Unknown Infection, surgery necessary, can my hip be saved?

[keepmovin]

Hi Folks

I don’t know where to start, really, so I think the best thing to do is just throw out all the facts.  This post serves two purposes â€" one informative, two, if anyone can offer some advice.  I’ve searched the search engine but not much came up â€" I think two people but not like my case.

There is an infection brewing in my hip and no one can figure out where it came from or what exactly it could be â€" maybe cellulitis, a form of MRSA, Erysipelas, no concrete diagnosis.   I am scheduled for surgery this Friday to go in, survey the damage and wash out my hip.  At the time of symptoms, I was 4 months out from RBHR.

As of two weeks ago, while in PT, I noticed redness developing around my incision area.  The PT confirmed that she felt a little swelling at the site.  That was enough for me to cancel all future visits, gave it a day to possibly calm down and watched it closely.  By Wednesday the redness grew encircling the scar area and I immediately went to my Primary Care Physician.  In the meantime, I put a call into my surgeon.  My Primary did not like what he saw and blood work was started â€" everything was off either way up or down â€" especially my platelets â€" high, WBC slightly elevated, hemoglobin and hematocrit low, few other things off.  He put me on antibiotics right away and set me up to see a hematologist the next day.  At the same time, I sent pictures to my surgeon/PA for evaluation.  I was scheduled to get into the office the following week.  Once with my surgeon, he evaluated the redness around scar, it was tender but not painful, there was swelling.  But, I have no pain in the joint, ROM good, no restrictions, no fever, no fatigue, I feel good â€" normal, but all indicators were suggesting something else.  He set up an MRI â€" and for hip resurfacing it’s a special MRI called a Mavric imaging â€" done at only two hospitals â€" HSS, NYC, and somewhere in California.  More blood work confirmed high Sedimentation Rate and C - reactive protein.  Iron Serum and Saturation also very low.

MRI was done late Friday afternoon, results back early Monday morning â€" they must have put a rush on it.  Fluid was seen around the tissues and pretty close to my hip.  They won’t know extent of damage until he goes in.  Dr. Su, my surgeon, my Primary, Hematologist and I are perplexed due to lack of symptoms and pain.  Source of origin is unknown.  I have not been sick, no infections.  I did have a setback in December but they were muscles/soft tissue issues that I was working through with PT.

The incision area is irritating but everything else feels normal.  I feel I am walking fine with no pain.  I like my new hip!  This makes no sense to me and undoubtedly I am upset. 

How can everything be so off yet I feel so fine!  I suppose all will be explained on Friday!  Any insight would be appreciated, however, couldn’t find anything close to this on the site!

Thanks everyone for any help you can offer or for just listening...

Keepmovin

[hernanu]

I am really sorry to hear that! Hopefully it's an infection that can be overcome without compromising the device.

You're in great hands, and I hope you caught this early enough. My hopes and prayers are with you, to keep the resurfacing.

Keep us posted, and I wish you the best of luck.

[China Lady]

I am sure you will keep your hip. think positive! this will help you a lot.
they will find the reason, maybe drain the liquid and then the inflammation needs time to heal.

[Jason0411]

Good luck lets hope they can find what out what it is and find the right antibiotics to wipre it out.

[oldsoccerplayer]

It must be really stressful not knowing what is causing the inflammation, especially when none of the Dr's you've seen have an explanation. Hang in there, and keep us posted as you go through with this.

[obxpelican]

Infections can be cured, sometimes it takes a good cleanout and lots of antibiotics sometimes the implant has to be removed.

Sometimes an infection begins during surgery and it stays almost dormant.

I am surprised that it happened at the HSS as they have a good record with infections and Dr. Su is usually a given that you get a great result. 

We have one guy who went through this, his name is Spencer, perhaps he will contribute to this thread.


Chuck

[sroberts]

Hey Keepmovin,

Very sorry to hear about your infection. I have been in your shoes and understand how you must feel. Had my hip washed out, six weeks on IV antibiotics. I'm happy to be whatever support you'd like. If you want you can email me at:

coachspencer77@gmail.com

I'll pm you my phone number in case you want to talk.

spencer

[obxpelican]

Thanks Spencer

[keepmovin]

Thanks everyone for your kind thoughts.  I got bumped up to surgery on Thursday not Friday so there's lots to do.

Heading into the city tonight to stay with my daughter overnight for early morning preop - can't believe I have to go through that again!

Thursday surgery scheduled for 3pm.  Dr. Su has been very good about this, calling me all the time, and I do have a pretty good Primary who's been on top of this as well.

Spencer, I did read your whole story - the only one I could find - such a long time ago, 2008!  If I get a moment, I will reach out to you.

I feel alone because this just doesn't or shouldn't happen.  I really don't think it was from the surgery - something else happened or is going on.  The really perplexing thing about all this is...I feel good!  The hip is working, even my back issues have improved!  But my blood levels say otherwise!

Will stay posted...

Debbie

[Debcoco]

Debbie,

I will thinking of you on Thursday and sending a prayer that the Dr's will find out what is going on.  From what I've read, Dr. Su is one of the best and I'm sure he'll be reaching out to other specialists if need be.

Deb

[Beth]

Debbie,
Best of luck. I know you have a lot of cheerleaders on this site.
I will certainly be thinking of you.
Beth

[Juno]

Debbie,
I am praying that all goes well for you and that the HR is still good. It could be an isolated infected encapsulated area and hopefully has not gotten into the hip capsule. Orthopedic infections are very serious and that is why most surgeons and Hospitals take such strict precautions with Ortho surgeries (think the space suit type OR garb versus just gowns and masks. Unfortunately post op infections still occur.

Please keep us posted as try to keep that great attitude!
Juno

[moe]

Stay strong Debbie, you will be in good hands.

moe

[whyme]

It's difficult but now you can only try to stay positive and trust the medical staff, they will do their best to find the root cause and provide the most appropriate treatment.
I hope everything goes well for you!

[China Lady]

this morning I read an article in a German journal about Bursitis. the description of your symptoms and the findings are equal to the description there. if it is a bursitis the inflammation is not caused by a virus, mostly they come from "over use" of a joint. for example: if you play tennis very hard, you can get it in your elbow or shoulder; if you use the computer mouse all day, you can feel it in your wrist.
I hope everything comes out fine for you! my best wishes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[China Lady]

Dear Debbie!
how do you do? I hope you are fine.
what did they find?

[keepmovin]

Hi folks,
Thought I'd give you all my update.  Today is MOnday and I am still in the hospital.  Surgery was Thursday afternoon and the wash out and debridgement went well.  Dr, Su said he did an aggressive wash out , he had to detach my hip to get in to do a really thorough job,  Unfortunately, infection reached the hip but at this time, we are not talking revision or removal.
cultures were sent to lab to see what grows out of it-so far, nothing.  I was on antibiotics before surgery so that could be the reason-they will hold the culture for two weeks to see if its a slow grower,  Tomorrow would be day 5, which is the reasonable time they would make the decision what antibiotic to put me on-if nothing Grows, I would go home with broadspectrum antibiotics.
My positive thought goes like this:  if nothing grows, maybe the oral antibiotics taken before surgery did the trick and it will not return.  If it does grow a week later, then that would indicate a slow growing bacteria and this would not be good.
I was not in pain before surgery nor was I sick, walked fine, good ROM-- all this good but baffles all the Drs.
Sitting in this hospital is maddening, and there have been times when I've not bee a good patient-weekend stays are the worst.  I want to walk more than they have amble staff.  So I complained....today they are more attentive.

Don't get me wrong....great hospital, wouldn't want to be any place else.  Dr. Su is right on top of this but everyone is frustrated with this.

Waiting for ID Dr advice and will update you then.
Thankyou all for your support!  Just wish we had a definitive answer to this.

Debbie :-[

[hernanu]

It sounds like progress (in my uneducated medical mind), hopefully it's either identified or done with due to previous treatment.

Again hoping good things for you...

[oldsoccerplayer]

I guess being unique isn't always a good thing  :(
Keeping my fingers crossed for you, let's hope we'll get some good news soon.

[moe]

Hang in there Debbie. Patience.

moe