Patricia Walter’s Hip Resurfacing with Dr. De Smet 2006
Download Patricia’s Free E-book “Belgium and my BHR”
15 Year Update 3/15/2021
Today, March 15, is my 15 year anniversary of receiving my BHR Birmingham Hip Resurfacing from Dr. De Smet in Belgium in 2006. My hip resurfacing is still great and I never had problems with it. I still believe hip resurfacing is a great alternative to a total hip replacement for the right candidate – normally younger people that are very active and want no restrictions. I started my website https://surfacehippy.info in 2005 to provide people with a website about hip resurfacing. There are over 1500 articles, 1500 personal stories and 5000+ members in the Hip Talk Discussion Forum. I still work on the website as a full time job to keep it up to date with new information and stories. I never regretted having a hip resurfacing or starting my website to help people learn about hip resurfacing.
14 Year Update 3/15/2020
I am still very active at 75 years old. I never had problems with my hip resurfacing and still have no problems. I absolutely believe hip resurfacing is an excellent solution for hip replacement for good candidates.
There are many hip resurfacing surgeons who have done many thousands now and a list of these surgeons is available here: https://surfacehippy.info/hip-resurfacing-doctors-over-1000-hip-resurfacing-surgeries/
Women can still have a hip resurfacing, but are limited to surgeons who no longer use the BHR for women and small men. There are surgeons in the US and overseas that use other devices for women.
People ask Would you do that again? Absolutely YES. I believed in 2005 that hip resurfacing was an excellent solution for me and many others. Today, March 15, 2020, I still believe hip resurfacing is an excellent solution for many people if they are good candidates. Younger people who are very active in many sports do not want to give up their activities. Hip Resurfacing is the solution for them. There are over 1500 personal stories here: https://surfacehippy.info/category/hip-resurfacing-stories/
13 Year Update 3/15/2019
My BHR Birmingham Hip Resurfacing has been doing a great job for 13 years and has never caused me any problems. I had my hip resurfacing with Dr. De Smet on March 15, 2006 in Belgium.
I started https://surfacehippy.info in 2005 because I felt people should have information about hip resurfacing. The website has had many updates and design changes, but always provided information and personal stories about hip resurfacing. There have been many changes in hip resurfacing and available devices over the years. The one remaining constant has always been – hip resurfacing is an excellent choice for active people that want to be out of pain and return to their previous activities. The top, experienced hip resurfacing surgeons are still doing hip resurfacing and most have done over 4000+ surgeries.
The folks on the Surface Hippy Hip Talk Discussion Group are very helpful in answering questions and offering support to new members and hip resurfacing patients. I Thank all those folks that have stayed around to help others. Their efforts make the website so useful for perspective patients and patients that have questions.
I look forward to many more years with my BHR and wish the same for the new and old hip resurfacing patients.
I wrote a book about my experiences in Belgium and decision to have a hip resurfacing. It is a downloadable pdf:
https://surfacehippy.info/ebook/belgium%26mybhr-2018.pdf
My original story is also here: Patricia’s Original Story
11 Year Update 3/15/2017
My BHR is 11 years old today. It is a gift I received from Dr. De Smet from Belgium 11 years ago. I remember the surgery day as if it were yesterday – the day I was out of pain. I have been out of pain and active since then. Never had a problem and just don’t think about my hip. I am 72 now and hoping to live until I am 100 with the same BHR in my left hip! I never regret the day I flew to Belgium to have surgery and would do it again, in a heartbeat. Although we have wonderful, experienced surgeons in the US now, Dr. De Smet is one of the most experienced surgeons in the world.
Hip resurfacing has changed since 2006. The BHR is no longer suggested for women and small men. It is still an excellent device for most active men. There are other devices available for women and small men in the US and overseas. Hip resurfacing is still a great option for women, small men and active men. In the hands of experienced surgeons, hip resurfacing results are very good for women and men. Hip resurfacing is an excellent solution for good candidates to return to the sports and activities they love.
I started the https://surfacehippy.info website is 2005 to share information about hip resurfacing with people interested in an alternative to a THR that had no restrictions. So many people that had hip resurfacing had successful stories about their surgeries and recoveries that I wanted to share those with the world.
My hip resurfacing is still going strong and the website is still growing and very active. I feel very blessed to have learned about hip resurfacing, received a BHR and provided a website for others to learn.
Patricia’s Original Story Below
I had my left hip resurfaced with Dr. De Smet on 3/15/06. That was a turning point in my life. I was 61 years old and been living in pain from my left hip for almost ten years. I had spent about 3 months learning about hip resurfacing and reading email posts from the surfacehippy Yahoo group . I decided that hip resurfacing with Dr. De Smet would be the answer to my hip pain.
I had a wonderful time in Belgium with my husband and many new hippy friends. My surgery was a piece of cake and only took 2 1/2 days away from my wonderful vacation in Gent. The Jan Palfijn Hospital was as good as any US hospital that I have been in. The staff all spoke some English and were most attentive. I explained that I did not want to feel any pain, that I did not want to remember anything that happened and I did not want to be nauseated after surgery. The great staff of doctors and nurses listened to my wishes and they were all granted. I had a very uneventful surgery. I can hardly remember anything from the night before when I took a sleeping pill to the day after surgery when I first started to be awake.
I even had the bonus of receiving a heart echogram from the wonderful heart doctor that heard a heart murmur from my heart. He felt I would be fine to have surgery, but wanted me to get it tested when I got home to the US. I told him that I did not have health insurance. He explained it would be about $900 in the US, but he would do it for me for $50 while I was at Jan Palfijn. What a bargain! I found out I have some calcification on my aorta valve, but it was normal for a person my age. I should not have any problems for another 20 years or more. That was good news and I felt it a gift to receive it for a sum of $50 instead of $900.
I am currently 15 years post op and doing great. I don’t know any other way to explain the adventure, but as amazing. I had no bruising or swelling and very little pain. I ended up only taking a few Ibuprofen after surgery since their medicines were making my stomach upset. My unused muscles were very stiff and sore, but that is to be expected since they have not been used much for ten years.
At this point all I can say is “Thank You” to Dr. De Smet for giving me a pain-free hip and my life back!
Pat and Dr. De Smet
PT with Mark
Doing Steps with Mark
Lunch
My Roommate Ineke