A man says his wife was left stunned after he went to hospital for knee replacement surgery – and was home the same afternoon.

Stephen Wall went under the knife at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital at just before 10am and was discharged by 5pm.

The 54-year-old from Folkestone – the first patient in east Kent to go home the same day as the procedure – was even able to complete a two-and-a-half mile walk just eight days later.

He says his wife was more surprised than him to learn he would be discharged so soon after the surgery.

“We had both expected that I would stay at least one night,” he said.

“The first day at home was a bit of a learning curve but we soon got used to it and although recovery feels like a long, slow process, it has been quite straightforward.”

Mr Wall, who is a civil engineer, took his first steps without crutches just five days after the procedure and three days later completed a two-and-a-half-mile walk without any support.

“I think I was a good candidate to be able to go home the same day but I think a lot of it is also down to mental attitude...”

Continuing to go from strength to strength in his recovery following the operation on November 22, the dad-of-three managed to complete a 5km park run on New Year’s Day with a mixture of fast walking and jogging.

“I think I was a good candidate to be able to go home the same day but I think a lot of it is also down to mental attitude,” Mr Wall added.

“If you think you can do it, and know it is not causing any pain, then you feel more confident.

“The team were really caring, really considerate and I was very well looked after. They were really professional and clearly dedicated to their work and I can’t fault the care I received.

“Full recovery could take six to nine months but my goal is to play a game of five-a-side football without pain and to try and get a sub-24-minute park run.”

Before the surgery, any turning movement caused pain, and walking on uneven ground was difficult. Mr Wall had developed osteoarthritis after a previous injury, and the cartilage had worn away.

Because it was only affecting one side of his knee, surgeons decided to do a partial knee replacement rather than replace the whole joint to speed up the recovery time.

Trauma and orthopaedics consultant Nimesh Patel said: “Mr Wall has been a model patient and I am delighted that he is recovering so well.

“We are always keen for people to return home as soon as possible after their joint replacements, but Stephen was the first who we could safely discharge on the same day at this hospital. This was down to a fantastic team effort.

“Our aim is to safely discharge more patients routinely on the same day after joint replacement. He has set a fantastic example for others to follow and we wish him all the best with his goals.”