FDA approved device and experienced hip resurfacing doctor

[stevel]

Has anybody received an ID card with the lot numbers for their device?  I received a BHR card but the lot numbers were not completed.  FYI, the FDA issued a recall in 2007 due to mismatched sizes (femoral cap/socket) for the BHR device.  Are Biomet/Conserve Plus/Cormet/ASR hippies receiving ID cards?  My hospital bill states that I received a 54 mm femoral cap and a 60 mm socket so I wrote the sizes on the card for future reference.

Durom hippies need not respond.

[stevel]

Week 22 update:

My physical therapist says to continue to improve my range of motion.  Two weeks ago, my hip extension was 8 degrees and should be 12 to 15 degrees.  Hip extension is when you extend your leg backwards, when standing.  Yesterday, I stood on a circular platform which rotated about a 4 inch ball.  I practiced tipping the circular platform from edge to edge.  I also did step overs where I stepped on a 4 inch ball in the center of the platform.  I wrapped the session up using the pro fitter machine for 15 minutes (simulates side to side motion of downhill skiing).  I am amazed of the items that need improvement that the physical therapist discovers.  This is well worth the fee my insurance company is paying.  I mainly need to strengthen my glutes.  She improved my form when doing hip hitches.  She believes I won't need to fly to New York City see my doc for a 6 months post-op, as she is supervising the functional recovery.  I could have x-rays taken locally and sent to doc for evaluation of the bone healing.  I requested a prescription if he wants x-rays.  I believe the next x-rays are a 1 year post-op, according to the docs website.  She would have added a heel lift early in my recovery to correct a "Trendelenberg" gait and then back off as I improved, but my doc said not to use a heel lift, my body would adjust and he was right.  Needless to say, listen to your Doc, not somebody else's doc, not your physical therapist, not your nurse etc. when you feel an important item needs direction.

[stevel]

Week 23 update:

Sunday, I hiked a mile along a groomed ski run, gaining 500 ft in elevation.  I snowshoed across an alpine meadow before climbing a ridge and gaining another 500 ft in elevation.  My left hamstrings tweaked a bit halfway up the ridge, but I continued.  The physical therapy has paid off!  I had no aches or pains the next AM.

I'm delaying downhill skiing for another 2 1/2 weeks (six months post-op) according to Dr. Su's protocol, but my function is essentially back to normal.

[stevel]

Week 24 update:

Last Sunday on March 15, I hiked and snowshoed from the ski lodge at elevation 1200 ft nearly to the top of Mt. Troy at elevation 3000 ft.  The downtown portion of Juneau is shown in the first photo.  The route I descended on snowshoes is shown in the third photo.  I was envious of skiiers who hiked up and skiied down.  Oh well, Dr. Su said I can downhill ski next week on March 29 at six months post-op.  I had no muscle aches or pains the next day.  On Friday, March 20, I had my last visit to the physical therapist.  My muscles are still tight around my left hip as my hip extension was 8 degrees and should be 12 to 15 degrees.  I have done better.  Maybe I need to take yoga.
Yesterday, I hiked a couple miles up Perserverance Trail east of Juneau (the valley behind Juneau in the first photo).  The North wind was breezy and temperatures were below 32 F, but it was nice to be alone in the wilderness as nobody else was up there.

[Pat Walter]

Hey Steve

Great Photos.  Thanks for sharing.

Glad you are doing so well.  I know many people will enjoy reading your story and seeing your photos. 

Wish I was there!

Good Luck.

Pat

[stevel]

Six months post-op update:

Hee Haw!  I downhill skied at Eaglecrest for 5 hours today.  I started on two green (beginner) runs and moved over to two blue (intermediate) runs on the lower mountain.  I moved to the upper mountain chair lift and skied a couple of green runs.  I moved over to blue runs and finally a black (expert) run.  I traversed and skied down the West Bowl (advanced).  I then hiked to Pittman's ridge and skied down the West Bowl.  I finished the day with another run down a blue run.  Nice partly sunny day with about six inches of fresh powder.  My ski tips got crossed a couple of times making turns and I fell, but I wasn't going very fast, so no problems afterwards.  My physical conditioning and physical therapy has paid off.  My left hip feels completely normal.  I don't notice any difference than my right hip.  My agility and timing is almost back to normal.  I will return for more skiing the next couple of days.  I had a couple of Alaskan Amber beers to celebrate afterwards.

The first photo is at the top of Hilary's, which is a blue run (intermediate).  The chair lift is in the foreground at the bottom of the mountain.
The second photo is looking at Mt. Stewart.  A black run (expert) descends from this point.
The third photo is also at the top of Hilary's looking down the valley toward the Juneau Airport in the foreground.

Hey Pat - You can copy this post on the skiing and snowboarding site, if you wish.

[stevel]

Seven months, 11 days post-op update:

Bagged three blue grouse (hooters) today.  The grouse sit in sitka spruce or hemlock trees and "hoot" during the Spring to attract hens.  The difficult part of the hunt is climbing to the tree and finding the grouse in the tree.  The grouse are usually high in the tree and are on steep mountain sides.  The hooting has a ventrioloquist effect, so the grouse location is difficult to pinpoint.  The weather was great and my left hip performed great.  I hiked up 60 degree slopes with a 25 pound knapsack, sunk in the snow up to my thigh at times, glissaded down snow slopes on my rump and crawled over logs to cross a stream.

[stevel]

7 1/2 months post-op update:

I bagged two blue grouse yesterday.  Both grouse were "hooting" on the ground and were easy to locate.  I almost walked up on them.  They were strutting and fanning their tails.  The grouse were about 300 yards apart, high on the ridge and I had to sidehill across a couple of snow chutes and brushy slopes.  The second photo shows how steep the snow chute and ridge is.  I'm very pleased with the performance of my new left hip resurfacing :).  I have hunted 3/6 days and have bagged a total of 6 grouse.  I have hiked steep, uneven terrain carrying a 20 pound knapsack plus a 0.22 LR rifle.  I felt great at the end of the day and I've had no stiffness, soreness or pain the day after hunting.  About the only activity remaining to test my new hip is to bag a deer and pack it out over similar terrain.

Try that with a conventional THR!  I've heard of patients experiencing thigh pain for a THR since the metal stem flexes the bone differently.  A hip resurfacing simulates a natural loading.  I believe a hip resurfacing should be your first choice if you are young and active or even if you are old and active.  I'm 55 and still do extreme activities as described above (downhill ski black diamonds, hunting and mountaineering and racketball).  And hopefully it will last my lifetime.  A conventional THR would wear out in 10 - 15 years (or less) doing these activities.

I believe my physical therapy (under direction of a professional physical therapist) allowed me to return to these extreme sports without any problems after the Doctor said OK at 6 months post-op.

[MarilynRS]

 :)  Yahoo!  Thanks for all the sharing.  It feels like a very long time away, 2 months until surgery and then another 6 months (or more since I'll be bilateral?) to recovery and full activity --  but I know the time will go by one way or another and I'll be on the upward path!  Thanks for the sharing,  Marilyn

[stevel]

8 months post-op update:

I bought a pair of excellent running shoes (Asics Gel Kayano 15) and I fast pace walk (4.8 mph) for 15 minutes, followed by 7 strengthening exercises (instructed by physical therapist) on Nautilus or Cybex equipment (3 sets of 15 reps each) followed by running (6 mph) for 15 minutes on the treadmill.  I feel great afterwards.  I planned on running on the dirt shoulder of a highway today to celebrate my 8 month anniversary (I haven't ran outdoors for at least seven years due the deteriorating condition of my left hip), but its raining and I don't want to dirty my new shoes.  I'll run on the treadmill instead and run outdoors on a sunny or cloudy day.

Life is sweet.  I feel like I'm 30 years old again  :)

[stevel]

11 month anniversary update:

I changed the title from post-op to anniversary, since I've been doing great and I feel fully recovered.  I realize the muscles continue to improve and the bones continue to densify for up to one to two years after surgery.  I've been using the eliptical and recumbant bicycle for cardio exercise.  I strained a muscle in my right heel by running on the treadmill too soon before warming up, so I've backed off on the treadmill for the last few weeks.  I still do the lower body strengthening exercises on the nautilus and cybex machines to keep my core muscles strong.

Next up is my 1 year anniversary and I've been mulling a visit to Dr. Su but New York is a full day's air travel away from Douglas, AK and I could just send in my 1 year x-rays.  Anybody have any comments about seeing the Doc at 1 year, when everything is going great?

[stevel]

I heard back from Dr. Su's office and I don't need to travel to New York for a 1 year follow-up.  I will have x-rays taken locally at the end of the month and I will send the CD disk to Dr. Su for evaluation.

[DirkV]

Hi Steve,
I live in AZ and my surgeon is in San Diego - 5-6 hr by car. Like you, everything is great for me. I went for an in person 1 yr follow-up. I got a bit more out of it than if I had sent xrays via email, but really it was just a chance to talk to the surgeon for 1/2 hr and ask a few questions as we looked at xrays. I had good fortune that the assistant was an avid cyclist, so he was able to suggest a few hip-friendly IT-band stretches.
Bottom line, if I didn't have relatives in San Diego and combine visits, I would have been perfectly happy to just send xrays via email.
Great to hear of your good progress!
-Dirk

[stevel]

Hi Dirk,

I'm not going for a 1 year follow-up for the same reason I didn't go for a 4-6 week or 6 month follow-up.  My physical therapist was evaluating my progress and sending reports to Dr. Su.  I sent in x-rays at one month.  With no leg length discrepancy, no pain and good range of motion, she said I was OK at 6 months and I won't need to see Dr. Su at 1 year.  I suppose I could combine a Dr's. visit with tourism in New York for about a week.  I didn't see much a year ago because of my condition.  It would be nice to see Dr. Su, Blaire (physician assistant), Dr. Nydick (Internal Medicine) and staff again.  It's a bit weird to put your faith in these people and have a major operation a long distance from home and have a great outcome and possibly never see them again.

[stevel]

I returned from a 1 week combined goose/grouse/moose hunt in Gustavus, Ak.  I didn't bag a moose but bagged several canadian geese and a couple of blue grouse.  I walked twice daily over meadow marshland for a couple of miles carrying a shotgun, rifle and day pack.  I packed my decoys and set-up in a field about a one mile distance from the road.  When successfull, I carried the bagged birds in addition to the equipment.  I'm happy to report that my new left hip did great.  At the end of the day when I was sitting in the chair cleaning my rifle, I had some minor aching in the left hip area, but otherwise no problems noted.

Next week is my one year post-op date and I'll have hip x-rays taken locally and send them in to Dr. Su for evaluation.

[stevel]

One year anniversary plus 6 days update :)

I had my x-rays taken locally and sent them to Dr. Su for review.
I received his response this AM and and he said "Absolutely perfect! Enjoy it!"
So I'm going to enjoy it.  I haven't had any change in activities since my 6 month date, when all restrictions were lifted.
I feel more confident about doing very aggressive activities now that I have passed the one year mark and my bones have fully densified and my muscles and tendons should be fully healed.

Other than a minor ache after strenous activities, I haven't had any symptoms.  The left hip feels completely natural.

Hat's off for perfect placement!  For future surface hippies, I recommend you push, pull or drag your body to the most experienced hip resurfacing surgeon you can go to and pay a portion out-of-pocket (travel and co-pay) to ensure perfect placement and no future problems.

I won't have much to post about my recovery in the future since I feel fully recovered but I'll continue to monitor this website and post comments as a "one year plus veteran."

[stevel]

13 months plus 11 days post-op update:

I experienced some pain in the left hip joint area after a workout on Tuesday.  As I walked or stood, the left hip joint definitely "barked" at me.  It was not groin pain or crest pain but in the joint area.  I finished two consecutive days of workouts, before this occurred.  On Monday, I did deadlifts and squats with free weights, several leg exercises on Cybex equipment followed by running on the treadmill for 30 minutes.  On Tuesday, I did several hip exercises on Nautilus equipment and Cybex equipment followed by 30 minutes on a recumbent bicycle.  On Wednesday, I rested and the joint feels OK.  I presume the new left hip is still improving and I need to continue to listen to my body and adjust my activity accordingly.  From what I have read, the "break-in period" can extend to a couple of years. 

[sroberts]

Hey Steve,

Congratulations. It sounds like you're hitting it hard. If you don't mind, I'd  suggest that you don't squat and deadlifts on the same day. Are you adding variety to your set and rep schemes? Are you performing other exercises like hang cleans, power cleans, box jumps, thrusters, front squats, etc.? Let me know if I can help?

take care,

spencer

[stevel]

Hi Spencer,

Thanks for the suggestions.  No, I don't have variety with free weights.  I'm doing 3 sets of 10, 165 lbs for squats followed by 3 sets of 10, 145 lbs deadlifts.  I started these about a month ago.  A body builder already corrected my form for deadlifts to take it easy on my back.  I'll look into the other exercises.  I do have a lot of variety with the Cybex and Nautilus equipment.

[dw]

FWIW, I like to do deadlifts in conjunction with back (lats), not legs....