Been experiencing a lot of pain in my left hip since 2020 and finally went to see the doc. Bunch of medical jargon but this was the result of the MRI:
Labrum: There is complex degenerative tearing of the anterior and superior acetabular labrum without associated para labral cyst.
Cartilage: There is confluent grade 3 chondral thinning overlying the anterior superior acetabular ridge and femoral head. There is superimposed areas of grade 4 chondral loss with multifocal subchondral edema and cystic change throughout the superior-lateral aspect of the left hip articulation. Moderate left hip effusion is present, likely reactive.
There is mild joint space narrowing and degenerative arthrosis greatest laterally.
Basically arthritis ate away my cartilage. The surgeon said that hip replacement was the only option. He also said that running, impact sports, etc were out for the rest of my life. I'm 51 and a pretty active runner, but haven't been able to do so for a year or more. First doc never mentioned hip resurfacing.
After googling total hip replacement I ended up down a worm hole and found out about hip resurfacing. I went to see the (resurfacing) specialist and he recommended the surgery. It is scheduled for mid-November.
The question is (if anyone can actually interpret my medical records) is resurfacing right for me? The new surgeon says I'll be able to run, tennis, etc with the implant where in a total hip replacement those activities are out.
For those who had the surgery - what are your results (comparable to what the surgeon said)? Was your medical findings similar to mine before your surgery? Any major side effects?
Anyone ever use Midlands Orthopedics and Neurosurgery and if so any complaints? They seem very credible with a lot of references and the surgeon I met seemed extremely knowledgeable with a lot of good history.
Hi Dr. Gross is one of the very best hip resurfacing surgeons in the world. You have chosen well. Here are just a few of his patient stories. https://surfacehippy.info/category/hip-resurfacing-stories/dr-gross/ (https://surfacehippy.info/category/hip-resurfacing-stories/dr-gross/) Many athletes have hip resurfacing and return to their sports. A lot depends on how bad you hip is as to how soon you can start to be fully active. The worse your hip, the longer it takes to get back to an active life. The whole body is compensating for a bad hip and much strain is put on the other hip, back and knee to keep your body active. So not only does the surgery heal, but they whole body has to get back to normal. It happens more quickly for some than others. At 6 weeks you are starting to feel better and at 6 months most people are doing normal things and sports. But high impact sports like running are usually suggest to wait until 1 year. Every surgeon is different. Ask anyone who had hip resurfacing if they would have rather had a THR and the answer is NO. Many folks here will talk with you. You made a good choice in my opinion and I wish you the very best. Pat - Owner/Webmaster of this Hip Talk Discussion Forum.
Thanks for the information. This is all so new to me and this website has been a great resource.