** March 15, 2025 will be my 19 year Anniversary ** of receiving my BHR Birmingham Hip Resurfacing from Dr. De Smet in Belgium in 2006. During these years, I’ve carefully tracked hip resurfacing outcomes and patient experiences. What I find most encouraging is that 73% of hip resurfacing patients can run within 5 years after surgery, while only 32% of traditional hip replacement patients achieve this milestone.

My years of involvement with the hip resurfacing community have shown me that this surgery offers REAL BENEFITS for the right candidates. Over 90,000 people worldwide have received hip resurfacing, and the results continue to be impressive. Most patients can walk with support within days after surgery – something I experienced firsthand.

The long-term results are equally encouraging. After 10 years, 53% of hip resurfacing patients maintain their ability to run, compared to only 19% of traditional hip replacement patients. I still believe hip resurfacing is a great alternative to total hip replacement for the right candidate – normally younger people that are very active and want no restrictions.

Through my personal experience and years of studying patient outcomes, I’ve seen how hip resurfacing consistently achieves high patient satisfaction rates. Let me share what I’ve learned about surgical excellence, recovery, and long-term success with this procedure.

Patient Success Stories

The Hip Talk Discussion Forum has thousands of success stories from hip resurfacing patients. What impresses me most is how many athletes return to their sports. A study of elite athletes found that 100% returned to sports, and 75% went back to professional competition for at least one full season [1]. These athletes kept performing just as well as they did before surgery [1].

Athletes After Hip Resurfacing

I’ve followed many amazing comebacks over the years. We’ve seen:

An Olympic gold medalist returning to fencing
A baseball pitcher playing three more seasons
An ultramarathoner setting US records in the over-65 age group [3]

The success isn’t limited to elite athletes. About 87% of patients get back to their regular sports [14]. People are playing tennis, squash, football, and badminton again [14]. What really caught my attention was a study of triathletes – 94% returned to their sport, with 58% even competing in Ironman events [3].

Daily Life After Surgery

It’s not just about sports. Patients tell me they notice less pain and better movement right from day one [13]. One story that stands out is a firefighter who went back to full duty in just five weeks, handling heavy equipment and doing rescue operations [3]. Most patients move more safely and naturally after recovery [13].

Results Across Age Groups

The numbers are impressive for all ages. Studies show a 97.1% implant survival rate for people under 35 and 99.6% survival rate for those over 55 at the 10-year mark [15]. I’ve noticed younger patients usually get more active after surgery, while older ones see big improvements in daily activities [15]. For patients under 50, Harris Hip Scores jumped from 44.3 to 95.9 [16].

The improvements show up in different ways. UCLA activity scores typically go from 5.5 before surgery to 7.6 after [16]. What really matters to patients is that 75% can bend their hip more than 100 degrees, and 87.5% say their pain is completely gone [16].

Join our Hip Talk Discussion Forum to read more success stories and connect with others who’ve had hip resurfacing. Their experiences might help you understand what to expect from your own journey.

Surgical Excellence Factors

I realize that every hip resurfacing surgeon has to start somewhere, but the numbers don’t lie – surgeons doing fewer than 5 cases annually face higher revision rates [8]. From my years of following hip resurfacing outcomes, I’ve seen that success depends on three CRITICAL factors: surgeon experience, hospital expertise, and team approach.

Why Surgeon Experience Matters

My personal surgeon, Dr. De Smet, even told me that he still has very difficult surgeries and he has done over 7000 hip resurfacings. The learning curve is steep – it takes about 100+ cases just to get good at positioning components [9]. I’ve noticed that newer surgeons often struggle with seeing the acetabulum properly and getting components positioned right [9]. Studies back this up – surgeons doing only 3.7 cases yearly have more revisions [10]. That’s why experts say surgeons should prove their success rates before taking on this demanding surgery [10].

Hospital Experience Counts Too

Hospitals need special teams and equipment for hip resurfacing [11]. I’ve seen that centers doing lots of these surgeries get better results [11]. When operations take longer, there’s more chance of problems [12]. The best results come from dedicated programs – look at Cleveland Clinic with their 99% success rates over 10 years [2].

Benefits of Experienced Teams

The whole surgical team matters, not just the surgeon. When staff keeps changing during surgery – especially anesthesiologists and nurses – operations take longer [12]. Surprisingly, having training surgeons doesn’t slow things down – they actually help reduce costs [12]. Teams that work together regularly do better [12]. The proof? Some specialized centers report no dislocations in over 4,600 procedures [2].

I personally feel that experience can only be learned, it cannot be taught. When choosing a surgeon, remember: Experience, Experience and Experience. Visit our Hip Talk Discussion Forum to learn from others about their surgeon experiences.

Recovery Optimization

Everyone recovers at a different rate after hip resurfacing. I’ve seen that 98% of patients return to sports activities when they follow a good rehabilitation program [13]. Most medical centers start physical therapy within 24-48 hours after surgery [1].

What to Expect in Recovery

Recovery happens in stages, and each person moves through them differently. Here’s what I’ve learned about the typical timeline:

First 4 Weeks:

Managing pain
Learning to move safely
Walking starts at 0.5 km, building up slowly [3]

By week five, many patients can walk up to 5 km [14]. The whole recovery usually follows three main phases:

Weeks 1-4: Taking it easy, gentle movements
Weeks 4-12: Building strength, working on balance
Months 3-6: Getting back to sports, more active movements [3]

Getting Back to Activities

The good news is that 90% of patients get back to normal activities within three months [13]. But don’t rush it – my surgeon told me to avoid high-impact activities for six months [3]. You can usually start swimming after 2.5 weeks and gentle cycling with no resistance [15].

Most people return to work between 6-12 weeks, depending on their job [16]. For driving, wait 3-4 weeks and make sure you can do an emergency stop safely [16]. Low-impact sports usually start between 6-12 weeks after surgery [16].

Support Makes a Difference

I realize having good support really helps recovery. Your physical therapist will track your progress to make sure you’re healing well [1]. Occupational therapists are great at teaching you:

Safe ways to do daily activities
How to move differently
Using walking aids properly [4]

You’ll need family help for several weeks after going home [4]. The medical team will tell you how to set up your house, like moving furniture and adding safety equipment [4]. With good support, 82% of patients get back to high-impact activities [13].

Visit our Hip Talk Discussion Forum to connect with others going through recovery. Their experiences and tips can really help during your healing journey.

Long-term Benefits Analysis

After my 19 years with a Birmingham Hip Resurfacing, I still believe the long-term benefits are impressive. Studies show that hip resurfacing preserves significantly more femoral bone stock compared to traditional hip replacements [17]. This matches what my surgeon, Dr. De Smet, explained to me before my surgery.

Why Bone Preservation Matters

I realize bone preservation is ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT for younger patients. The surgery only removes a few millimeters of bone from the femoral head [2]. This careful bone preservation gives you more options if you need future surgeries [18]. For younger patients who might need another surgery later in life, this is crucial – the preserved bone makes revision surgeries easier [17].

Better Joint Stability

The stability numbers really caught my attention. Studies show dislocation rates of only 0.27 per 1000 prosthesis years with hip resurfacing, compared to 0.84 for traditional replacements [19]. This better stability comes from using a larger femoral head in resurfacing [20]. Most impressive is the 10 times lower dislocation rate compared to traditional hip replacements [20].

Staying Active Long-Term

My personal experience matches what research shows about staying active. Most patients reach UCLA activity scores of 7-8 (active and very active) within a year [7]. I’ve seen patients regularly doing:

Swimming and cycling
Golf and low-impact sports
Regular fitness routines [7]

The numbers tell a great story – 96% of patients who were very active before surgery get back to those same activities within a year [7]. Even better, 54% of patients who weren’t very active before surgery become much more active afterward [7]. After 10 years, 95% of implants are still going strong [21], and patients keep up their activity levels [22].

Hip resurfacing works especially well for younger patients, with excellent 10-year results [21]. Perhaps most important, hip resurfacing patients under 55 have much lower mortality rates – just 1.6% compared to 8.9% for traditional replacements [2].

Visit our Hip Talk Discussion Forum to read more long-term success stories from patients who’ve had their hip resurfacing for 10+ years. Their experiences can help you understand what to expect in the years after surgery.

Comparing Hip Resurfacing to Traditional Hip Replacement

Selection of a treatment for hip problems is a personal choice. From studying 1,898 hip resurfacing patients, I’ve seen remarkable improvements in both physical and mental health [23].

Key Differences

The main difference I learned is that hip resurfacing saves your femoral head and neck, while traditional hip replacement removes them completely [24]. What really caught my attention was the 10 times lower dislocation rate with hip resurfacing [5]. One study even found zero dislocations in 4,600 hip resurfacing procedures [2].

But hip resurfacing isn’t for everyone. I’ve learned it works best for:

Men under 65 years
People with larger hip anatomy
Those with primary osteoarthritis [5]

Understanding the Costs

Let me share some important cost information. Hip resurfacing done as outpatient surgery can save between $13,000 (33%) and $41,000 (61%) compared to inpatient hip replacements [25]. The implants cost more upfront, but hospital stays are almost the same length – 5.7 days versus 5.5 days [26].

Studies show patients spend about £564 more in the first year after hip resurfacing [26]. But I feel the better quality of life is worth it – studies measure this value at £17,451 per quality-adjusted life year [26].

Quality of Life Results

The improvements I’ve seen in patients are impressive. Studies show big gains in several areas:

WOMAC scores jumped from 46 to 95
Oxford Hip Score went from 42 to 95
SF-12 physical scores increased from 34 to 54 [27]

Private healthcare patients see even bigger improvements – physical health scores rise from 37.32 to 77.35 in just three months [6]. Mental health gets better too, going from 68.63 to 86.18 points [6].

What really matters is that 94% of hip resurfacing patients say they’re “very satisfied,” compared to 89% for traditional replacement [5]. Hip resurfacing patients also do better in sports and recreation (92 versus 87) [5].

Even in public healthcare, quality-of-life scores improve from 16.60 to 34.68 points within three months [6]. Both private and public patients see good results, though the numbers vary between settings [6].

Visit our Hip Talk Discussion Forum to learn from others who’ve chosen between hip resurfacing and traditional replacement. Their experiences might help you make your own decision.

Looking Back at 19 Years with Hip Resurfacing

After 19 years with my Birmingham Hip Resurfacing, I still feel excited seeing 95% patient satisfaction rates. My personal experience matches what research shows – hip resurfacing gives better results than traditional replacements, especially for bone preservation and stability.

I realize that hip resurfacing isn’t for everyone, but it works amazingly well for younger, active people. When I look at the numbers, 73% of patients get back to running within 5 years – that’s more than double what we see with traditional replacements.

My personal surgeon, Dr. De Smet, even told me that surgeon experience makes all the difference. The best hip resurfacing centers report zero dislocations in thousands of surgeries. I’ve watched patients recover faster with good rehabilitation programs – most get back to normal activities within three months.

The long-term results really matter to me. After 10 years, 95% of implants are still working great, and dislocation rates stay 10 times lower than traditional replacements. When you add in the cost savings from outpatient surgery, hip resurfacing makes sense for the right patients.

I personally feel that support from other patients helps tremendously during recovery. Join our Hip Talk Discussion Forum to connect with Surface Hippy Patients who understand exactly what you’re going through. Their experiences and advice helped me, and they can help you too.

Looking back at my own journey and thousands of patient stories, I still believe hip resurfacing is a great choice for active people who want to keep their bone and stay active. Everyone recovers at a different rate, but with the right surgeon and support, hip resurfacing can help you get back to the life you love.

Visit our Hip Talk Discussion Forum to learn more from patients who’ve been there. Their stories might help you decide if hip resurfacing is right for you.

FAQs

1) **What is the success rate of hip resurfacing compared to traditional hip replacement?**

Hip resurfacing has shown impressive results, with 73% of patients able to run within 5 years post-surgery, compared to 32% of traditional hip replacement patients. Long-term results show that 53% of hip resurfacing patients maintain their ability to run after 10 years, compared to only 19% of traditional hip replacement patients.

2) **What are the benefits of hip resurfacing surgery?**

Hip resurfacing surgery offers real benefits for the right candidates. Most patients can walk with support within days after surgery. The long-term results are equally encouraging, with high patient satisfaction rates. Hip resurfacing also consistently achieves high patient satisfaction rates.

3) **How does surgeon experience affect the success of hip resurfacing?**

Surgeon experience is critical to the success of hip resurfacing. Surgeons who perform fewer than 5 cases annually face higher revision rates. The learning curve is steep, and it takes about 100+ cases just to get good at positioning components.

4) **What is the recovery process like after hip resurfacing surgery?**

Recovery after hip resurfacing surgery happens in stages and varies from person to person. Most patients can return to sports activities when they follow a good rehabilitation program. The recovery usually follows three main phases: Weeks 1-4 involve taking it easy with gentle movements, weeks 4-12 involve building strength and working on balance, and months 3-6 involve getting back to sports and more active movements.

References

Hip Resurfacing at Surface Hippy

Learn More About Hip Resurfacing Bone Conserving Alternative to THR

Hip Resurfacing – A Patient’s Perspective on Long-Term Success