E-Dog Night Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 Hey all, After 6 years of living with some pretty awful hip pain, I'm finally getting my right hip operated on a week from this Wednesday. And actually, I'm glad I waited, because had I got the surgery when I first experienced problems, I would have had to get a full hip replacement. Now there is a newer procedure called the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing, which sounds better in every way. Less invasive, fewer artificial parts, faster recovery time, greater mobility than traditional hip replacements...the list goes on. Just curious if anyone has any first hand experience with this procedure, or knows anyone who's had it. Trying to get some real-world feedback. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Brave Little Toaster Oven Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 I think your career may be over man, the Redskins will probably cut you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrifNick21 Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 I think your career may be over man, the Redskins will probably cut you :ols: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hieverybody Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 What is James Andrews' username? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighOnHendrix Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 This might be tailgate material, but still I wish you good luck on your surgery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett81 Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 What is James Andrews' username? Dr. J An-Dizzle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IONTOP Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 I think your career may be over man, the Redskins will probably cut you Luckily the cap hit won't be too bad... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonedoc Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 Resurfacing is not a new hip surgery, this is a refinement on the technique. It gained increasing popularity with Greg Landis' replacement. It has advantages in rehab post op that have led to improved function, with people resuming cycling, swimming, golfing etc. Pain levels have been reduced in peri-operative settings as well. That being said, there are significant increased risks associated with the surgery. There is a large learning curve to mastering the technique. If not done properly, a high incidence of femoral neck fractures occur, leading to revision to a total hip system, which in itself is not bad. Just another major hip procedure. The main factor seems to be with the experience of the surgeon. It takes 15-20 cases to really master the technique. I was courted to be the local "Birmingham " hip specialist in my area. I didn't feel that I could use my patients as "Guinea pigs", to achieve this status. There is not a high volume of people in this area who would allow me to maintain my expertise. It's been easier/safer to refer those people out who are obscessed with this surgery. The ultimate results have not been shown to be superior to traditional Total Hip Arthroplasty. Our improved engineering/ equipment has helped ud to superior results. Most hips are done through two surgical approaches, anterior and posterior. Every surgeon has his/her preferences. I have swithched to the anterior approach and have had significant improvement in function, blood loss, shortened hospital stays, decreased pain and resumption of sports activity, that is every bit as good /superior to the Birmingham Resurfacing. I have not had to worry about "learning curves". I left many Orthopaedic friends in Northern Virginia and the Washington Metro area who were good at toal hip arthroplasties. In all cases/techniques, the results are dependent on the surgeon's experience. Places such as the Anderson Orthopaedic Institute at Mt Vernon Hospital have been on the cutting edge of total hip research both nationally and internationally. All of the universities and many of the local community hospital have equally talented Orthopaedists on their staffs. Good luck to you. I'm sure you'll do well. Now's a good time for hip replacement. The future health care proposals are not favorable to those of us who will follow you in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sellersfan Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 Shouldn't this be in the Cult of Colt thread? CB5 could give you the lowdown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWinzit Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 E-Dog, we spoke on this a few years back. I had a total hip replacement 15 years ago. I was only 31 but quality of life was dramatically reduced. It turned out to be great move for me and only hope it lasts a lot longer... If the resurfacing was a decent option I would have seriously investigated. I have two friends who have had the procedure and are very happy with it. Their recovery was way shorter than mine even though I was much younger and in better shape. As Bonedoc states, it is all about your doctor and his experience level. What are they saying for estimated time of durability? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinfan2k Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 Phillip Daniels is really asking for advice on this forum! wow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-Dog Night Posted February 22, 2010 Author Share Posted February 22, 2010 Resurfacing is not a new hip surgery, this is a refinement on the technique. It gained increasing popularity with Greg Landis' replacement........ First let me say that I'm surprised this didn't get moved to the tailgate already, and of course I meant to post it there. My apologies. Second, thank you for your post. I do feel confident in my surgeon. His name is Dr. Michael Mont and he has done well over 2,000 of these procedures and his success rate is phenomenal. And I did see Dr. John Albrigo at Anderson, who was great. What a nice guy. He actually said that he thought I was a better candidate for BHR than total hip replacement due to my age, and recommended Mont. So I am feeling pretty confident about the procedure at this point. But I really appreciate what you had to say and if you have any other insights please feel free to let me know. I will keep you posted on how things go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-Dog Night Posted February 22, 2010 Author Share Posted February 22, 2010 E-Dog, we spoke on this a few years back. I had a total hip replacement 15 years ago. I was only 31 but quality of life was dramatically reduced. It turned out to be great move for me and only hope it lasts a lot longer...If the resurfacing was a decent option I would have seriously investigated. I have two friends who have had the procedure and are very happy with it. Their recovery was way shorter than mine even though I was much younger and in better shape. As Bonedoc states, it is all about your doctor and his experience level. What are they saying for estimated time of durability? Yeah, I think the resurfacing techniques were not as trustworthy 15 years ago as they are today, so you certainly made the right move. One of the most crucial aspects of choosing resurfacing is that it makes a 2nd surgery a little easier, should you need it. And you can't get a resurfacing once you've had a total hip replacement. A concern, as Bonedoc said, is that this procedure is newer and as such there are fewer data about it than the traditional hip replacements. So exactly how long it will last is an estimate, but about 20 years is what the expectation is. And since Dr. Mont has performed over 2,000 of these procedures, I don't feel like a test subject. I feel like if you do anything 2,000 times you've got the hang of it, but then again I'm not a surgeon so maybe I'm not understanding the complexity of the procedure. But apparently Mont is among a small elite in the country who perform this specific procedure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teller Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 I'm not familiar with the procedure, E-Dog, but I wish you all the best and a speedy recovery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeanCollins Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 E-dog, just curious if you smoke cigarettes, take vitamins, and especially have you taken glucosamine chondroitin continueously and did you get any relief from that? What was the cause of your hip condition? Congenital? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighOnHendrix Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Bonedoc, I admire you for being able to restore quality of life to people with excruciating pain/lack of mobility. However, I've seen a hip-replacement procedure and it was grisly! After all the sawing and hollowing out the femur, they stick the new metal ball joint into the bone - and then beat on it with a hammer! Yikes. Funny thing is, I think I could handle doing it better than watching it, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-Dog Night Posted February 22, 2010 Author Share Posted February 22, 2010 E-dog, just curious if you smoke cigarettes, take vitamins, and especially have you taken glucosamine chondroitin continueously and did you get any relief from that? What was the cause of your hip condition? Congenital? I do not smoke cigarettes, I do take vitamins, I tried glucosamine chondroitin but didn't really notice much of a difference, probably because my condition is a result of a injury. No one in my family has ever had any hip problems. If you were to look at my x-rays the thing that pops out is how out of whack the head of the femur is in relation to my hip socket. It is tilted at about a 30 degree angle, causing bone-on-bone contact which, as you might guess, hurts like hell. It also causes a severe reduction in mobility and new bone matter has begun to grow on the femur head in the area that is displaced from the hip socket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-Dog Night Posted February 22, 2010 Author Share Posted February 22, 2010 Bonedoc, I admire you for being able to restore quality of life to people with excruciating pain/lack of mobility. However, I've seen a hip-replacement procedure and it was grisly! After all the sawing and hollowing out the femur, they stick the new metal ball joint into the bone - and then beat on it with a hammer! Yikes. Funny thing is, I think I could handle doing it better than watching it, lol. Thanks. Thanks for that. Like I wasn't freaked out enough already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeanCollins Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 ouch! My hip problems are minor in comparison. The Ortho said my hip socket wasn't formed real well to begin with. I've of course agrivated it with a lot of use and abuse between sports, riding dirtbikes, and work. But I have gotten a lot of relief from supplements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chasefan31 Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 If you go through with this let us know how it works out for you. I was given the option about 5 years ago from a local specialist and scheduled the surgery. While on vacation in Wisconsin I took a little detour and stopped by Mayo Clinic to see if I could get a "walk in" visit with a doc for a second opinion. I waited less than an hour to see a GP, and I had 2 appointments later that afternoon with specialists. They looked at my x-ray and told me instantly that resurfacing would not work at all in my case because my hips were to far degenerated. I had them do total replacements on both sides 3 years ago and I haven't had any pain at all since recovery. I can do pretty much anything that doesn't require lateral pressure or quick moves side to side. I hunt and sometimes walk 4-5 miles a day over hills and through ditches no problems. I'm 28 and the reason I had to get my hips replaced was bilateral osteonecrosis(death of the bone) caused by 40mg of Prednisone for 2 months. To put it lightly, I avoid all pills unless absolutely necessary now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-Dog Night Posted February 22, 2010 Author Share Posted February 22, 2010 ouch! My hip problems are minor in comparison. The Ortho said my hip socket wasn't formed real well to begin with. I've of course agrivated it with a lot of use and abuse between sports, riding dirtbikes, and work. But I have gotten a lot of relief from supplements. Yeah, the quality of life is the big issue. I can't tie my right shoe. I can't really run. I can't lift my right leg past my waist - hell I can't really even get it up to my waist. I limp as a natural course of walking. If you don't have these types of issues then why get surgery? Although if you wanted to get the BHR as opposed to total hip replacement it's better to do it before you turn 60. As Bonedoc mentioned, one of the risk factors is femoral neck fracture (i. e. fracturing the part of the femur that sticks up at an angle towards your hip socket), and that risk goes up considerably after you turn 60, because your bones begin to weaken as you get older. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-Dog Night Posted February 22, 2010 Author Share Posted February 22, 2010 If you go through with this let us know how it works out for you. I was given the option about 5 years ago from a local specialist and scheduled the surgery. While on vacation in Wisconsin I took a little detour and stopped by Mayo Clinic to see if I could get a "walk in" visit with a doc for a second opinion. I waited less than an hour to see a GP, and I had 2 appointments later that afternoon with specialists. They looked at my x-ray and told me instantly that resurfacing would not work at all in my case because my hips were to far degenerated. I had them do total replacements on both sides 3 years ago and I haven't had any pain at all since recovery. I can do pretty much anything that doesn't require lateral pressure or quick moves side to side. I hunt and sometimes walk 4-5 miles a day over hills and through ditches no problems. I'm 28 and the reason I had to get my hips replaced was bilateral osteonecrosis(death of the bone) caused by 40mg of Prednisone for 2 months. To put it lightly, I avoid all pills unless absolutely necessary now. Damn, that's scary how doctors can give you vastly different opinions. I think we as a society take for granted that doctors (and surgeons especially) know their stuff and will recommend the best course of action regardless of what it is. The truth is that they often like to do "their" procedure and since they are human they can let this cloud their judgement. So it always is important to get a 2nd opinion. I actually got 3 opinions and all 3 said I was a good candidate for this newer resurfacing technique. So I found the most experienced person in my area who does it. People apparently fly in from all over the country to see this guy so I feel very fortunate. One of the most important factors for being a candidate for resurfacing is having strong bone stock. If you had a condition that is referred to as "death of the bone" the how in the hell could anyone in good faith recommend resurfacing to you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chasefan31 Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Yeah, the Prednisone basically stops the blood from flowing through the bone properly and causes the femoral head to just dry up, fracture etc. By the time I had my surgery my femoral heads had Bart Simpson's hairdo. The Surgeons at Mayo said it had about a 90% chance it would have just fractured the heck out of my femoral head, then I would have had to have a replacement anyway. You'll be alright though. It's amazing what they can do with hips. You'll be free of any discomfort soon. I had the nerve block(like an epideral) done for both my surgeries. The first totally numbed the bottom half of my body so much that I could barely move my leg when they made me get up and walk. The second time it didn't take effect quite so much and I had more pain afterwards but recovery was quicker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-Dog Night Posted March 6, 2010 Author Share Posted March 6, 2010 I'm back...with a completely new hip. Turns out the resurfacing couldn't be done in my case. Just happy to be back home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonedoc Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Glad to hear that all went well. Part of the benefit in having a good Orthopaedic surgeon rests in(the surgeon) having the wisdom and experience to change plans intraoperatively. You'll do well, Keep your activity up to lessen the possibility of blood clots. I had the misfortune of having one last month and nearly checked in to that happy hunting ground in the sky. Keep Movin, HTTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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