I have a question or two for the forum. I'm a prime candidate for bilateral
hip resurfacing, and soon. 47 male, extremely active physically (though the
hips have something to say about that) and ready to take the plunge. My
problem is that I want someone in the pacific northwest (preferably covered
by my insurance agency, Group Health Cooperative). How would I find out who
the most experienced BHR surgeon is in the Seattle/Tacoma/Portland/Vancouver
WA area is? Anyone know?

Best,

Buddy

Hi Buddy

I don't have every surgeon doing hip resurfacing on my list, just ones that I normally have statistics for.  I will post a list at the end of this message.
Here is my list where you can see what other doctors might be close to you.

http://www.surfacehippy.info/listofdoctors.php

and here are the stats for some of the doctors

http://www.surfacehippy.info/doctorstatistics.php

You can see Dr. Pritchett has done quite a few at over 450+ hip resurfacings.   I am not sure if he is doing BHRs.  I think he was doing hip resurfacing before the FDA approval and would be using different hip devices.

It might be well worth your while to do a little traveling to get to a very experienced surgeon.  Experience is very important in hip resurfacing.  It is almost as much an art as a learned skill since everything has to be placed properly at the right angles, etc. A good explanation of the importance of experience is explained in Dr. Bose's recent article about dislocations. He wrote it at my request for another person with a dislocation.   http://www.surfacehippy.info/dislocationofbhr.php

Many of us have had to travel very far for our hip resurfacings.  I traveled to Belgium since I did not have health insurance. Others have traveled to Dr. Bose in India.  The Belgium cost is about $17,000 , the India cost is about $10,000 to 12,000   I feel it is the best investment I ever made in my life. It was for my hip resurfacing to get my life back and get rid of pain.

Here is the list of doctors in WA:

Philip R. Downer, M.D. - BHR trained 2006
Swedish Medical Center
2409 N. 45th St.
Seattle, WA 98103
Phone: (206) 633-8100
Fax: (206) 633-6107
Swedish Medical Center Website

James W. Pritchett, M.D.
Jefferson Medical Tower
1600 Jefferson Street
Suite 400
Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 323-1900
Fax: 206-323-6868
Pritchett Orthopedics Website

Edward Sparling, M.D.
Rebound Orthopedics
200 N.E. Mother Joseph Place
Suite G 1200
Vancouver, WA  98664
(360) 254-6161 Phone
(360) 449-1138 Fax
Rebound Orthopedics

I hope that gets you started on you jouney to get a hip resurfacing. You are very young and definitely should try to have a hip resurfacing instead of a THR.

Pat in Ohio
3/15/06 LBHR De Smet

Hey Buddy,
  If you still check this website, I would love to know who you chose, If you recieved HR's or THR's, and how everything went. I used Dr. Sparling in Vancouver WA.
Thanks, Luann

Dr. P performed my bilateral this year. Procedures performed at Swedish in Seattle. Thus far, very pleased with the services that he provided.

Hi RH,
Thanks for your reply, I hope your still doing as well as your last posts. I do believe that if I ever suffer any complications from my HR that Dr. Pritchett will be one of the experts that I seek advice from.
Luann

PS. Can you tie your shoe yet? What a victory that will be for me, too!

Just my 2 cents....Dr. Pritchett is great. He's done over 1600 i believe. As a follow up to Pat's comments, Dr. Pritchett primarily uses the BHR but can also install the C+. I live in Portland and spoke with Dr. Sparling before deciding on Pritchett. Both were covered by insurance, and seemed like great surgeons. However, Dr. Sparling made it clear that I could wake up with a THR and Dr. Pritchett was 100% confident that he could successfully install a BHR, which he did on both my hips.

Hi, Thanks for your info. You know, Dr. Sparling, (even though he knew that I wanted a HR, and he seemed confident that he could perform one) told me the very same thing. He said, "I will do my best to give you a HR, but I want to get your permission to do a THR, just in case I get into the joint and realize (He gave several possible reasons: bone not dense enough, femoral neck fractures, etc.) you're not a good candidate." For this reason, the release/consent form I signed was for a THR. I certainly did not want to go through the surgery, have the HR go "badly", and then have them simply suture me up because they did not have permission to go any further (ie-THR). So I just figured this agreeing to a THR if the HR did not work out was a formality that all potential HR patients went through. I would love to ask more HR owners if they did this also.
  AKinOR, did Dr. Pritchett tell you for sure you would wake up with only HR's? Did he ask if you would consent to a THR if need be? What was on the consent form you signed? Just curious.

Pat -(the best informed and talks to many hippies) is my experience unusual?  Thanks everyone! So far (almost 7 weeks) I'm doing great and loving my new hip!  Luann

Hi Luann,

Yes. He told me that if an HR was what I wanted, that's what I would get. I had a fair sized cyst on my femur head that had concerned Dr. Sparling. Dr. Pritchett said that he saw it, but was confident that it would be taken out during the reaming and/or that it could be filled with bone cement. He also agreed that THR wasn't the best option for me because I was only 33 at the time.

He was fairly cavalier about the whole thing, but it became apparent that he was very experienced and that made me comfortable. But that was just how it played out for me. Everything I've read about Dr. Sparling seems to indicate that he is a great surgeon as well.

Thanks

Luann,

I can tie one shoe but not the other...the main thing is that I can do an hour and 45 minutes of cardio with a great heart rate and experience no pain in either joint. I plan on resuming Bikram yoga next month, and anticipate conquering my laces for both shoes...

I'd like to attest to Dr Prichett's skills as well.  I am about 2 years in to my resurfacing and feel great and have absolutely no restrictions whatsoever.  Backpack and hike all the time.  And yes, he was totally nonchalant about the entire process, in fact, saying that as far as my hip goes, I was good for life.  And props to the new Swedish Orthopedic Hospital as well.  Cannot imagine a better place to have surgery.

Hello fellow and soon to be hippies...

I had LBHR with Pritchett on 6/29/10.  I have to say that I am completely pleased with the entire process...from initial contact with Pritchett himself (a phone call & many emails), to the surgery, and finally the recovery in the hospital and when I arrived home. The worst part of the experience was the spinal headache for 18-hours after surgery.  I live in Las Vegas and did not have many options for surgeons here.  In fact, the most experienced surgeon here has done around 100 hip procedures...and has not done BHRs for many years.  The Vegas Doctor told me there was a 25% chance I'd wake up with a THR.  Pritchett said there was no possibility of that happening.  He took the time to explain his strategy of getting to a 40-degree cup angle.  (I ended up with a 35-degree angle) He is not a chatter box, but does take the time to explain answers to any questions you might have.  The surgery is done at Swedish in Seattle a few blocks from Dr. Pritchett's office.  Surgery is actually in the Swedish Orthipedic Institute...a building that is part of the hospital and only a couple years old. Somewhere in my research I found someone who spoke negatively about Pritchett's patient's recovery after surgery. My recovery has been great so far at 24 days.  I was walking without assistance of any kind (cane, walker, or crutches) on day 8.  I still have muscle soreness/fatigue in my glutes and some minor tenderness with the incision.  I was off the "hard" pain killers around day 9-10.  I have only been on Tylenol since then.  I could go on and on...if anyone needs more specifics on Pritchett, I'd be happy  to answer your email.  By the way, I'm 36 and very active...or will be again soon!

Ted

Thanks for all the replys and info. Interesting to hear that the more experienced Dr's do not even doubt that they can, and will, perform a HR when they say someone's a candidate. I wonder what they do if for some unexplained or expected reason, it doesn't work out? (It must have happened once or twice!????) I would hate to wake up from a surgery like that with nothing done!
Even with all your replys... still waiting to hear form someone who has used Dr. Sparling. I mean, he has done about 440+ now, there has to be someone out there.
Please tell me what makes the Swedish hopital is so good and how it got it's name. I have heard it's praises so often now, I must know.
Thank you, Luann

As far as Swedish Ortho hospital goes, what I liked was:

a)  It's virtually new and dedicated to joint patients only.  Figured less chance for infection and the personnel were more in tune to the needs of us joint replacement patients.  Dedicated physical therapy and occupational therapy rooms.

b)  Every room is private and has accomodations for someone to stay with you.  My wife stayed with me the entire time, like having your own studio apartment.

c)  A 24 hour room service menu.   Can order what you want, when you want it.

Luann,

Try doing a search for Dr. Sparling on this website and the surface hippy website on yahoo.
I notice member "winnergirl" went to Dr. Sparling and posted her recovery on this website.

Stevel,
Thank you very much! I found her and sent her an email. Here's hoping she replies.  Luann