Hi, I'm an athletic 41 year old male with FAI and osteoarthritis in my right hip. I live in the Washington DC area and am considering seeing Dr Jacobs and/or Dr Engh to see if I'm a candidate for resurfacing. I'd appreciate any experiences or comments on either physician if available. Thanks for the information!
sstb
I'd like to revive this thread as I have an appointment with Dr. Jacobs and also would like more information.
I also talked to Dr Engh's secretary and he has only done a couple hundred BHR's. While Dr Jacobs has more than 500.. But there is also another doctor in the area, Dr. Boucher who has 500+ procedures.
SO, does anyone know anything about these two doctors? What criteria should I use to decide when they both (Jacobs and Boucher) have similar numbers?
Thanks.
I don’t know anything about those two surgeons to offer any specific insights about them in particular.
However, it might be helpful to compare both surgeon’s rates of common complications (IE femoral neck fracture, infection, transfusion, rates of revision, etc.) to those of the highest volume resurfacing surgeons, often available on their websites. Gross also publishes his in peer reviewed journals as well.
Also see which one inspires your confidence when you see them. Read their protocols for pre and post op, as there may be important differences. Read relevant journal articles on resurfacing, if they’ve published on it. That would also suggest their commitment to the procedure and give insights into their approach.
Hope that helps
One other thing I found very helpful in comparing surgeons was to watch their past interviews or presentations. You tube was actually a helpful source of this material. I found these to be educational and also gave me insights about various surgeons philosophies and personalities, to an extent. It helped me narrow things down.
Thank you!
Consider traveling for this surgery: New York, S Carolina, Cleveland, Seattle. It adds a layer of complexity, but you would have the chance to work with some of the most experienced resurfacing surgeons in the USA. These docs can advise how they work with out of town patients. They all do it. The comparison between a doc who has done 5000 procedures vs. 500 is compelling, especially if there are unforeseen complications. Good luck!
He previously stated that he cannot travel.