Dave,

They may be very qualified surgeons, but I suspect they have not done the large volume of HR's most agree is necessary to get really good at it. That volume is certainly a few hundred. I've often seen 500 as the minimum cited. All of this with the caveat that I am just basing this on what I have read here and elsewhere, I am no medical professional. I just think that if they are a U.S. doctor and their name doesn't pop up during a few hours spent on this website (actively looking for names) then they likely haven't done 500.

Lastly, while I do not recommend (except in special circumstances) contacting five or six of the big names, you could certainly consider consulting another one in an attempt to get an earlier surgery date. I also did not want to wait six months for a surgery date, but I lucked out. I called to schedule my appointment and Dr. Gross had just had a cancellation, so I only had to wait six weeks. I kind of had a hunch that would happen (this was around the beginning of this year when there was some negative noise about metallosis in the news).

If you send your info to Dr. Gross he will call you within two weeks for a consult over the phone. That's the consult. If he agrees that you are a candidate you can then call his office and get on his surgical calendar and then backfill all the necessary medical/insurance stuff. Check out his website. It is (to my knowledge) the most thorough explication of the whole process I have seen.

Mike

I would go with Dr Gross.  HSS is a factory been their seen it left it.  Providence Hospital NW is small and thorough.  I had always thought NYC was the best place for medicine.  My opinion changed drastically.  I can assure you that if Dr Gross was in NYC  you would not be able to see him for a year.  His partner Lee Webb is  unmatched practice to practice and Su trained under Dr Gross.  I would do it soon too as I heard a rumor that Dr Gross may not be accepting any health care with Obama Care coming.

Dave:  I am fortunate that my pain is manageable so I was able to schedule my surgery with Dr. Gross so my wife (a school teacher) can be there to assist with travel logistics.  I am glad you are going to check with Drs. Gross and Marwin to see how soon you can get in to see them.  I am quite certain the wait will be a lot less than 5 months.  I know Syracuse is not very close to Boston but Dr. Clarke is very experienced and when I sent my X-rays via email he responded quickly and could have scheduled my surgery fairly quickly.

Best of luck to you as you sort through your options.

Marco

Call Dr. Gross and do a phone consult with him.  I only had to wait about 3 months for my surgery date.  And patients do have to reschedule for various reasons so you might get lucky and get pulled in to an early date.

FWIW....I spoke to many hip docs (5 or 6) before talking to Dr. Gross and after one conversation with him there was absolutely no doubt that he would be my surgeon.

On the topic of scar length, mine is 3 to 3.5 inches.  Not that I care about the appearance, but less tissue to heal is always good.

I am 7 weeks post-op tomorrow and have done 2 mile walks outside (with no cane or crutch) everyday for the past 5 or 6 days.

Hope some of this helps.

Dave, if I were you, I'd check out some of the other doctors if the waiting time for Dr. Su is too great.

I understand the pain and frustration you're going through now, I think we all have been there. No one gets the pain, depression, etc. that OA involves; but all of the people on here have faced it. You want to get the best solution possible for you for your future, and I believe that's HR. In that case, you want the best surgeon possible.

January to April is three months, and I get that it's three long months, but may be worth the wait to get something that will free you from the problems and set you on the path to recovering all of your life, not just a part.

Check Dr. Gross, all of the other suggested surgeons. I can vouch for Dr. Snyder, he has definitely done good work for me, but I believe I also waited two to three months for my surgery with him.

'' I asked two of the surgeons I've seen why I wouldn't be better off going to a more well known facility in Boston.  They both told me they had opportunites to work at one of the well known hospitals in Boston, but didn't want the life that went with it and preferred living north of Boston for quality of life reasons.''

There really is no advantage to just going to a well known hospital but here is the advantage to going to a specialty hospital.  When I had my first knee surgery I went to HSS on the recommendation of a friend at Princeton, (her not me), she said that when she needed hip labrum surgery, her doctor in Princeton said that he was very familiar with the problem and that he did one or two every month.  She went to HSS where her doctor did two or three every day before he took his coffee break.  The doctors in the specialty hospitals work in a very narrow area, unlike your local doc who does a little bit of everything.  My surgeon at HSS works on only shoulders and knees.  In fact he's operated on both my knees and both my shoulders.  Yes, I'm bilateral all the way.  All told, at HSS I've had four surgeries, three or four back injections and I've seen the hand and foot specialists.  It's more like a Hyatt hotel than a factory but it is like and assembly line where they line you up and the doctor does the same thing over and over.

I've probably go more frequent flyer miles at HSS than anyone on this sight and possibly anyone else in the City.  It was a big move for me to move down the street to NYU Joint Disease but after meeting Dr Marwin  I had complete confidence in him.  He does only hip and knee replacement.  You get very good at it when you work in a very narrow range.

Keep talking to doctors and keep us posted, you'll find the right doctor for you

Woodstock,

Who did the knees and shoulders?
Cordially,
Ross

Dr Frank Cordasco.  He's a great doctor with a very professional staff.

First, in 2002 was my right shoulder: torn labrun, torn rotator cuff, detached bicep tendon. 100% recovery

Next, right knee, Dec 2004: ruptured patella tendon and torn meniscus.  This was an open surgery to screw the PT back to the patella and clean up the meniscus

Spring 2005, large flapping tear of the meniscus.  When I started running again after the right knee recovery, the left was killing me.  Doctor Cordasco did this one arthroscopically

The last on was 9/13/2011.  I had fallen from a scaffold at the World Trade Center and tore the labrum in my left shoulder.  I worked with it until 9/11/20011, then I retired and had arthroscopic surgery, then bilateral hips on  11/15/2011

Dr Cordasco has done a lot of work on me, I worked very hard on my rehab, and everything has come back 100%

That is awesome to hear.  I thought you had shoulder replacement.  My heart was bleeding for you.  Enjoy your retirement and the new hips.  You saw Marwin right?  I was at NYU for hip scope and they were the worst for me.  Never enjoyed HSS but tolerated it.  The smell of arrogance made me want to puke.  Sold my house and moved out of the area on my doctors request due to medical condition to be next to Dr Gross in South Carolina.  Five week recovery and still really on the mend.  HSS has some really talented MDs.  Are they the best in the USA.  I think that is strongly subjective.   Really glad your shoulder healed up.  Did anyone talk to you about PRP?

Hi Dave H,

Naturally people will tend to praise their own surgeon if they have had a successful outcome with the BHR surgery.
With that said, I've nothing but good things to say about Dr. Su, his staff and the surgical experience at HSS.  I was pretty aggressive with the rehabilitation and was able to start running before 6 months and worked my way up to pre-op speed running and half IM distance prior to a year. I've recommended 4 athlete friends to him for the surgery and they too are happy with their outcomes.
My initial consultation and surgery date were months ahead as well.  I got on the cancellation list and got the consult within 2 weeks and surgery 4 weeks after that.  He actually had a surgery date for 2 days after I saw him, but my head was not prepared for that.  I called his office every Monday morning with a kind but desperate tone, kind of like the squeeky wheel.  I did drop a name of a friend who had surgery with him as well.
Feel free to PM me if you'd like to question or discuss.
You can only make the first choice once...choose wisely.
Best...
David

As Hern and others pointed out, I'd do everything you can to muster up the energy and motivation to wait if you have to get an HR and to get one from an experienced surgeon.  I was somewhat lucky in that Pritchett, both events, was on a 1 to 2 month out schedule.  I think he's still that way.  I certainly think it's worth looking around, if you have the ability to travel.  On the other hand, based on what others here have posted, Su is definitely worth the wait.  Also, you got to think there would be some cancellations, right?

There really is no objective way to pick the "best" surgeon. The relationship between Dr. & patient goes beyond # of procedures performed.

Next month it will be 4 years since I had my left hip resurfaced. I have not had a minute's trouble with it. I would like to addd my vote for HSS, specifically Dr. David Mayman. He is a colleague of Dr. Su. He was there when I went under and when I woke up. I haven't spoken with him in 2 years. I haven't had to.

In addition to the expert surgical team @HSS all after care, including in home PT, was arranged before I left the hospital. I can't say enough about the hospital or David Mayman.

Kyle

Hi D

As we say in the UK, JFDI  ;). Post op you'll be happy and get your life back. I had a shattered left hip which I limped on and struggled manfully with until the consultant said it would never get better. In two weeks I decided to get it fixed, found the resurfacing option and 4 months later was waking up smiling in a sugical ward. 7 weeks on I'm walking properly for the first time in 2 years, swimming without a pull buoy, I can do one legged lunges on the duff leg, am able to cycle without popping Nurofen and generally live a normal life. Like you I'm into my tri's and can now look forward to resuming training for my Iron Man in 2014.

Find a good surgeon, the folks here in the US can help, be brave and crack on. Good luck.

Jezza

Hi Dave!
It was one of the most difficult decisions of my life to have the surgery done.
Because I am a 50 yr old woman (that sounds wrong but whatever), i wasn't the best candidate. But I was very active in great shape , worked out everyday despite the fact I was practically crawling around. Walking was the absolute worst! and of course sleeping. My bed had become a torture chamber!
Go to the absolute best Dr. who specializes in resurfacing. Travel as far as you have to !
I got my life back, even 2 weeks after I was shocked at how good I felt. You don't realize what being in pain all the time and sitting on the sidelines does to even your mind.

I had to wait 2 months to see my dr who sent me To Dr. Della Valle who I had to wait 2 months to see, just to book a surgery 2 months out. I was going crazy!! 6 mos.
It was worth it to get it done right.
Good luck to you!
patty ;D

Dave:

Have you moved forward with any plans?  I met with a number of orthopedists before I went ahead and had my hip resurfaced (many of them, in fact, in the Boston area).

Happy to anything that I can...