Surgery to be scheduled

[mmckeone]

I am waiting until this fall or early winter to schedule surgery because of other issues.  The Dr. I am seeing is a Dr. Clifford Kent Boese at Miller Orthopaedic Affiliates in Council Bluffs Iowa.  He has performed 50 hip resurfacing surgeries.  Is anyone familiar with Dr. Boese.  There are not any Dr's in Nebraska that are performing this surgery that i could locate.  He apparently uses a Depuy device for his resurfacing surgery.  I haven't been able to find out much about this type of device.  Any assistance would be appreciated.

[obxpelican]

My concern is not as much the device, but rather the experience your doctor has.

When I was looking for a doctor here in Pgh, I found one who did HRs, but he only had done around 100, later in our conversation he told me the 100 included assists and practice on cadavers.   I am not saying this is the case with your doctor, but, even so I would look for a doctor who has a LOT more experience than 50 HR surgeries.

I wish I had a dollar for every patient that I've seen post that said they wished they had listened to the people telling them to seek out experienced doctors to perform their hip surgery.  Too many people have said they regret going to their inexperienced doctor.

I would STRONGLY suggest that you seek out another surgeon with more experience, Pat has a list of surgeons on this website: http://www.surfacehippy.info/listofdoctors.php.

If you find a really experienced surgeon you won't have to worry about the device he uses because the experienced doctors have already weeded out devices that don't work well for them.

If you use an inexperienced surgeon you do so at your own peril.

Chuck

[kb134]

Hey!
Listen to me - I'm one of those guys that Chuck aka obxpelican is talking about.  I was 29, and in haste to literally be able to walk again.  Being assured that in Canada, and even more, at UBC (Vancouver, BC!) we have "cutting edge surgeons ..."
I've had my right hip resurfaced just over one year ago.  My surgeon, Dr Donald Garbuz, notched my femur neck while preparing my femur head for the Femoral Component (A Durom Hip Resurfacing Device was used,) and did not implant the Acetabular Cup as well as it could have been.  The Cup is loose now, and I need a revision - at 30 years old.
Yes, I didn't have to pay for the surgery, but I am paying for it now, and will have to pay again for the revision. 
Do you homework.  This is your life.  Invest in it.  Have courage.  Get an EXPERIENCED surgeon!  Travel if you have to, even if that means time off work or borrowing money. 
Look up that surgeon list, and look up the "questions to ask your surgeon!" 
Cheers Bro!
From Canada! 

[mmckeone]

Thanks for your thoughts.  I have been looking at the physicians list and think I will give one of the listed Docs in Boulder CO a call. The Doc I visited previously made one statement about a small cyst that showed up on the Xray that I now realize makes me just a little nervous.   

Good luck with your revision.

mmckeeone

[obxpelican]

Thanks for your thoughts.  I have been looking at the physicians list and think I will give one of the listed Docs in Boulder CO a call. The Doc I visited previously made one statement about a small cyst that showed up on the Xray that I now realize makes me just a little nervous.   

Good luck with your revision.

mmckeeone

Small cysts and bone spurs are something that an experienced doctor won't have to worry about, sometimes they will use your bone that they cut to fill in the holes cause by cysts.

Look for the most experienced doctor you can find, travel if you have to.



Chuck

[Pat Walter]

Hi mmckeone

Welcome to Hip Talk.

You are getting good advice about using an experinced hip resurfacing surgeon.  I have medical studies showing the steep learning curve for surgeons. http://www.surfacehippy.info/learningcurvedoctors.php Just being expeirnced in THRs does not give them the experience to do resurfacing. I don't list a surgeon unless he/she has done at least 100 resurfacing.  Actually, I would suggest using a surgeon that has done many, many hundreds or thousands.  The survivorship of BHR resurfacings dropped from 99.9% to 96% when the US surgeons joined the ranks of the rest of the overseas surgeons.  That does not mean you will have problems, but the odds are that 4 out of 100 will have problems based on the statistics.  So why chance any problems when you can just choose from the really experinced surgeons for your resurfacing.

Few people are able to use surgeons in their own cities or even states.  Most of us had to travel to use the top resurfacing surgeons.  You could consider Dr. Rogerson in WI or a number of others if you look at my list. http://www.surfacehippy.info/listofdoctors.php  This is a once in a lifetime surgery and you need the surgeon to get it right.  If that means a trip, then it does.  You want the best outcome and you can talk to hundreds of folks here who traveled to the top surgoens. 

Be sure to ask questions and read how well most are doing. 

Cysts are quite normal.  The only problem would be to let your hip deteriorate so much that you could no longer have a resurfacing.  Only a surgeon looking at your x-rays can tell you the condition of your hip.

Good luck and stay in touch.

Pat

[CeeJay15]

Hi mmckeone  -

I am scheduled for surgery on July 15th with Dr. Rector in Boulder. He has performed over 260 BHR's and I am feeling very comfortable having the procedure done with him.

Most impressive - when I filled out an online application for an appointment - Dr. Rector himself is the one that called me back! And when I went for my consultation he took as much time as necessary and answered my 100's of questions and was in no hurry.

Boulder Community Hospital has already been in contact with me for pre-op and ordered a series of blood tests locally so I will be all set when I go. (I live on the west side of the Rockies and Boulder is about a 4 hour drive.)

I will be sure to post after my operation!

Best,

Carolyn

[Tommy]

Good luck and best wishes
                              Tommy

[jj76751]

Carolyn:

When you're feeling better I would love to hear how things went.  I am new to this site and I too live on the western slope of colorado.  I have my first apt. with Dr. Rector Aug. 10th and can't wait.  Out of curiosity who are you using for PT?  Thanks

Judy

[CeeJay15]

Hi Jody -

I am 8 days post op. The surgery with Dr. Rector went perfectly. Everyone at Boulder Community Hospital commented on what a great surgeon he is. The staff over there is phenomenal as well. I had as pleasant an experience as possible.

I came home from the hospital on a Saturday (my surgery was Wednesday - Dr. Rector said it was ok to go home on Friday, but it was late and I didn't feel like making the 4 hour trip over the mountains that day, so he authorized another day in the hospital and I went home on Saturday. The trip was fine by the way. We stopped up in Silverthorne to take a break and continued on to Grand Junction very comfortably.

I have insurance through Rocky Mountain Health who has their own home health care department. On Tuesday they sent over a rep, a nice guy named James. He came over and asked a bunch of questions, watched me walk and gave me tips on what to do better. (I was hiking my hip - probably I was so used to limping before I had forgotten how to walk properly.) Then he went over all the PT exercises that Dr. Rector gave me to do at discharge. He told me what to work on and corrected any bad form. He will come back next Monday for a final in home visit and then refer me to outpatient PT. St. Mary's Life Center apparently has a top notch PT dept. Full gym, pool etc. so I am looking forward to that.


Everyday I get better and better. I can walk with one crutch, take a shower on my own, make myself something to eat, dress, etc. etc.

Good luck to you. Please let me know how you make out.

cj