🌟 Why Choose Private Healthcare at Wessex Nuffield and Spire Southampton?

When it comes to orthopaedic care in the South of England, patients are lucky to have access to two exceptional private providers: Nuffield Health Wessex Hospital and Spire Southampton Hospital. Choosing one of these centres offers real, data-backed advantages that can make all the difference to your outcome and your experience.

🕰️ Shorter Waiting Times and Faster Treatment

Southampton’s Nuffield and Spire hospitals can typically offer:

Consultations within 1–2 weeks, compared to NHS waits of 18+ weeks for orthopaedic referrals.

Elective knee surgery with an average wait time of 4–6 weeks, allowing you to bypass long NHS backlogs.

💡 NHS England data (2023) shows that in Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust, orthopaedic waits regularly exceed 30–40 weeks. By contrast, Nuffield and Spire aim to see most patients treated within 6–8 weeks of first consultation.

🏅 Proven Patient Satisfaction and Safety Records

Both Nuffield Wessex and Spire Southampton consistently receive:

‘Good’ and ‘Outstanding’ CQC ratings for surgical and recovery services.

Patient-reported outcome scores that regularly exceed national averages in knee surgery — with 90%+ of patients reporting improved pain and function at 6 months.

🏥 World-Class Expertise on Your Doorstep

Both hospitals have:

Teams led by experienced orthopaedic consultants like Mr. Frame, specialising in advanced, evidence-based techniques such as partial knee resurfacing and Arthrex all-inside ACL reconstruction.

On-site imaging (MRI and X-ray) and dedicated physiotherapy teams to speed up recovery.

Modern theatres and enhanced recovery pathways that help most patients return home the next day, reducing hospital stay times and infections.

💰 Transparent, Fixed Pricing — No Surprises

Nuffield Health and Spire offer inclusive fixed-price surgery packages (e.g. partial knee replacement packages at around £12,000–£15,000), often including follow-up visits and physiotherapy.

Interest-free finance options mean patients can spread the cost of surgery without worrying about delays to their treatment.

📍 Convenience and Comfort

Choosing a Southampton private hospital offers:

Free parking and easy access off the M27 and M3.

Private rooms, freshly prepared meals, and one-on-one nursing care to help you feel looked after at every stage.

✅ Conclusion: The Right Care, Right Away

When mobility and quality of life matter, long NHS wait times shouldn’t hold you back. With the Nuffield Wessex and Spire Southampton, you can access:

Rapid consultations and scans

Personalised surgical options with minimal wait

A quicker recovery under a team you can trust

📞 Ready to explore your options?

Contact us at Wessex Knee Surgery on 023 8091 4471 or email info@wessex-knee.com to arrange a prompt appointment at the Nuffield or Spire Southampton — so you can take control of your care and get back to doing what you love.

Meniscal Repair – Preserving Your Natural Knee Cushion

Your meniscus is a C-shaped cartilage cushion inside your knee that acts as a shock absorber between your thighbone (femur) and shinbone (tibia). Injuries to the meniscus — often due to sports, twisting movements, or age-related wear — can cause pain, swelling, clicking, and even locking of the knee.

At Wessex Knee Surgery, Mr Frame specialises in meniscal repair, a surgical technique to save and heal your own cartilage, helping you regain pain-free movement and protecting your knee from future arthritis.

🧠 What is Meniscal Repair?

When the meniscus is torn, especially on the outer edge where there’s a good blood supply, it can often be repaired rather than trimmed away. During a meniscal repair:

Mr Frame looks inside your knee with a tiny camera (keyhole surgery)

The torn edges of the meniscus are stitched together with special sutures

The repair is left to heal naturally

This is different from a meniscectomy, where torn cartilage is simply trimmed away.

🌟 Benefits of Meniscal Repair

✅ Preserves healthy cartilage — keeping your natural shock absorber

✅ Reduces your long-term risk of knee arthritis

✅ Restores normal knee biomechanics

✅ Gives you a strong, stable knee for sport and everyday life

✅ Avoids losing vital meniscus tissue

🤕 What to Expect from Surgery

Your repair is performed as a day-case under general or spinal anaesthetic.

Small incisions are made around the knee

The torn meniscus is carefully stitched back together using modern, bioabsorbable anchors

Any other damage in the knee is treated at the same time

🏃‍♂️ Recovery & Rehab

Healing of the meniscus takes time.

You’ll go home on crutches with a knee brace to protect the repair

Physiotherapy begins immediately with gentle exercises to reduce swelling and stiffness

Partial weight-bearing usually for 4–6 weeks

Return to light activities after 3 months

Sports and full activities after 4–6 months once the repair has healed

Every patient is different — Mr Frame will give you a tailored rehab plan and regular follow-ups to monitor progress.

🔍 Why Consider Repair?

If you’re active, want to protect your knee for the long term and your tear is suitable for repair, this is often the best choice. Repairing a tear can:

Relieve pain and mechanical locking

Preserve as much healthy tissue as possible

Help you keep your own knee functioning naturally into the future

📞 Book a Consultation

If you have knee pain, swelling or mechanical symptoms like locking or clicking — or have been told you have a meniscal tear — make an appointment with Mr Frame at Wessex Knee Surgery.

We’ll assess your knee carefully and explain if a meniscal repair is right for you. Contact us on info@wessex-knee.com or call the clinic today.

Arthrex All-Inside ACL Reconstruction – What It Means for You

If you’ve injured your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), you may be considering surgery to restore your knee’s stability. Advances in surgical techniques now allow a less invasive, faster-recovery option known as the Arthrex All-Inside ACL reconstruction — a cutting-edge technique offered by Mr Frame at Wessex Knee Surgery.

🧠 What is the All-Inside Technique?

Traditional ACL reconstructions require full-length tunnels drilled through your thigh and shin bones to anchor the new ligament. The Arthrex All-Inside technique is different.

Here, we only drill short, socket-like tunnels into the femur (thighbone) and tibia (shinbone), allowing us to pass and secure the new tendon graft using minimal bone removal and smaller incisions.

🏅 Key Advantages

✅ Less invasive surgery

By creating smaller “sockets” instead of long bone tunnels, there is less trauma to your bone and tissues. This often means less pain after surgery and quicker healing.

✅ Single tendon graft

We typically use one of your hamstring tendons — rather than two — to create a strong new ligament. This means:

More hamstring strength preserved

Faster return to sport and daily activities

Less pain and weakness at the back of the thigh

✅ Faster recovery

With smaller incisions and less surgical trauma, most patients:

Get moving and bearing weight sooner

Have less swelling and stiffness after surgery

Progress faster in physiotherapy

✅ More natural knee biomechanics

The All-Inside technique mimics the natural attachment points of your ACL very precisely. This can lead to a more stable and natural-feeling knee over the long term.

✅ Better long-term outcomes

Modern implants — like the Arthrex TightRope™ system — help the graft to heal securely in its sockets. Many patients experience less hardware irritation and can avoid the need for further surgery to remove screws.

🏥 What to Expect with Mr Frame

Your surgery is performed as a day-case procedure, usually under a spinal or general anaesthetic. Mr Frame will:

Assess the inside of your knee with a small camera (arthroscopy)

Remove damaged ACL tissue

Harvest a single hamstring tendon and prepare it as a graft

Drill short sockets into the femur and tibia

Pass the new ligament into place and secure it with low-profile buttons

Check your knee stability before closing up

You’ll go home the same day with crutches, pain medication and clear instructions on exercises to begin straight away.

🤕 Recovery & Rehab

Physiotherapy will start immediately — gentle exercises to regain motion, reduce swelling and begin rebuilding muscle strength. Many patients:

Regain a full range of movement in 4–6 weeks

Are cycling and swimming by 3 months

Begin light sport-specific training by 4–6 months

Return to full sporting activity at 9–12 months, once strength and control are back to pre-injury levels

🔍 Why Choose All-Inside?

If you want:

✅ Less invasive surgery

✅ Less pain and swelling

✅ Stronger graft healing

✅ Quick recovery

✅ Return to sport sooner

Then the Arthrex All-Inside ACL reconstruction may be the perfect choice for you.

📞 Book a Consultation

Mr Frame and the team at Wessex Knee Surgery will help you make an informed decision tailored to your knee. Get in touch to arrange an assessment and discuss the best ACL reconstruction options for you.

Email us at info@wessex-knee.com or call the clinic to book your appointment.