Surgery in combination with the Evolution Knee replacement. He has excellent results demonstrated on the National Joint Registry, with lower revision rates and better outcomes than expected.

RECOVERY

Mr Highcock runs an enhanced recovery program for most of his knee replacement patients. Patients who are suitable (co-existing medical conditions dependent) are bending their new knee fully and walking the same day of their surgery. He does not use drains, or heavy dressings, which can delay rehabilitation. All patients have local anaesthetic to help with early pain management.

Patients are usually discharged after 1 day.

After the operation patients will most likely need to use crutches for 2-3 weeks.

Rehabilitation with a physiotherapist is important for full recovery. Rehabilitation exercises are begun on the day of surgery and help maintain range of motion in the knee and restore strength.

Patients usually resume full activities 6 weeks after surgery.

MEDIAL PIVOT KNEE REPLACEMENT

PRINCIPLES

The Medial Pivot Knee Replacement is a modern design philosophy in knee replacement surgery that increases stability in a knee replacement, and more accurately reproduces the movements of the normal knee. By replicating the bending, rotating and twisting of a healthy knee, recovery and satisfaction with the knee replacement is higher, and patient report better functional outcomes than other knee replacement designs.

As patients report better stability and better bending, patients are more likely to ‘forget’ they’ve had their knee replaced.

ENHANCED RESULTS

Mr Highcock uses this knee replacement to enhance the outcomes for his patients. He records all his results in knee replacement patients, and has demonstrated higher functional results and higher patient satisfaction with this knee replacement and his surgical technique. He regularly presents on this work.

ENHANCED RECOVERY

Mr Highcock runs an enhanced recovery program for all of his medial pivot knee replacement patients. Patients who are suitable (co-existing medical conditions dependent) are bending their new knee fully and walking the same day of their surgery. He does not use drains, or heavy dressings, which can delay rehabilitation. All patients have local anaesthetic to help with early pain management.

Patients are usually discharged after 1 day.

The Medial Pivot design knee replacement has the added benefit of requiring less functional demand on the quadriceps (thigh) muscle, aiding recovery after surgery. More information is available here.

After the operation patients will most likely need to use crutches for 2-3 weeks.
Rehabilitation with a physiotherapist is important for full recovery. Rehabilitation exercises are begun on the day of surgery and help maintain range of motion in the knee and restore strength.

Patients are usually able to resume full activities 6 weeks after surgery.

UNICOMPARTMENTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT

EXPERIENCE

Mr Highcock has a specialist interest in Unicompartmental Knee Replacement (UKR) surgery. He trained in all aspects of UKR at Wrightington, Liverpool and on Fellowship in Toronto, Canada.

UKR is a surgical option were only one half of the knee has become arthritic. It is a smaller surgical procedure than a total knee replacement with faster recovery.

RECOVERY

Mr Highcock runs an enhanced recovery program for all of his knee unicompartmental replacement patients. Patients who are suitable (co-existing medical conditions dependent) are bending their new half knee fully and walking the same day of their surgery. He does not use drains, or heavy dressings, which can delay rehabilitation. All patients have local anaesthetic to help with early pain management.
Patients are usually discharged after 1 day.

After the operation, patients will most likely need to use crutches for 2-4 weeks.

Rehabilitation with a physiotherapist is important for full recovery. Rehabilitation exercises are begun on the day of surgery and help maintain range of motion in the knee and restore strength.

Patients are usually able to resume full activities 6 weeks after surgery.

REVISION TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT

Mr Highcock has a sub-specialist interest in Revision Total Knee Replacement. He trained in revision surgery at Wrightington Hospital and had Fellowship training in revision surgery at both the Cavendish Fellowship in Sheffield and the world-renowned Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto with Dr Allan Gross and Dr David Backstein.

Mr Highcock deals with all aspects of knee revision surgery and is trained in modern techniques for infection eradication, bone restoration, trabecular metal reconstruction, and joint reconstruction. He has a busy revision practice, with 50-60 revision cases per year, dealing with the most complex and surgically challenging revision cases.

Private consultations and surgery

Private consultations and surgery are available for insured and self-funding patients at Spire Murrayfield Hospital. Mr Highcock welcomes patients from Wirral, Liverpool, Cheshire and North Wales, offering timely access to assessment and treatment.