I see the British tennis star is considering a ‘Birmingham’ hip operation. I’d imagine he would be the most high profile sportsman to go for it if he does. I wish I could talk to him and tell him not to hesitate. From the sounds of it it’s just what he needs!

Yeah, that would be interesting to watch Murray's sporting progress if he chose to undergo surgery. I always had a keen interest in following the few professional athletes who have had hip resurfacing surgery. The NBA had Tiago Splitter, MLB had pitcher Colby Lewis, and there was one NHL player that had a attempt to get back in the league. To play at the top levels of sports is hard enough to do without any joint problems. Most of the professionals that made the attempt had limited success. If I recall correctly, Splitter came back for a partial season, and Lewis came back for a season or two. Most of these guys were already on the downside of their careers age-wise, so it's hard to discern how much the surgery impacted their athletic performance versus other factors.

Most of the articles dealing with Murray's probable retirement claim that he would consider hip-resurfacing as a lifestyle improvement going forward, and he would likely not return to professional tennis at the elite level. The claims were made that if he couldn't return to 100%, then he would retire. This stance may be puzzling to most of us mortals here, who are more than satisfied with our results and performance. Some may disagree, and I can't speak for everyone, but if I were realistic, I'd say as wonderful as this surgery is, there is still a small price to pay: the surgery does cut through vital muscles, and the artificial joint can't compare 100% to a healthy, natural one.

Like Andy Murray, and those that have competed at the world's best, they may not be satisfied with recovering to a 90-95% pre-surgery level.

Personally, I'd love to see Andy Murray successfully return to tennis after resurfacing surgery. The few professional athletes pointed out above that did return, were, as noted, already on the down slope of their careers. Murray is still relatively young, and could theoretically have a few more peak years left. Athletes now return post surgery after devastating injuries like torn ACL's, so I don't see any reason why it couldn't happen.

Bob Bryan is back in action with a metal hip. The commentators always mention it.

Bryan brothers won the first round of dubs at Australian Open, but it was tough. (They made it to semis at the Auckland Open, fell in the first round at the first tourney they entered.)

Rooting for Bob and his brother Mike to win a big one.

I am very surprised that Bob, a Dr Su patient, is playing so soon after surgery (early August). 

Just saw that Blinky read here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/46890392


He's in doubles ...

Bryan brothers have two wins in the tourney...Go Bob! Go Mike!

Only five months post surgery, and competing successfully at that level is pretty impressive. Of course, unlike most of us who do our jobs in offices, these guys are professional athletes, so their post surgery rehab I'm sure is ultra aggressive.

That's true. I was following Tiago Splitter when he was rehabbing. Unbelievable. He had more issues than with his hip, though, and den;t come back to the NBA.

But the Bryans are still winning!

Bryans are out in the quarters. It was close.

Sir Andy makes his first public appearance on a tennis court tomorrow (Queens Club) since getting a BHR in January. He is playing men's doubles only at this stage. It will be very interesting to see how he moves.


He has given several interviews in the last couple of days, mostly stressing that he accepts he may never get back to the level he was previously and that that is not the important thing. He is loving being pain free and able to enjoy all sorts of things (including playing with his children) which were previously difficult. He also said that he had lost a sense of fun playing tennis and that is now restored.


He also revealed the identity of his surgeon, which I had never seen before. It was Sarah Muirhead-Allwood, who is very well known, mainly for having performed hip surgery on a couple of members of the Royal Family. I had wondered whether it was her, as he had the surgery done in London.


Good luck Andy! I wonder whether his choosing resurfacing will increase the number of surgeries carried out.

Thanks for the update. Is Sarah Muirhead-Allwood well known for resurfacing? I have not heard that name previously. It is great news that he is coming back.

Quote from: moe on June 18, 2019, 07:33:55 AM
Thanks for the update. Is Sarah Muirhead-Allwood well known for resurfacing? I have not heard that name previously. It is great news that he is coming back.

I was aware that she does resurfacing, but not best known for that, I think.  If you search for her on this site you find a few references.

Yes, if he makes a really impressive come-back it would certainly raise the profile of resurfacing. People who need a new hip at a young age must be more likely to consider resurfacing as a result of Murray choosing it.

He is obviously pursuing an aggressive rehab schedule, playing competitive tennis 5 months out. I read that he plans to start playing singles again in the fall.

Quote from: moe on June 18, 2019, 07:33:55 AM
Thanks for the update. Is Sarah Muirhead-Allwood well known for resurfacing? I have not heard that name previously. It is great news that he is coming back.

I'm gonna go with yes: "She operates exclusively on hips, performing hundreds of hip replacements and resurfacings a year. She specialises in complex hip revisions and unusual hip replacements."

She is the surgeon who replaced Prince Philip's hip. Back when she was known as William Muirhead-Allwood, he replaced the Queen Mother's hip. So she apparently has been a top hip surgeon for many years.

Catfriend-

Are you mixing genders here?  Please explain.

THR's on a couple of elderly royals is a far cry from a resurfacing on a world class tennis player. I am wondering about the surgeon's record of success on amateur and professional competitive athletes. He is obviously off to a great start but the real test is whether he can return to the top level (doubles, possibly singles in the future) and the long term durability. Wishing him all the success in the world, he is one of my favorite players.

Quote from: jimbone on June 18, 2019, 08:53:42 PM
Catfriend-

Are you mixing genders here?  Please explain.

Same person. Gender change many years back.

I do agree, Moe, I'm a bit surprised that he didn't go with McMinn or one of the other prominent UK surgeons that specialize in resurfacings.

Quote from: Saf57 on June 19, 2019, 11:44:10 AM
I do agree, Moe, I'm a bit surprised that he didn't go with McMinn or one of the other prominent UK surgeons that specialize in resurfacings.
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Muirhead-Allwood is certainly a prominent hip specialist and if he is back on court in public at five months, I guess it has gone well. I really hope so!

Granton, do you know if the BHR was used or some other system?