3 October 2023
Recovering from a shoulder arthroscopy hasn’t stopped 62-year-old Di Heavey from getting back out on the golf course and taking home some trophies.
Di, who lives in Chertsey, Surrey, was playing golf last year when she felt something ‘snap’ in her shoulder. The pain was excruciating and she had to go off the course. She went to see a physiotherapist and then unfortunately fell down some steps and had to have an X-ray and MRI on the NHS.
Di wasn’t getting very far with the NHS so her nephew suggested she contacted Consultant Shoulder Surgeon Mr Steve Corbett at Fortius Clinic.
“My nephew has had an operation with Mr Corbett and said he wouldn’t go and see anyone else,” said Di. “I went to see him at the end of September and had qualified to play at Celtic Manor in the national final of the UKPCC in early October. Mr Corbett arranged for me to have a cortisone injection so that I was able to play. Unbelievably I managed to win!”
Despite having more physiotherapy, Di’s shoulder continued to hurt so she arranged to see Mr Corbett again at Fortius Clinic Wimbledon. Mr Corbett recommended that Di had a shoulder rotator cuff repair and subacromial decompression and a biceps tenotomy.
Di had her operation at the Fortius Surgical Centre in Marylebone, London and went home on the same day. After a month she started doing the exercises which were given to her and seeing a physiotherapy once a week.
Mr Corbett said: “Di had a rotator cuff tear which needed to be repaired. She came to see me three months after the operation and she was doing unbelievably well. After four months, I told Di she could start hitting some golf balls and she hasn’t looked back since.”
Di, who has played golf for 30 years, continues to do her exercises every day and always makes sure she warms up before hitting any balls. She’s won several golf competitions this year and her shoulder continues to improve.