EXCLUSIVE
Andy may need two hip replacements later in life but doc told him to go for it
ANDY MURRAY will need to have at least one full hip replacement – and his tennis swansong could bring the surgery forward by years.
The former world No.1 knew the resurfacing he underwent in January was likely to last only into his 50s.
Then he would need a full replacement as the resurfacing procedure can be performed just once.
Murray said: “There is always a risk in sport. The prosthesis I have in there should last 20 or so years – then I would have a full hip replacement. You can’t resurface your hip twice.
“The risk in playing is that it lasts less time than it would otherwise and I would need a hip replacement sooner.
“With playing sport, the risk is higher. It may mean the operation or the prosthesis won’t last as long. That is why doctors are cautious.
“For surgeons and doctors, MATTHEW DUNN IN ZHUHAI they don’t want to be the person who says, ‘Go back and do this, absolutely you’ll be fine’, then have it break after two years and there needs to be a replacement.”
Initially, Murray was happy to hang up his racket and simply enjoy a pain-free life after undergoing the procedure.
But after the success of the operation, his surgeon Sarah Muirhead-Allwood was among those persuading him to give top-level tennis one last go – in part because medics wanted to see just how robust the relatively new treatment can be.
They hope it could be the gateway to similar operations on other leading sportsmen.
Murray said: “The lady who operated on me at the beginning said, ‘You can try but don’t have such high expectations.’
“Then at some stage during the rehab I said, ‘I feel great. I have no pain in my hip and I am happy. I don’t need to play tennis.’
“Then it was her who started saying, ‘Oh no, you should give it a go!’
“Doctors need to gain confidence in the op. I’m hoping with me doing what I am doing maybe it will make people think they can have the operation too.”
Murray has had lots of encouraging messages from people who have led active lives after a full hip replacement so he is confident the procedure will not be life-limiting whenever it does occur.
There is even a train of thought that by continuing in the lifestyle of a top athlete and working his body hard,
the resurfacing process may even last longer.
Murray said: “With the prosthesis, if you have a strong bone around it then it can make it better. If you don’t exercise and your bones become weak, there is a way of thinking where it becomes weaker quicker.”
Meanwhile, Roberto Bautista Agut strengthened his bid for a place at the season-ending World Tour Championships as he reached the semi-finals of the Zhuhai Open.
The Wimbledon semi-finalist, who is currently seventh in the race to reach London, broke Andreas Seppi twice in each set for a 6-2 6-2 win.
The Spaniard will next face Australian seventh seed Alex De Minaur, who beat Borna Coric 6-2 4-6 6-4.