THE APPEAL LETTER TO CIGNA (NAU IS "national appeals unit") Dear CIGNA NAU: I have received your written notice, dated Aug. 27, 2004, denying my initial request for pre-authorization for left hip surface arthroplasty. With this letter and attachments, the request is being re-submitted for further consideration as an appeal of the initial denial. I… Continue reading →
Updated 12/12/2012 I would like to comment, mostly for the people new to hip resurfacing, about the negative NY Times articles and other media against hip resurfacing. All of this information is one sided. The authors and some surgeons have an agenda against hip resurfacing. The retention rate of the BHR and other devices has… Continue reading →
Updated 10/2/2014 Metal-on-metal (MoM), ceramic-on-ceramic (CoC), and ceramicized metal-on-polyethylene (CMoP) bearings all were developed as a reaction to the well recognized mediocre long-term results with metal-on-polyethylene hips in younger, more active patients.Polyethylene wear increases with increased activity and load, and often elicits an aggressive response from the body where loosening and bone loss occurs (osteolysis),… Continue reading →
Updated 4/23/2013 Perspective Patients and Patients often ask if the stem of the acetabular component of the BHR is cemented. The stem itself is not, the cement is placed into the cup of the component. An explanation from Mr. McMinn’s "Modern Hip Resurfacing" book explains the process: Page 286 Chapter 22 Implanation of the Femoral… Continue reading →
Updated 3/10/2010 Dear Pat, Thank you for the work you do, it helps so many. Computer aided navigation is an interesting concept. However, there is no evidence that it leads to better clinical outcomes and fewer failures. On the other hand, there is ample evidence that surgeon experience has a dramatic effect on outcomes and… Continue reading →
Updated 10/25/2014 Many countries have National Registries that keep statistics about all orthopedic surgeries performed and medical devices used. They include excellent information about hip resurfacing results. National Joint Replacement Registry of Australia National Joint Registry of England, Wales and Northern Ireland NZ Joint Registry The National Registries are often long, technical and very detailed… Continue reading →
Updated 2/20/2010 DEAR PAT WHAT ABOUT NAVIGATION Today navigation is still a tool that is not easy to use and that needs a certain learning curve as resurfacing itself also has. So it is not a useful tool today for resurfacing beginners, where it should be! It would be nice if it would be a… Continue reading →