Nicola Godfrey, from Bexhill, was home 11-and-a-half hours after arriving at the Conquest Hospital for the operation.

She said: "I came into hospital with pain in my hip and later the same day I was home with a new hip and no pain. It's terrific.

"The team at the hospital were superb. They told me what to expect before I came in and everything went smoothly including the follow up care at home."

Mr Hugh Apthorp, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Conquest, has been pioneering short stay hip replacements where patients are up and walking within hours of undergoing their surgery and home the next day.

However, it is believed this was one of the first patients to go home on the same day.

The procedure makes a much smaller incision than conventional hip replacement surgery which has many benefits to the patient.

There is less damage to the tissue which means reduced blood loss and less pain.

Patients can go home quicker following this procedure compared with conventional hip replacement procedure which normally results in a five to seven-day stay in hospital.

Mr Apthorp said: "We have been performing short stay hip replacement surgery for a few years now.

"This radical approach to this type of surgery involves a small team focused on the whole process tailored to suit the needs of each patient.

"We believe it is one of the first day case hip replacement procedures in this country.

"We have introduced pioneering technologies and surgical techniques which reduce the trauma of the surgery.

"Patients can now get up on the day of the surgery and in this case go home on the same day.

"Our patients are incredibly positive about the service we can now offer them and we hope we will be able to extend this day case service to other patients."