Second BHR with Dr. Gross

BTMachine · January 24, 2022, 12:42:44 PM

So it has been a long time since I posted to this forum. I had my first BHR with Dr. Gross approximately 11 years ago. My second BHR was done January of this year so I'm 19 days post op. My first surgery I had to fly to Columbia. Now I'm only 6 hours away so the second procedure I was able to drive to Columbia. A lot has changed since my first surgery. The latest surgery was done outpatient with a hotel stay. I was able to drive home (assisted) the next day after a doctor's release. Post op pain the second time around is less. I was able to stop all prescribed pain meds after 4 days. I'm on a slower recovery path this time due to a lower bone density reading. All arthritic pain that I was experiencing before the surgery is now gone. The only discomfort is the wound and some occasional muscle cramping. I hope this doesn't change.

When I had the first BHR I was able to return to full activity within 6 months. I participated in sprint triathlons, tennis, hiking, golf, fly fishing etc. I even fell off a ladder and landed on the BHR side with thankfully no breaks. My only physical limitation was the number of miles I could run. I was able to complete a 5K but it took time to get the BHR hip to accept the distance. Running speed was around an 8 minute mile. I appear to be in a small group that experiences joint pain after about a mile or so of running. It will be interesting to see how the second hip does. Although, I'm happy even if I can't run the miles as my interests are changing.

For those of you considering Dr. Gross and his team for BHR resurfacing, I would highly recommend them. I can't say enough about how the BHR has improved my quality of life. I have referred several people including my brother who have all had positive experiences. I will update this forum as the recovery time goes on.

YetiKing · January 25, 2022, 10:54:16 PM

btmachine - great to read this. i am 3 weeks out from my bhr w. dr gross. nervous and excited. seems like i timed this well and am hoping that at some point i will be back running - yeah, one of the strange people that loved running. love reading stories like this. thanks for the inspiration

BTMachine · January 26, 2022, 03:46:01 PM

Yetiking, your in good hands with Dr. Gross and team. I have read some other stories on this site with other docs and you definitely have the best bone carpenter in the business. They have dialed in every detail. My first surgery I got sick from the anesthesia. They gave me a drug to prevent nausea. When I woke in post op I ate a full sub with no impact. Pain was also managed better this time. I was amazed how quickly I was able to get off the pain meds. If you have any questions let me know. You will be back to running in no time.

PalmettoGolfer · January 27, 2022, 10:35:21 AM

YetiKing, I had my BHR back in May of 21. I'm back to boxing (been going since December), Golf (was swinging at 6 weeks post-op). I however, know nothing of this thing called "running" ;)

Dr. Gross and staff are top notch. I had literally zero pain post-op, was off pain meds in 2 days (don't like that stuff). It's normal to be nervous but it really was a great experience.

YetiKing · February 03, 2022, 09:00:36 AM

am super confident of the surgery - have read more than i think about almost any other subject in my life. just nervous about the variation in post op and recovery. some walking with one crutch inside of a week, others weeks and weeks out. i'm still very active and have probably expectations that are too high. that is making me nervous. less than 2 weeks now

BTMachine · February 25, 2022, 11:05:51 AM

Well just an update, I was released yesterday to walk at will. I started phase 2 exercises right at week 6. I'm 7 weeks post-op. I went from crutches to walking without a cane. The phase 2 exercises really aided with skipping the cane step. Can go down stairs with ease but a little effort needed to go up stairs. Frankly I been going nuts with the inactivity. I made a .6 mile walk today with a little pain at the end. I decided to stop so as not to make it any worse. Pain subsides as soon as I sit and relax. It can only go up from here.

BTMachine · March 26, 2022, 10:25:24 AM

Hi all, 11 weeks post op and recovery is going great. I'm up to 4 miles walking every day. I will start 2lb lifts in a week. No bone pain but some muscle pain after longer walks or up hill climbs. The other thing I've noticed is when getting out of bed I no longer experience the tightness or slight pain first thing in the morning. I attribute this to the muscle strengthening exercises.

If you are over 60 like myself, I have found completing recovery exercises is most beneficial when done on both legs. Also, I never realized how out of balance I was. I'm not referring to posture but my ability to balance on one leg. I found completing the Psoas stretch without any support has improved my balance. Getting older sucks and not having the balance control I once had really concerned me. If you are a golfer having good balance is key to completing a proper swing. So I thought I would share my findings. Good luck all and keep the strength training up.