Ok alot of information and hopefully help

[jjiam]

K here is the info, I had a resurfacing 2 years ago.  It was great up until the point of about 1year 4months, then i went back to exercise regularly.  I had pain and then went to see the a regular doc.  He then referred me to a "specialist" with problem hips.  I have gone to him and this is his assessment.  The cup is too shallow place in my acetabulum therefore it sticks out over the bone and I have an "impingement"  my cup hits my bone on walking.  Next I got a bone scan, and they said the cover over the neck of my femur is loosening, and the bone underneath is dying. The doctor attributed it to the "cement" they put in.  He said that it will eventually break up, and that since i am a bigger guy, that this is probably the reason for loosening.  Hence the question are all resurfacing devices on top of the neck of the femur held together by cement?  Then he said that I need a total hip, since this is failing, 2 years UGH.  I have to be on pain medicine at work, I'm a dealer and bending up and down he says that my tendon is rubbing on the implant. 
OK then he hits me with this LIFE question, says no good or bad answer.  The information is that for the first surgery, he said that resurfacing my hip beat up my muscles and they bled, then regenerated, but bone cells got in there and then it started regenerating bone in my muscle.  He said I don't belive you are a "bone maker' and that he thinks that was part of the surgery.  OK then he says here is your choice, if you make more bone from this operation, there is a chance that your hip will make more bone and possibly fuse your leg to your pelvis. If that happens he says you will have to wait for a year then we will remove it and give you a big dose of radiation to stop it from coming back.  or he says you can get a big dose of radiation now and then stop the bone cells from forming.  this is very scary, does this sound correct? I want to get a second opinion. what are your thoughts guys, please any opinion is valued
Thanks

[Pat Walter]

Hi

I am really sorry to hear about your problems.  I had to go back and read your earlier posts.  I am sorry, but I talk with so many people that I can't always keep the stories straight in my mind.

My suggestion at this point is to write your story down, get a copy of your x-rays in a digital format and send it all to Dr. De Smet in Belgium.  He is one of the best in the world and has done way over 3000 hip resurfacings.  We don't have surgeons in the US with the experience of the overseas surgeons.  He does a lot of revisions of other doctors errors for both resurfacing and THRs.  He will give you a free consultation if you take time to write to him. 

You really need the input from some of the top surgeons - That would be De Smet in Belgium, Dr. Gross in SC, Dr. Mont in MD, Dr. Su in NY and you could also try Dr. Schmalzried in CA.  Dr. Ure in CA might not be bad either.  Not all will give you free consultations - but Gross, Mont and De Smet will.  They understand when there are problems and are use to solving the diffiuclt ones.

I can't understand that you are having an impingement and need to wait until the hip freezes together.  It all sounds very complicated and strange.  I would think they need to get the implant out and get a proper MOM or ceramic on ceramic in it's place.  You can form pseudoturmors and all kinds of stuff when your metal ions are high from the device not being seated properly.  Have they tested you for high metal ions?

Shallow hip sockets is not abnormal and should have been considered when the surgeon was placing your device.  I understand how upset you are to be facing a second surgery and having such a diffiuclt decision to make.  You definitely need more input than from people from this group- not that they are not very supportive and nice people - but they are not hip resurfacing experts.  Now you need to turn to the best to get an answer.

Again, I am really sorry to hear about your problem.  I look back and don't know anything about your surgeon and his use of the Cormet.  I think he is a less expeirnced resurfacing surgeon and in this case - you really need imput from some of the best in the world. This is very important since you need your hips to walk properly and to be out of pain and active.

Please keep in touch. 

Pat