Dr. Palmer in Madison

[mwelliott65]

I have recently decided to move forward with hip resurfacing (I am 45 and very active) and have an appointment with my surgeon next week.  Yesterday I was talking with a neighbor about my surgery and the doctor I am working with - to my surprise he had seen this same doctor but for a knee replacement.  He was very very dissatisfied with the work and had to have a second surgery because someone bumped his knee while it was setting during surgery.  He went through 10 months of pain before finally getting the second surgery and reported that the doctor in this case was fairly detached.  He eventually changed doctors.  I am live in the northwest Wisconsin and traveling to Belgium or someplace faraway is not necessarily an option.  I am doing some more investigative research on my current doctor but you can imagine how my anxiety has increased after hearing this story.  The doctor I am seeing has done over 400 procedures.  Can anyone suggest another surgeon in the Minneapolis/St. Paul/Wisconsin area that I can talk to?   I am not sure what I want to do.  Thanks for your help.

[Lopsided]

The doctor I am seeing has done over 400 procedures.

400 procedures. Is that four hundred hip resurfacings? Four hundred hip operations including THR? Or four hundred operations of all types put together?

This is the issue that might determine how experienced he is.

[mwelliott65]

Good question and I believe it to be 400 BHR procedures as it was posted as such on the surfacehippy doctor search.

[Lopsided]

It is difficult to know if the surgeon is not competent, or the other staff in the operating theatre made a mistake, or if your neighbour is dissatisfied for other reasons. Is it possible to speak to other patients, preferably resurfacing patients from this doctor?

[mwelliott65]

I have asked for contact information from previous BHR patients and have not received any thing as of yet.  I am going call tomorrow to touch base with the clinic.  At the very least if I go forward with this doctor I am going to need some balance to the negative feedback and hear from other former hip patients.  Being a newbie is it okay for me to put the doctors name out there on this site and see if anyone has had him do their procedure?  Appreciate your feedback.  Take care.

[Lopsided]

At some stage you will have to trust the surgeon you choose. But in the meantime, remember that all doctors are human, with frailties and egos. You are entitled to get other patients' feelings about them.

It is true that the doctor, or clinic cannot just release contact information. That would be a betrayal of trust. But any surgeon worth his salt should be ready for new patients asking for references.

Before I decided on Dr. De Smet, I communicated with a few other surgeons, both local and abroad. The two main conditions for my choosing were 1.) Does he treat me like a human being? 2.) Is there sufficient reference for his success in this field? It is surprising that well known (and even expensive) surgeons fail on both these.

Put his name out!

D.

[stevel]

Two Drs. that have done over 400 hip resurfacings are listed on this website in your area: Dr. John Rogerson, Madison, WI and Dr. David Palmer, Stillwater, MN.
You can do a search of prior posts regarding these Drs. to determine problem cases.  Former hippies of these Drs. that are not currently active may not respond to your inquiry.

[sroberts]

MW,

You can't go wrong with Dr Rogerson. Let me know if you have any specific questions that i can help you with.
I am back running, jumping, cycling, lifting heavy...etc. Don't even think about the hip anymore.


take care,

spencer

[mwelliott65]

The doctor I am looking at right now is Dr. Palmer.  Madison is about 5 hours away compared to Stillwater (St. Croix Orthopaedics) which is only an hour and a half away.  Follow up appt. would definitely be easier in Stillwater.  I will definitely check past posts.  I have asked some friends that are doctors doing some checking as well.  Thanks for the help.  Greatly appreciated.

Mark

[stevel]

Mark,

Review prior posts on the Yahoo Surface Hippy Message Board.  This message board has a much greater user group over a longer time period.

[Lopsided]

Mark,

Review prior posts on the Yahoo Surface Hippy Message Board.  This message board has a much greater user group over a longer time period.

It certainly is easier to navigate this site than the yahoo board.