Woman, 102, one of oldest people to get new hip

Joy Palfreman said she was in excruciating pain before she had the operation

A 102-year-old woman is thought to be one of the oldest people to have been fitted with a new hip in the UK.

Joy Palfreman, from Exmouth, had the surgery at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton and it was carried out by surgeon Ben Bolland.

Mrs Palfreman said she was delighted with her new hip.

"It's amazing - I really didn't think at my age they would do the operation but I'm so pleased they did," she said.

"Before the hip replacement I was in excruciating pain and couldn't walk."

Mrs Palfreman said that waking up after the operation was "uncomfortable to begin with" but she had since recovered and was no longer in pain.

"Now I'm getting around so much better," she said. "It's given me a new lease of life."

It has only been a few weeks since the operation but she is now walking, pain free, with the help of a frame and is improving her fitness by walking up and down the long corridor in the flats where she lives.

'Desperate pain'

Mr Bolland said: "Mrs Palfreman is testimony indeed that age alone should not be a discriminator to surgery.

"She has a heart that has been ticking for 102 years," he said. "I realised straight off that she was an extremely fit and well woman.

"She was in desperate pain and her quality of life had really been hampered.

"It is wonderful that she is now pain free and feels that she has a better quality of life.

"She is a delight to look after and I wish her many more years with her new lease of life."

Parkside at Musgrove is part of the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and while private patients pay for their treatment, which takes place out of hours, all profits go straight back into the NHS, benefiting the hospital and the patients.

Mrs Palfreman's son David said: "Mum chose to have the operation privately because she developed severe pain quite suddenly and just wanted the operation done quickly."