resurface vs anterior approach hip replacement

[ken]

Hello,
    I am a 47year old male.   My troubles regarding my right hip started roughly 10 years ago.  I have been given a diagnosis of femoral acetabular impingement (FAI for short).   I walk with an ever increasing limp, and have great difficulty getting into certain positions, such as putting on a pair of socks and tying a shoe.  For me, it feels as though the range of motion is gone.  I do not have constant pain, so I do not take any medications at all.   My motivation to have surgery is to get back to normal active living.  I am not a professional athlete, however I do like to work out, jog, ride a bike and play tennis.   At this point in time I am greatly hindered.  My fear is that if I let it go on for "years" more, my whole body will go into a compensatory adjustment leading to other potential problems. 
     I have a tentative plan for the anterior approach hip replacement to be done in early January 2008.   Now, at this late date, I have discovered this website!  I have not really been given resurfacing as an option by the surgeons in my area (San Francisco) so I am intrigued by all that I have read thus far.  I would like to know if anyone else out there has had FAI and faced this dilemma? 

[Pat Walter]

Hi Ken

I did not have FAI, but others have.  Hip resurfacing is definitely the way to go since you are so young.  As you probably know by know - it conserves your remur bone.  So if or when you need a revision later in life, you have a complete femur bone left for the revision. Each revision of a THR gets more and more difficult until some people just end up in a wheel chair. With a Hip Resurfacing you keep your femur bone and are also allowed to return to whatever sports you want to participate in.  Check out what must be done to revise a THR http://www.surfacehippy.info/thrrevision.php

I was 61 when I had my hip resurfacing and I felt I was still young enough to want a hip resurfacing.  I waited 10 years in bad pain because I refused to have a THR. Then I learned about hip resurfacing.

The one thing I have learned over the past 3 years and I have to tell you I am NOT TRAINED MEDICALLY in any way - is when you have special hip problems - you need the most experienced hip resurfacing surgeons.  There is a steep learning curve to hip resurfacing, studies are posted on my website, and it is almost as much as art as a  learned skill.  That is why therer are so many more problems early on for the new hip resurfacing surgeons.  I belong to the large Yahoo Surface hippy group and since the FDA approval of the BHR here in the states, there are many more new doctors and many more post op problems.

Check out my list http://www.surfacehippy.info/listofdoctors.php and lood for an really experienced doctor.  Dr. Gross, Bose and De Smet will all give you free consultations via email if you attach your x-rays digitally in a  .jpg format.  They are 3 of the best in the world and will give you an honest evaluation. That way you know exactly what can be done and if you are a hip resurfacing candidate.

If you have time to read, I have many informative articles posted here http://www.surfacehippy.info/visitorguide.php

Please keep in touch.  I will try to get more info about  FAI and hip resurfacing shortly.

Pat in Ohio
3/15/06 LBHR De Smet