I lead the nation in hip resurfacing. I began performing metal-on-metal total hip resurfacing arthroplasty (HRA) in 1999. With the retirement of Dr. Harlan Amstutz, I now have the longest track record of performing this operation in the United states. I have performed over 3500 HRA, which is the fourth largest series in the world. In the rare patients that are not resurfacing candidates, I perform large metal bearing total hip replacements (THR). Patients who are worried about rare adverse metal wear failures can choose a ceramic / cross-linked polyethelene THR also done using a minimally invasive technique.

My published track record is one of the best in the world. In unselected patient series of hip resurfacing, we have published ten-year implant survivorship of 93% with the Corin Hybrid system, 97% 7-year implant survivorship with the Biomet Hybrid system, and most recently 98% 6-year survivorship with the uncemented Biomet system in peer reviewed scientific journals. Currently 6-year survivorship is 99% in men and 96% in women. For large metal bearing total hips, survivorship is 97% at 8 years.

I have pioneered many advances in hip resurfacing:

• The worlds first fully porous uncemented components
• Prevention of of early femoral failures (current rate of 0.15%)
• Elimination of acetabular fixation failures in dysplasia (none since 2007)
• The worlds only scientifically robust guideline for acetabular component positioning
• Intraoperative x-ray technique for achieving accurate acetabular component position
• Elimination of adverse wear failures (pseudotumors) (none in hips done since 2007)
• Minimally invasive posterior approach (4inch incision)
• Outpatient surgery (no hospital stay)
• Successful revision surgery for hip resurfacing (96% 6-year survivorship)

Hip resurfacing is the best solution for near normal reconstruction of the hip joint in severe arthritis. It is more complex to perform than standard hip replacement. Many excellent hip replacement surgeons have become interested in hip resurfacing in the last 10 years but have given up performing this operation because they encountered too many complications. This has led many experts to claim that “hip resurfacing does not work”. But a number of surgeons worldwide have been able to show superior results with HRA as compared to THR. Currently there are probably less than 10 surgeons in the US who continue to perform significant numbers of these cases with good results. If you are interested in the higher functional potential of this operation, be careful to choose your surgeon wisely.