A local award-winning prehabilitation programme helped 80-year-old Stella Nicholls regain her mobility and enjoy life pain-free.

The 80-year-old former teacher and journalist from Milford Haven had suffered with hip pain for several years and it had left her unable to do many of the things that she loved like gardening, getting out to meet friends and visits to the theatre.

Eight months prior to her surgery, Stella was assessed by the Prehabilitation and Optimisation Team who identified some changes that Stella could make to prevent her surgery being delayed, as well as improving her general health, well-being and post operative recovery. These included reducing her Body Mass Index (BMI) and increasing her activity.

“I was invited to take part in an online course run by the Prehabilitation and Optimisation Team for orthopaedic surgery at Hywel Dda,” said Stella.

The innovative programme run by Hywel Dda University Health Board is aimed at supporting patients to be mentally and physically prepared for their elective surgery - and it has won two national awards recen.

“I was enrolled on a 12-week course of online video sessions… The physio sessions consisted of exercises that we could do in our own homes, mostly sitting or using a chair as an aid, and these lasted for about an hour. The talks covered things such as diet, mood, pain management, fatigue and what to expect before, during and after our eventual surgery,” Stella explained.

“It was wonderful to receive such useful information and to be able to share my experience and concerns with other patients dealing with the very same things. We formed almost a little family unit and I looked forward to these sessions.”

“Within weeks of starting I noticed an appreciable improvement in my mobility and pain levels and the changes I implemented in my diet meant that I lost a not-inconsiderable amount of weight.”

“I cannot overstate the positive effect being on this course had on my mental and physical well-being,” said Stella. “Being in severe pain is a very hard thing to cope with when you're in a queue and you have no idea how long it is, how fast it is moving and where your place in it is.

“One thing I would say about people who are on long waiting lists for orthopaedic surgery is that they suffer from a feeling of total neglect. You feel forgotten, just a number on a list, so I was surprised and delighted to be contacted by the orthopaedic prehab team about the course.

“Simply being on the course made me feel that the end was at last in sight and I am certain that I arrived in hospital for my surgery far better prepared than I would otherwise have done so.”

In January 2025 Stella had a hip replacement at Prince Philip Hospital, Llanelli and is now able to move about totally pain free and get on with enjoying her life.

For more information about Waiting Well for surgery, call 0300 3038322 and choose option 3.