Pain after 2 years of BHR Surgery

[giacor]

I was doing very well 2 years after my BHR surgery for my left hip.  Then, while taking a long beach walk my left hip area tighened up after about 10 minutes of brisk walking, followed by pain in the buttocks area.  It did not feel like the bone on bone pain I had before my surgery - but more like a vice gripping around the hip area the more I walked.  The pain stopped after I stopped walking, but returned about 1-2 minutes after resuming walking.  I saw my Dr. and my xrays showed the device was OK, but he felt I had developed Bursitis.  A cortisone shot helped for a short while, but it is now the same everytime I go for a walk.  The hip feels almost normal and pain free all other times.  Stopping the walk and doing sideways leg extensions seems to help but the pain always returns when I resume walking, and now everytime I walk for more than 5-10 minutes.  My right hip will need replacing soon but this problem developed before the right hip got bad.  I still golf using a golf cart and I try to walk, but the pain always returns and this condition does not seem to get better.  I am going back to the Dr. soon, but wondered if anyone else has heard of or had a similar problem?      

[Pat Walter]

Hi

Welcome to hip talk.  Normally people don't have many problems at 2 years post op, especially when they did not have any before that.

One thing I can tell you is that some surgeons don't read x-rays as well as the really experienced surgeons.  You did not say who your surgeon was or how many resurfacings he/she has done. 

If you can't find a better answer in the future, I woud consider letting the top hip resurfacing surgeons look at your x-rays.  Dr. De Smet of Belgium, Dr. Gross of SC and a few other will give you an opinon.  I know it is hard to believe, but they will see more from your x-rays than a less expiernced surgeon. Dr. De Smet has done over 3000 resurfacings and Dr. Gross at almost 2000.  A surgeon that has done a few hundred to 300 or 400 hundred, just are not as expiernced.

Just a suggestion on my part if you can't find a solution to your problems.  Brusitus should respond to shots, but I guess it can be diffiuclt.  I would make sure your acetabular cup is properly positioned and there is not any excessive bearing wear from the two components if things don't clear up.  I don't want to frighten you, but you asked.  There are a number of people at 2 and 3 years post op finding out their cups are not properly placed at the right angle and causing a great deal of problems leading to revisions.  Doesn't mean yours is at a wrong angle or slipped - but it is something you want to make sure is not happening to you.

Pat