Hip replacement, trained at the birthplace of hip arthroplasty.
Primary, revision, and bespoke custom-stem hip surgery - performed by a surgeon trained in the unit where the modern hip replacement was invented. Serving patients across the North West and beyond.
Relieving your pain: restoring your life.
Hip replacement is the most successful operation in modern medicine, and at Wrightington it has been refined for over sixty years.
Primary hip replacement
Mr Barrow will decide the best implant and bearing surface for your anatomy, based upon the strongest survivorship data in the National Joint Registry. For some patients, this maybe a bespoke, custom implant. Most patients walk the same day, leave hospital within 24 hours and are off crutches within 6 weeks.
- An implant for your anatomy
- Evidence based choices
- Posterior approach
- Spinal anaesthetic - fewer side effects, faster recovery
- Dissolving sutures - no clips or staples to remove
Revision hip surgery
When a previous replacement fails, revision surgery is required to remove the old components and reconstruct the joint. Mr Barrow works in Wrightington, the North West’s specialist tertiary referral centre, where he receives referrals from around the region to manage these complex cases.
- Aseptic loosening and wear
- Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI)
- Instability and dislocation
- Significant bone loss
- Peri-prosthetic fracture
Symbios custom stem
For patients with unusual femoral anatomy, including young adults with developmental dysplasia, Perthe’s disease or a significant deformity, an off-the-shelf stem may not be adequate. For these cases, Mr Barrow designs a fully bespoke implant with the Symbios engineering team, which is CT-planned for the individual.
- CT scan converted to 3D anatomical model
- Implant designed collaboratively with Symbios engineers
- Manufactured to your exact dimensions
- Used selectively where standard implants are not suitable
Infection prevention
As Surgical Site Infection Lead at Wrightington, Mr Barrow takes infection prevention very seriously. All patients undergo an MSSA decolonisation protocol and the theatre technique is designed to minimise contamination at every step.
Serving patients across the North West
Mr Barrow's private hip practice is based at The John Charnley Ward in Wrightington, conveniently located off junction 27 on the M6, and Beardwood Hospital in Blackburn, located off the M65, making it easily accessible for the Northwest of England including the Ribble Valley, Preston, Manchester, Burnley, Wigan, Liverpool, Lancaster, Cumbria, Yorkshire and beyond.
Mr Barrow undertakes his NHS practice at The John Charnley Ward in Wrightington Hospital, a leading UK arthroplasty centre, widely regarded as the spiritual home of hip replacement surgery, where Sir John Charnley performed the first modern total hip replacement in 1962.
Understanding the risks.
Hip replacement is a safe and highly successful operation, but like any major surgery it carries some risk. Mr Barrow will discuss these with you fully at your consultation and explain how each is minimised. The most relevant are summarised below.
If your hip pain is limiting your daily life and conservative treatments like physiotherapy, injections and pain relief have not given adequate relief, you may be a candidate. Mr Barrow will assess your symptoms, X-rays and general health at your first consultation.
A primary hip replacement takes 75–90 minutes. Revision procedures are more complex and may take 2–3 hours depending on what is found at surgery.
Most patients stand and take their first steps on the afternoon of their surgery. Mr Barrow uses enhanced recovery protocols specifically to get patients mobile safely and as quickly as possible.
Most patients are discharged on the same day or within 24 hours of their surgery if it is safe to do so. Mr Barrow plans every patient as a potential day-case. You are only discharged once you are safe to go home.
When you can perform an emergency stop safely — typically 6 weeks after a right hip replacement or 4–6 weeks for the left (provided it is an automatic). Mr Barrow will advise at your post-operative appointment.
A Symbios custom stem is a bespoke implant designed from your CT scan for patients where standard implants will not fit due to unusual anatomy, prior implants, or deformity. The stem is manufactured to sub-millimetre precision and ordered in advance of your surgery.
Yes. Mr Barrow sees patients from Manchester, Trafford, Stockport, Salford, Oldham, Rochdale, Bolton, Tameside, Wigan, Bury and across Greater Manchester. Beardwood Hospital in Blackburn is approximately 30–40 minutes from central Manchester via the M65, and Wrightington Hospital is accessible from junction 27 of the M6.
Mr Barrow's patient base spans Lancashire and the wider North West — including the Ribble Valley (Clitheroe, Longridge, Whalley), Preston, Blackburn, Greater Manchester, Liverpool, Wirral, Cheshire, Cumbria, the Lake District and Yorkshire. Patients travel from across the UK for specialist revision and custom-stem surgery.