Matt’s Hip Resurfacing with Dr. Su 2014

February 14, 2014

I am 43, 44 next month, healthy active male. Tore my labrum 14 years ago. Scoped 10 years ago. Been researching HR for years. Currently, I am scheduled for surgery with Dr. in a few weeks, but I really don’t want to get it done. I am scared out of my mind and my anxiety levels are through the roof.

Right now, I have what seems to be a constant soreness in my groin, not severe, but something that is always there. You constantly feel it. A few months ago, that wasn’t the case. It would just get sore with certain exercises. But now, I feel pretty consistently. Mild soreness, like a light burning sensation that gets worse with certain exercises.

Timing wise, I’d rather wait until December (I work as a football official in the fall), but am conerned I won’t make it that far this time. Each year, I keep re-evaluating and try to make it through another season. Part of me wants to get it done and get on the road to recovery, but part of me never wants to get it done.

I am not sure what others have experienced from an anxiety, depression & fear standpoint leading up to surgery, but I am feeling it pretty hard. Can’t sleep and always thinking about it now. If the date wasn’t scheduled, I probably wouldn’t feel that way, I’d just be complaining about my hip and talking about needing to get it done. But with the scheduled date approaching, the realization hits me hard.

When I go down for my pre-surgical visit, my hope is that I will get to see Dr. Su and have him look at the new xray and see how much has changed since Septemer, and discuss the posssibility of putting it off and maybe go the cortisone injection route.

June 2, 2014

I am 9 weeks post op tommorrow. I was able to start tying my shoes (with some effort) at about 6 weeks. Putting on socks without the sock tool right around the same time. I can do both now without much difficulty. The socks are still a little more effort than tying the shoes, but I’ve noticed my ROM has increased significantly in the last 3 weeks. I am now crossing my legs, but not yet to the same degree as with the non operated side. I just started being able to do this the last week or so.

The wall stretch, lying on my back, both feet up in the air against the wall, and sliding the operated foot down the wall has really helped my ROM. It drives the knee towards your chest. It’s very painful, but all stretching is. I also do the same stretch and rotate my knee as well.

September 22, 2014

Today is my 5 month post-op (surgery on April 2nd). I continue to go to PT twice a week and do my own exercises and PT during the off days.

I also work as a college football official in the fall, so I was very worried that my season would be in jeopardy when I had my surgery. This past week I was able to work 2 pre-season scrimmages. I did get sore in the groin area, but overall was pleasantly surprised with how I felt. I am able to run, back pedal, turn and open hips, change of direction, etc. It’s not 100% yet. I’ve been very careful to listen to my body and not overdue it. I also have been extremely diligent with PT and think that has really helped with my recovery process.

Just wanted to post for any value that others can get from my experience. As mentioned, I am not 100%, but my doctor has given me the green light to work on the field. My PT says I should definitely expect to feel soreness but both he and the doctor are confident I won’t damage anything at this point. The Doc just doesn’t want me road running until after the 6 month mark. Not sure if I will go back to that anyway.

October 2, 2014

Today is the 6 month mark, post-surgery.  I know that is a big milestone date as far as being cleared of all restrictions.  The 6 months actually went by quicker than I thought, as I really dreaded the recovery going into the surgery on April 2nd.

I am a very active person and have already gotten back to a very active lifestyle.  I have been very aggressive and diligent with my PT.  I continue to go to my PT twice a week.  I hit my out of pocket max with my insurance quickly this year with the surgery, so I will continue to go as long as I can while it’s covered 100%.  On the non PT days, I am usually at the YMCA 4 of those days doing PT on my own.  I have been back to road riding a bicycle since about the 3 month mark.  I was cleared to do some light agility type running at around 4 months (short 20 yard jogs, back peddling, side to side type things).  I am now also able to run around with my kids on the soccer field, in the yard, etc…. Those type of things I really avoided prior to surgery as I would get sore very fast.

I am doing most things comfortably with tolerable soreness.  I have not gone back to road running at this point.  I am not sure how far I’d get anyway before getting too sore.  Maybe somewhere down the line, but road running isn’t a main priority for me at this point.  I also work as a football official and have been back on the field for a few weeks now, also with tolerable soreness.

April 3, 2015

Today, I hit the 1 year post-op mark on my resurfacing.  The year has gone by quicker than I expected.  My resufaced hit feels great at this point.  For several years leading up to the resurfacing, I really dreaded getting it done.  But looking back now, it wasn’t as bad as I expected.  I took my PT very seriously and was very diligent with it.  I think my recovery was probably a little quicker than average and I credit that to the PT.  My surgery was last April and I was able to get back to working as a college football official by September.  I was sore throughout the season, but my surgeon assured me that it was just a matter of the muscles getting used to the impact activities.  I can now do anything I want and it’s not an issue.

Unfortunately, 4 weeks ago I was shoveling heavy snow, and while lifting and turning to throw the snow, I felt a rip/pull through my right, non-resurfaced hip.  It scared me enough to get it checked out by my doctor.  He felt it was a straing but ordered an MRI arthrogram anyway, and it turns out I have a small tear in the labrum of my non-operated hip.  He has since sent me to a hip-scope specialist.  After examinging me, that doctor feels it’s a muscle strain too, and feels the small tear was already there and they pain and soreness I have is not sypmtomatic of the tear.  What I have since learned is that a lot of people are walking around with small labral tears and don’t know it nor does it give them any problems.  I feared a labral tear, as that is what started the whole process on my resurfaced hip, so that is why I got it checked out right away.  A PT friend of my mine told me “if you don’t want to find out you have a labral tear, don’t get an MRI”.  He had told me the same thing about the statistics of people with labral tears that don’t even know.  So I am still figuring what to do with recent injury, and currently going to PT.

Anyway, my resurfaced hip is doing great.  I’ve hit the 1 year mark and very happy with the results.  It’s allowed me to get back to doing so many things I either had to avoid or limit prior to the surgery as I would have to much pain.

April 4, 2016

Just hit my 2 year anniversary this past Saturday.  The resurfaced hip is great.  No issues. 

However, my other hip is an issue.  Just after I was recovered and getting back to doing everything I gave up doing due to my left hip, I tore the labrum in my right hip about a year ago and have been dealing with it ever since.  Going to get it scoped at the end of April.  Hopefully that will be a success, but I am guessing I am heading down the road to a resurfacing on that hip too.