HF was just 14 when he took up ballroom dancing in 1947 and continued to enjoy it as his main hobby until 2011, when years of general wear and tear took their toll, and he underwent a staged bilateral knee replacement.
Birmingham orthopaedic surgeon Trevor Lawrence BSc (Hons) MBChB FRCS (Orth) replaced both knees within three months of each other. After recuperating, Henry was whirling wife Doreen around the dance floor once again.
“D and I have all our medals, entered different competitions and won a few trophies – we even competed in Blackpool – but I’d become really bow-legged, and although I was dancing through the pain in my knees, we knew something had to be done,” says Henry, 80, who worked for Rover Group for 38 years.
Mr Lawrence is pioneering new techniques to ensure patients are not just pain-free but that they can also get back to leading an active life and uses the Signature knee replacement system to provide a knee that fits perfectly and feels completely natural. It offers key advantages over conventional total knee replacement in that surgery is more accurate but less invasive, so patients recover more quickly.
“Mr Lawrence is a genius. He’s done a marvellous job, and you can hardly tell I’ve had surgery,” adds Henry. “The improvement in my overall mobility after I’d completed my aftercare package of massage, physiotherapy and acupuncture was amazing, and to my great delight, I was no longer in pain.”
Henry had done his research and went to his first consultation with Mr Lawrence armed with a number of questions. He came out of the meeting feeling very confident of a positive outcome.
“I’d heard that Mr Lawrence was one of the best and was impressed with his credentials and the results he’d achieved with the Signature knee system,” says Henry. “He’s a wonderful man, and I’ve recommended lots of people with knee problems to go and see him.”
Years of general wear and tear had left Henry Fontaine bow-legged, and in a great deal of pain, but following a staged bilateral knee replacement, he was soon able to whirl wife Doreen around the dance floor once again.
“Mr Lawrence is a genius. I was impressed with his credentials and the results he’d achieved with the Signature knee system, and he’s done such a marvellous job that you can hardly tell I’ve had knee surgery.
“I’d certainly recommend anyone struggling with knee problems to go and see Trevor Lawrence. He’s a wonderful man.”