if you could pick any us doctor for resurfacing...

[JohnnyD]

ok, so this is a tough one-
i know there are many great ones that specialize in hr.  i have read interviews, etc, but this is still a difficult choice.
i just found out this afternoon that my insurance will cover any doctor in the usa 100% (lucky me).
i live near nyc so dr su is a great option, and i have heard fantastic things about him.
but of course, with it all financially covered, i want the best!
thoughts?

thank you, again, for all of your great replies to my questions!

[Tommy]

Boy if I lived in NY with your insurance I would be there yesterday
                                                             Tommy

[wayne-0]

This may be a little biased but if I were to do it again I would use Dr. Ball out of San Diego. The results for me have been perfect thus far ( 6 months post-op ).

Wayne

[bernsber]

Dr Su IS the best. He took me on when I was turned down by more experienced(overseas) Doctors. I've had multiple surgeries, for things other than my hips. The Hospital for Special Surgery was the best I've ever been too. You certainly cannot go wrong with Dr. Su!

Ben
Dr. Su LBHR 9-11-08
RBHR 12-5-08

[stevel]

I traveled from Juneau, Ak to Dr Su and the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) because I wanted the best.  My insurance also paid for everything, anywhere in the world.  The security agent at the Belaire Guest Facilities (adjacent to HSS) commented that Kings and Queens from foreign countries travel to NYC for orthopedic surgery at the HSS.  The hospital is rated no. 1 by US World and News Report for the second year in a row.  Dr. Su does bilaterals the same day!  Not too many experienced hip resurfacing surgeons do that.  You are lucky to live close to NYC so you can return for follow-ups. 

[John C]

If I were in your situation, the choice would be between Dr. Su, and Dr. Gross. They are both fantastic surgeons working with great staff and hospitals. I think that your decision may come down to cement vs. cementless. I do not think that anyone knows the right answer to this one at this point, but it may be a sizable factor in your decision on surgeons; so my advice would be to include this topic in your research and thoughts for the decision process.

[JohnnyD]

awesome. 
thanks so much.
i am heading to dr su and am very confident in all of his decisions.  they already have my films from a year ago and all notes from one of his colleagues.
and, luckily, i know the area well, so the peripheral details should go pretty smoothly. 

[karenj_m]

Lucky you John!!

Of course, each of us "happy" patients can only give you our personal experiences...

You have lots to choose from now...when I was looking for someone with loads of experience in difficult cases...for me (at that time) Dr. Gross was the one for me in SC. I flew from Northern NY. The other surgeons experience wasn't as "high" AT THAT TIME.

Now...you've got excellent choices (not in any order)

Dr. Gross in SC at Prov. Hospital
Dr. Mont in Baltimore
Dr. Su in NYC at HSS
Dr. Clarke in Syracuse, NY

Whew!

Best thing is to do your research on each, chat with patients who have a similar case to your specific situation.

Some things to note:

Dr. Gross uses uncemented and help to design the Biomet device he uses.

Dr. Mont in Baltimore uses a different surgical approach (which may or may not enhance healing from less being cut during the surgery)

Dr. Clarke is from the UK and was originally trained by the UK surgeons

So do your research....I'm sure I've left out some up and coming good surgeons in between there....too

Like I said, my case was pretty difficult, and I also had insurance to worry about....all these played a factor in my decision.

Let us know if we can answer anything specific about our own experiences with our particular surgeon...

Best of Luck,

[kwarendorf]

I would like to nominate Dr. David Mayman also @HSS. He did my left hip and when the time comes he'll do my right hip. My hip has never felt better and he takes the time to answer any and all questions!

[Pat Walter]

Hi John

The Surface Hippies here have given you great advice.  You are very lucky to be able to choose.  Normally I always suggest using the most experinced hip resurfacing surgeon available.  As many listed below - you are close to Dr. Su of NY, Dr. Mont of MD and Dr. Gross of SC is not that far away.  They are amoung the best in the US and you could not go wrong with any of them.

Talk to their patients, talk to them and you will know who you want to use.  Dr. Mont and Dr. Gross will give you free email evaluations if you contact them and send them your x-rays in a digital formate.  Dr. Gross will eventually call you.

Again, you can't go wrong with the experinced resurfacing surgeons.  Just see who you like best.

Good Luck.

Pat

[Bierhead]

I had my left hip resurfaced this past Thursday with Dr. Mont in MD. I am a 41 year old female.  I had a great experience and so far (fingers crossed) my post op recovery has been pain free and better than I could have imagined.  Dr Monts surgical team was fantastic as well as the nurses and physical therapists.
 I first went to Dr. Mont two years ago and he gave me lots of non surgical options for my arthritis. Finally though, it was time to operate.  Good luck with your decision!

[Todd]

John,

You have a lot of good and experienced surgeons to choose from.  I'm sure you will be in good hands with whoever you decide to go with.  My hips were rebuilt by Dr. Palmer in Minnesota, and I'm very satisfied with the results so far.  You'll have to decide between cemented vs. uncemented as well as how far you want to travel.  Once you reach that decision on what surgeon to use, the most difficult part is waiting.  I'm certain you will be happy with the improvement your new hip no matter which experienced surgeon you choose!

[Barbara]

I can thoroughly recommend Dr Pritchett in Seattle. He's very experienced. I had both hips resurfaced at the end of last year my whole experience and recovery has been textbook perfect

Barbara