Use an Experienced Hip Resurfacing Surgeon

[Pat Walter]

If you are considering Hip Resurfacing - use an experienced hip resurfacing surgeon to make sure you are not one of the statistics representing a loose acetabulum cup, femur neck fracture or revision of your new hip resurfacing.

Experience according to medical studies I have post on my website suggest a surgeon that has done 50 - 100 hip resurfacings.  My opinion, not based on any medical training but observations and study of hundreds of other hippies stories, is to use a surgeon that has done hundreds. 

That is what I believe and that is what I did for my surgery.  I went to Belgium and used Dr. De Smet who has done over 2700 hip resurfacings.

The BHR statistics have now changed since the US doctors have joined the ranks of the doctors from the rest of the world.  If
The survivorship for BHRs to be now 96.1 %      It use to be 99+% in the rest of the world before the FDA Approval in 2006. 

What has happened is a lot of new surgeons are now doing the BHR in the US.  They are learning and having problems.  If you don't mind taking a chance and hope you are not one of their learning statistics - use the newer hip resurfacing doctors.  If you want to try to make sure you have the very best chance of getting a hip resusrfacing and not have any post op problems or quick revision of your new hip resurfacing -  USE AN EXPERIENCED HIP RESURFACING DOCTOR!

"my doctor is a great THR surgeon" has nothing to do with performing a hip resurfacing.  Hip resurfacing is a much more difficult surgery and the instrumentation to place the hip device properly is not very plentiful.  THRs have been done a long time and there are lots of instruments to help doctors place the hip device.  Hip resurfacing is new. You need a doctor that has done hundreds to make sure you won't get a loose cup, have a femur neck fracture, get an infection or just need to have the hip resurfacing revised from surgeon error.

It is happening - that is why that stats have gone from 99% to 96.1%   Someone has to be in the 3-4% category of problems and revisions.  They best way to statistically make sure it isn't you is to use an experienced HIP RESURFACING SURGEON.

I can't say it any more clearly.  I would turn and run from a hip resurfacing surgeon that has only done a couple unless you just feel you need to give him some practice.  Odds are you will probably be OK - but you can't argue with the statistics.  Someone has to have the slipped cups and femur neck fractures.  There are been 10 slipped cups in the last year or so on the Yahoo Group.  That meant that these peope went back into surgery and were opened up again while the surgeon attached the loose acetabulum cup!  Not fun to do major surgery twice since the surgeon did not place the cup properly.  Loose acetabulum cups are surgeon error according to Dr. De Smet, Dr. Bose and others.

You should take a look at my doctors list and find someone experienced.  If they are out of your insurance group - consider going to India to Bose or Belgium to De Smet like many of us have.  De Smet has done over 2700 Hip resurfacings and over 3000 THRs.  He will never give a THR if he can do a hip resurfacing.

Many of the newer, less experienced surgeons will often change to a THR when the going gets tough.  If you have any special problems with your hips, they will elect to do a THR because they don't have the experience to tackle difficult hip resurfacings.

So you must ask your doctor what the odds are that he/she will change ther mind during surgery and you will wake up with a THR instead of a hip resurfacing.

I hope I haven't frightened you - but the numbers don't lie.  If you want to play it safe - use an experienced hip resurfacing doctor.

Pat