For Garry Harper, sport has always been a way of life. From his early years playing football at a professional level to cycling, swimming and fell running, staying active was second nature. But after a serious motorbike accident at 17 that ruptured both his ACL and PCL, his knees became a lifelong challenge.
Over the next three decades, Garry underwent multiple surgeries, including ligament reconstructions, several arthroscopies, and a high tibial osteotomy to correct a bowed leg. For a time, the osteotomy brought relief – allowing him to continue his active lifestyle. But after more than a decade, the pain returned.
Then, a bike accident caused a compression fracture to the tibial plateau on his right leg, compounding the problems he already faced. Unable to fully weight bear on his right side, the strain on his left knee became unbearable. “That’s when things really went downhill,” Garry recalls. “I was on so much naproxen just to keep going.” This ultimately led to his referral to Mr Sulaiman Alazzawi, a specialist in complex knee replacement surgery, for expert assessment and treatment.
“I knew I was in safe hands”
“I could barely walk for more than half an hour without pain,” Garry recalls. Despite this, he continued to cycle and swim, determined to stay fit. But when scans revealed broken screws and deterioration in his knee joint, it was clear he needed a knee replacement – a complex one due to the existing metalwork and bone changes.
A local surgeon recognised the complexity of the case and referred Garry to Mr Alazzawi.
“I was nervous at first,” says Garry. “But from the moment I met Mr Alazzawi, he put me completely at ease. He explained everything clearly and calmly – I knew I was in safe hands.”
The surgery took place at Spire St Anthony’s Hospital in Sutton, South London. During the operation, Mr Alazzawi carefully removed the old plate and screws, following Garry’s previous scar to minimise nerve damage and avoid additional scarring. “He explained that using the same incision would preserve the skin sensation around my knee – I’d never have thought of that,” Garry says.
“Do everything the physio tells you”
Because of the previous bone work, Mr Alazzawi used an extended tibial stem to provide extra stability and restore correct leg alignment. The result was immediate. Garry’s leg was finally straight again.
The first few weeks of recovery were, as Garry puts it, “brutal.” He was up walking on the same day as surgery, but the pain and swelling were intense. “You don’t sleep much at all in those early weeks,” he says. “But you just have to push through, ice constantly, and do everything the physio tells you.”
Hydrotherapy played a key part in his rehabilitation. Following Mr Alazzawi’s advice, Garry insisted on regular fortnightly sessions in the hospital’s hydrotherapy pool. “It was hard work, but every time I could see progress – a bit more bend, a bit more strength,” he says.
By week five, Garry was commuting into London with crutches, and within three months, he was back on his bike. “I started with just a few minutes at a time on the Peloton, then built up gradually,” he says. “The left leg just kept getting stronger.”
Climbing Ben Nevis within a year
That strength was put to the ultimate test when Garry set himself a personal challenge: to climb Ben Nevis within a year of his operation. “I’d seen a woman on YouTube who did the same after her knee replacement and I thought, that’s what I’m going to do.”
Less than a year after surgery, Garry and his son reached the summit of the UK’s highest mountain.
“The surgery has completely transformed my life,” Garry says. “For years, my family had to slow down for me on walks – now my wife complains that she can’t keep up!”
He credits his outcome to Mr Alazzawi’s surgical expertise and a disciplined approach to rehabilitation. “I did everything by the book. I took painkillers and did physio every day.”
Now pain-free on his left side, Garry is preparing for surgery on his right knee next year – and he hopes it will be with Mr Alazzawi again.
“He’s an exceptional surgeon and such a kind, reassuring man,” he says. “If I can get the same result as this one, I’ll be over the moon.”
Garry’s story is one of resilience and expert care – and proof that, with the right surgeon and determination, even the most complex cases can have life-changing results.
