QUESTIONS ABOUT DR. SU AND RECOVERY

[KFla]

My boyfriend is scheduled to undergot a birmingham hip replacement by Dr. Su on 2/1/08.  He is 42 yrs old and in good shape -- though, the reason why he needs a birmingham is because he was in a major car accident in 2002.  He suffered a shattered acertabulum (spelling) and many other major life threatening injuries.  He has 11 screws in his hip.  Recently, the pain has become so unbearable that he sought the help of Dr. Su. 

Can anyone tell me if they know anyone w/a similar situation?  Also, how long is the recovery period?  When does the limp go away?  These are questions he has.  Being that not many have had this procedure, it's hard to get info.  Please provide any advice or guidance.  It would be much appreciated.

Thank you!

[Pat Walter]

Hi
Dr. Su is a very good hip resurfacing surgeon.  Many people on the large Yahoo Surface Hippy Discussion Group have used him and were very happy.

There are over 90,000 people world wide that have had hip resurfacings.

You can't guess his recovery time.  some people are fast and others are slow. There is no way to predict it.  I was 61 and when I had my hip resurfaced with Dr. De Smet in Belgium. I was on one crutch at 4 days and no crutch at 4 weeks.  Dr. De Smet leaves it up to the patient to determine when they are no longer limping and then don't need a crutch.  Some people have stayed on crutches for several months. Young or old, male or female, in good physical shape or poor physical shape - nothing predicts how quickly you will heal.  I will say that most of us that used Dr. De Smet and Dr. Bose usually have quicker recoveries than people with the US doctors because the US doctors are much less experienced in most caeses and are much more conservative.

I have tons of personal stories that tell very detailed info about the surgery and recovery on http://www.surfacehippy.info/hipstories.php  I also have my own book of 65 pages which is very detailed and a free download.

I hope that helps some.  I wish your boyfriend good luck.  Please let us know if you need more info.

Pat in Ohio
3/15/06 LBHR De Smet

[Vicky]

I just met Dr. Su at the ortho conference last week.  He is one of the few doctors that have adopted the neck capsule preservation technique that Dr. Bose uses.  He also uses a special draping technique during his surgeries that prevent heterotopic bone ossification.  I was lucky enough to watch him do a live surgery via video feed and two way audio last Thursday.  His normal post op protocol is weight bearing as tolerated, crutches for 3 weeks, then cane, golf at 6 weeks.  Return to all activities at 6 months including running.  No 90 degree rule at all.  Now in the case of your husband it might vary slightly due to the damage from the accident, so of course check with him.  I was extremely impressed with Dr. Su.  Please say hi to him for me when you see him.

Vicky
LBHR Dr. Bose Dec 01 05

[tseeley]

Hi KFLa,

Is 2/1/08 the earliest date dr. su was able to give your boyfriend? I'm actually going to see him next week, and don't think there's any way i can wait that long.

Best,

t

[tseeley]

also, if there's anyone out there who might know any tricks to reduce the waiting time for bhr, let me know.

thnx,

t

[tseeley]

By the way i might as well introduce myself!

Hello all,

My name is tseeley and I'm a very fit 43 year old male who was stopped in his tracks about 4
months ago. I have confirmed via x-ray and mri that I have an arthritic left
hip.
I do a lot of walking and subway riding for my work, and it's become
pretty brutal. There is not a moment of the day without experiencing moderate
to severe pain. I have recieved fluoroscopic injections and have been
prescribed nsaid's and various narcotics. I really don't want to take these
medications, but have been forced to by the high levels of pain.
Unfortunately, the injections and meds don't help much.

So off i go to Dr. Su next week to get this thing taken care of! And I want it done today!

Anyway, this site has been a great source of information, and I really appreciate it.

t

[Pat Walter]

Hi tseeley

The only way to reduce your time is to find which experienced doc will take you the fastest.

Some of the overseas doctors like De Smet and Bose can also take you quicker.  A lot depends on how bad your hip is.

A lady recently mailed her x-rays to De Smet and her hip was so bad - he said come in 2 weeks or it will be too late to get a hip resurfacing.  He has done that 2 or 3 times since I have been reading on the Yahoo Surface Hippy group for about 3 years. 

When you have AVN there is the right window of opportunity to get resurfaced.  Too soon, and the surgeons won't do it - too late and there is not enough good bone at the top of your femur to support a hip resurfacing.

That is why in many cases it is better to get an opinion from an experieenced surgeon before you wait and wait.  You need to know how bad your hip is and if it is a good candidate for hip resurfacing.

Many of the newer doctors will often just suggest THRs when the hips get too bad.  So it is important to get input for the experienced doctors.

Good Luck, there are a lot of happy Dr Su patients.

Pat

[Vicky]

You can also asked to be put on a waiting list for the first cancellation, then be ready to pick up and go at a moments notice.  I know several people that were able to get in within a week of someone else calling and cancelling.

Vicky

[tseeley]

good idea.....thanks vicky

t

[KFla]

TSEELY,

So sorry I did not get back to you.  2/1 was not the earliest date.  He did have a December date BUT it was too close to the holidays -- I think it was 12/20.  Anyway, the 2/1 surgery was a success -- and the recovery is going really well.  My boyfriend is also 43 years old.  Doctor Su has great skill, prefessionalism, and class.  The Hospital of Special Surgery is also an amazing hospital.  I hope you got a date with Doctor Su. 

Kfla.

[tseeley]

Hi Kfla,

I actually did get a date with dr. su and had the surgery 11/9. So, i'm now 3 1/2 mos out. He definitely is a skilled surgeon.

t