I have been suffering with increasing pain in my right hip for 3 years. I recently saw an orthopedic at my local hospital who took X-rays and said I was bone on bone and would need hip replacement. This Dr. went on to tell me he would not do the operation because I am too young (46)and active and I will wear out the hip replacement quickly. I obviously went elsewhere doing after.
I spoke with Dr. McLawhorn from the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC.
Dr. McLawhorn does both THR and Hip Resurfacing. He believes I am a good candidate for resurfacing. I am leaning this way because I will be forced to retire from my job if I have a THR.
I have two questions. First does anyone have experience with Dr.McLawhorn and second does anyone regret getting a resurfacing?
Absolutely no regrets on resurfacing! So much so, I had my other hip resurfaced 3 years later. Same problem: bone on bone and lots of pain. Coming up on a year after my left hip surgery, I am pain free and ready to get back to snow skiing next winter! Curious to know what you do for a living that a THR would prevent?
I had my resurfacings done at 45 and my age was the primary reason I went with BHR instead of THR. I had reached a point where not only was my arthritis affecting my everyday life, but I was developing osteophytes that I was afraid were going to eventually limit my options to THR anyway.
I knew I had to do something and I’m a realist. I’m an active (now) 46 year old and it’s very likely I’m going to wear out whatever in 20-30 years. I felt a revision to THR later vs trying to deal with a loosened implant stem and potentially lower bone density was my better option both now and later.
I can’t answer either of your two questions specifically but so far I’m happy with my choice. But it’s an individual choice based on your lifestyle, pain tolerance, and goals for recovery. Dealing with hip arthritis is an individual decision of when it’s right for you. I’m glad I did it when it did. My pain progressed a lot in the last 6 months leading to surgery.
On another interesting note, when trying to decide on THR vs BHR I utilized an insurance benefit and got an “Expert Medical Opinionâ€. I thought the name looked familiar so I looked and it was Dr. Mclawhorn who examined my case and wrote my opinion. At that time he told me I needed to find an orthopedist that did both procedures and talk to them about my specific goals. That’s exactly what I did.
Thank you for the insight. I’m 99% sure I’m going to go with the resurfacing for many of the reasons you guys stated.
MarvinB to answer your question I work for the NYPD and they will medically retire me if I get a THR. I’m eligible anyway but I’m just not ready to go yet so I’d rather keep my options open.
Good luck and speedy recovery for whichever you choose. If you haven’t already, read up on the recovery stories here on SurfaceHippy. Lots of great tips that really helped me. I followed my doc’s advice to the letter and had a short recovery on each hip at 55 and 58.
Thank you. How long would you say it took to get back to a point where you were comfortable running?
Dr. Gross has some very conservative guidelines for recovery. Most exercise activities, including exceeding 90 degrees bending, are permitted after 6 weeks. I “felt†like I could run after 4, but I didn’t push it. After 6 weeks, no problems, but my knees don’t let me run much. Bicycling and other activities that could possibly produce a fall are allowed after 6 months. That put the kibosh on skiing for this season, but next year… watch out slopes! 8)
Re-surfacing may well be your best option but the negative surgeon talk about THR is old thinking. Like resurfacing, the components have come on a long way and they last a lot longer than they used to. The important bit with THR is getting the right stem and cup. They can be components for life and assuming they remain viable, surgeons then liken it to a simple brake disc and pad change to switch the head and cup liner if you do wear either. As always, getting numerous opinions to allow you to make an informed decision is your friend, not only in relation to resurfacing vs THR but also what type of resurfacing components might be better at a time that the procedure is starting to transition from metal to ceramic.
I had my BHR done at 50yrs old, I'm 7.5 months post-op now. Absolutely zero regrets, life is sooo much better. I was at the point that I couldn't take the pain anymore and could no longer do anything active that I enjoyed due to the pain, including walking. My Dr. said no running (basically nothing high impact or with weights) for 1 year, but I have been riding the heck out of my bicycle on gravel roads and it feels great. Different doctors seem to have drastically different guidelines, so I would say listen to your doctor whatever he/she says.
As mentioned above, the parts have come a long way. It sounds like your doctor is not up to date, I would go see at least 1 more doctor to get more opinions (I saw 5). The all-metal BHR is supposed to last pretty much forever, and the new cross linked polyethylene is supposed to be crazy durable too. The older plastics did wear out.