I am getting bilateral Birmigham mid head resections done on the 8 April and have found all your stories a great help in maintaining my positive attitude and answering the little questions through this preparation time.
My question for you guys is: Does my story belong with the surface hippies? I'm not a THR and not quite a resurfacing, think I'm in the middle! I'd like to think that the process is more like resurfacing that total hip, being as bone conserving as possible - let me know what you think!
If you haven't heard of a BMHR, Mr McMinn's site has some awesome info: http://www.mcminncentre.co.uk/birmingham-mid-head-resection.html
I would go with mid head being an offshoot of resurfacing, and of particular interest as developed by McMinn.
Hi Lori
Your BMHR story does belong here. Sometimes I also copy them to my http://www.hipsforyou.com (http://www.hipsforyou.com) website about THRs. To me, it is still a resurfacing since they don't cut off a large hunk of your femur bone. There are not any doctors in the US doing the trials with them yet - as far as I know. That will happen at some time in the future.
Are you having Mr. McMinn do your BMHR? If not, what surgeon are you using?
Good luck and keep us updated.
Pat
Thanks for the feedback. I was hoping I fit in here - the people rock :)
I haven't seen anywhere online that says that the BMHR is FDA approved yet, so I wouldn't expect them to be too widespread. I'm in Australia and am not too keen to travel so far for surgery. At the moment the idea of that many hours in coach seems like torture, so Mr McMinn is out. (His website and info is still an excellent resource)
I am getting the surgery done by Dr Simon Journeaux at Mater Private Hospital in 17 more sleeps! We have discussed all of the options for me. Given the quality of bone that we will be working with and even though it is a relatively new procedure it is preferable to THR for me due to the fact that I'll need revision surgery at some point in my lifetime (I'm 33 now). It is worth not knowing the longer term results if only for for the possibility of reducing the risk of that later surgery. If all goes well, I'll only need one revision and by the time that needs to be done, who knows what else McMinn will have revolutionised :)
Dr Journeaux has done over a thousand hips, though this total comprises of all: resurfacing, BHMR, THR and revisions though he does have a particular interest in the 'complicated' cases and young patients (meaning I don't think he'd sell me out to a THR because when he got in there it was too hard, though I don't believe he would take unnecessary risks either.)
I believe that in the long term, the results are going to be similar to the BHR, though even if they aren't quite that good, it's still worth it (in my non-medical opinion for my personal circumstances). I understand that given the opportunity to see a surgeon with over a thousand BMHR's would be awesome, the chance to do that is a way off yet and I'm ready now. I've waited for over a decade bone on bone and slowly deteriorating ROM. The consensus is that I could last out for another two or three years before I really start screaming for it but I'm ready now. ROM is pretty much non-existant for abduction and pain is more frequent and longer lasting. (There were a lot of other considerations and the decision wasn't made lightly- things like when we want to have kids and what this means before and after surgery, though I am sure these are similar considerations for other JRA people with osteo damage leftover)
Overall, I am extremely positive (and blogging:)), eyes are open and I look forward to spending more time on this discussion board.
Lori
You are very young and lucky to find a surgeon that would suggest the BMHR. I think it sounds like an excellent solution for you. At one conference on hip resurfacing the discussion about the life of a replaced hip is to First use a hip resurfacing, then revise to a BMHR if possible and then revise to a THR. That way the most bone is conserved through out the lifetime of a person. Right now the BMHR is not FDA approved in the US, but there was talk about several surgeons doing trials for it. So someday, it will be used here too.
I hope you will keep us updated and that everything goes well for you. You are young and deserve to be active and out of pain.
Pat