best implant? Which Manufacturer?

[protruck14]

Hi folks. Surgery is getting closer. i have a question. Does anybody know which implant has the best record with issues and or lawsuits? i will be asking my doctor which one he uses. he is Doctor Jinnah in Winston-salem NC. He is well recomended and has done hundreds since 2007.

Sorry, I also want to know the best maufacturer of the BHR device. I heard there are issues with some.

Brian

[Dannywayoflife]

The BHR has the longest and best track record. The device is 15 years old and the metallurgy that it's based on has been in use since the 1960s. It also has the highest retention rate in all of the registries out there. However that's not to say there arnt other good devices out there but the bhr has the longest track record and is most widely used. I personally think that the skill of the surgeon is the most critical factor. There are some patients who had ASR's fitted that are perfectly functional because they were pit in perfectly.

[John C]

Danny gave a great answer, but your question showed some possible, and very common, confusion. When you asked about the best manufacturer of the BHR device; BHR (Birmingham Hip Resurfacing) is in fact the name of a single brand and manufacturer, which is distributed in this country by Smith and Nephew. Some people have been confused or disappointed because they, or their doctor, used BHR as a generic name for hip resurfacing, when in fact it is a specific brand.
Like Danny said, the BHR has the longest and best track record among resurfacing devices, though there are other successful brands such as Biomet, which I chose. The key factor is that the surgeon has the highest affect on success rates. The most problematic devices such as the ASR which generated most of the bad press, have been pulled off the market.
I was not clear from your question whether you were asking about hip replacement devices other than resurfacing, which is something that most of us on this site cannot help you with, because we have all ended up focusing on the choice of resurfacing devices.
Best of luck,

[johnd_emd]

Gotta be the Birmingham.  There's not another resurfacing device on the market that has the longitudinal data that the BHR has, nor the successes that it has had.  Plus, the best doctors using the BHR are the one's setting the standard for the hip resurfacing world wide.  That's why I chose a BHR and then chose a good doctor to put it in.  I chose Dr. Rector in Boulder.  But, there are a number of them around.  This sight has a list of them.  Other then using a good device, selecting a good surgeon is the next most important thing.  You want someone who's put in a lot of these and has a good track record.

[imgetinold]

I cannot argue with the facts presented about the BHR, and the amount of data available for it worldwide.

I chose to go with Dr. Gross and the Biomet device because I believe in the bone-ingrowth-fixation method.  Perhaps I'm just drinking the cool-aid, but I wanted to eliminate the chance of a revision due to cement failure.  I know.....I know....there's no data to suggest it will fail, and the data to date is good.  But, it is Dr. Gross' believe that cement failure....IF it does occur in later years....will be a main cause of revision.  For me, eliminating that possibility was worth it.

[johnd_emd]

Well, the third most important thing in this process is being comfortable with your choices and your decisions!!!  You'll be good!

[Neild5]

I have a Biomet on the left and a BHR on the right since I had 2 different doctors and I felt that since both have a good retention rate the surgeon should use the brand they were most comfortable with. 

[Dannywayoflife]

I cannot argue with the facts presented about the BHR, and the amount of data available for it worldwide.

I chose to go with Dr. Gross and the Biomet device because I believe in the bone-ingrowth-fixation method.  Perhaps I'm just drinking the cool-aid, but I wanted to eliminate the chance of a revision due to cement failure.  I know.....I know....there's no data to suggest it will fail, and the data to date is good.  But, it is Dr. Gross' believe that cement failure....IF it does occur in later years....will be a main cause of revision.  For me, eliminating that possibility was worth it.

I think that most of the theory's that theorise that cement will fail are based on cemented THR's.
The BHR has a different cementing method than other devices too.
I too was taken by the cement argument at one stage but when I spoke to Mr Treacy about it he assured me that its a non issue and let's face it theres no data to show otherwise after 15 years of the BHR 

[Anniee]

I drunk the cool-aid too.  First and foremost, I went with a surgeon I was very comfortable with, with an excellent track record (Dr. Gross).  Secondly, I think the less foreign materials you place into your body the better, regardless of past track records.  It will be very interesting to see, in the years to come, if there is a difference between the cemented and the uncemented implants.

[Dannywayoflife]

I aggree that the surgeon is the most important factor. There's no doubt that cementless can work fantastically but there's no evidence I've seen that shows any evidence of cement failure. Having seen recovered BHR components that have been sectioned the bhr isn't going anywhere!
If I hadn't been able to see Mr Treacy though I was certainly considering flying to the US as Dr Gross's figures are outstanding!

[jb46]

Maybe I'm not doing enough research. I found out that resurfacing was the best option to solve my problem, I found Dr. Gross to be the best option to do the resurfacing. The rest I haven't thought about at all. Just don't think I could do enough research to be in a position to question what he thinks is best or give input in the matter, no matter how much time I put into it.

Did anyone else go into surgery not really knowing details of exact procedures? I just figured my Dr. is going to follow his protocol that fits my needs best...I can get the details when I'm leaving.