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Author Topic: Choosing Surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery in NY  (Read 4458 times)

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pablo23

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Choosing Surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery in NY
« on: September 23, 2009, 09:36:50 AM »
Hello surface hippys!  I am in need of bilateral hip resurfacing and have spoken with a few surgeons, including Dr. Gross in SC who was wonderfully helpful in answering questions.  I am not sure about going with the uncemented femoral component and I have read a lot of really positive things about Dr. Su on surface hippy.  I have sent my xrays to him but I am also considering Dr. Geoff Westrich, who helped train Dr. Su and is currently director of joint replacement research at Hosp. for Special Surgery.  Apparently he has performed several hundred hip resurfacing procedures (using Cormet system) but I have not found anything about him on surface hippy.  Does anyone have any additional info or personal experience with Dr. Westrich?  Any additional info would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks.

Pablo

Pat Walter

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Re: Choosing Surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery in NY
« Reply #1 on: September 23, 2009, 10:07:08 AM »
Hi Pablo

Welcome to Hip Talk.

You do not have to have an uncemented resurfacing with Dr. Gross - I think you can request a cemented version.  You should ask him about that.

I don't know about Dr. Westrich and don't know of any of his patients.  I don't think he helped train Dr. Su - but I could be wrong.  Why don't you use Dr. Su? He has done almost 800 resurfacings now?  He is one of the best on the East Coast and has many happy patients on this site and on the Yahoo surfacehippy Discussion Group.  You do need to ask the surgoen if his numbers include full resurfacings and not hemi-resurfacings and also if they are his alone or assisted surgeries.

The BHR is the most used hip device in the US and overseas. It has an excellent track record.  The Cormet is less used  and just begining to be used more in the US.  Dr. Su uses the BHR.

Dr. Mont in Baltimore is also very experinced and has done over 1600 resurfacings. 

It is always best, if possible, to use the surgoens that have done many hundreds or thousands. THis is a difficult surgery and the experienced surgeons that do a lot have very good records.  The less experinced surgeons are the ones having a few problems now and then.  The overal retention rate of the BHR before the FDA approval in the US was 99.9%   When the US surgeons started performing resurfacing in 2006, the retention rate dropped to 96%   That means that 4 out of 100 patients could have problems and revisions.  The way to not be a statistic is to use the really experinced surgeons that are out of the learning curve.

Good Luck and stay in touch.

Pat
Webmaster/Owner of Surface Hippy
3/15/06 LBHR De Smet

kwarendorf

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Re: Choosing Surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery in NY
« Reply #2 on: September 24, 2009, 07:30:18 AM »
Here is the HSS profile of Geoffrey Westrich

http://www.hss.edu/physicians_westrich-geoffrey.asp

I am an HSS alum and my doc was David Mayman. I cannot say enough about him. He has done north of 200 procedures and is great!

http://www.hss.edu/physicians_mayman-david.asp

Kyle

pablo23

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Re: Choosing Surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery in NY
« Reply #3 on: September 24, 2009, 08:14:14 AM »
Thanks Pat & Kyle for your thoughtful responses.  Nice to hear from two "alums" and I hope to be joining the ranks of surface hippys soon.  Yesterday I spoke with two prominent orthopaedists both of whom said that hip resurfacing is not a proven, reliable procedure and they recommend only total hip replacement.  Amazing how bright, dedicated physicians can disagree so strongly about hip resurfacing.  Consensus would be reassuring but probably rare in the medical world with new procedures.  Anyway, I will talk to Dr. Su early next week and look into Dr. Mayman as well.  Thanks again.

Pablo

Pat Walter

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Re: Choosing Surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery in NY
« Reply #4 on: September 24, 2009, 08:58:56 AM »
Hi Pablo

Please remember that many doctors don't know much about hip resurfacing.  They sometimes base their opinions on the old hemi-resurfacing where only the femur cap was placed.  No acetabular cup was used so the result was metal on bone.  Not very sucessful.  Also many surgeons don't have the surgical skills to perform hip resurfacing, so often choose to be negative about it.

Hip resurfacing IS DEFINITELY A PROVEN AND RELIABLE PROCEDURE.  It has been performed for more than 12 years with a great record.  Until the US surgeons jumped in during 2006, the retention rate overseas for thousands and thousands have been placed was over 99.9%  Even just on my website are many hundreds of sucessful personal stories and that certainly doesn't include the over 90,000+ resurfacings world wide.

The medical community can be very ignorant and ill informed at times.  I went to 4 orthopedic surgeons and paid $200 each out of my pocket to hear them tell me that resurfacing was bad, but they would be happy to give me an old fashioned small ball metal/plastic THR.  No Thank You said I, and turned and walked away. 

I am sure you will hear a quite different story from Dr. Su and his staff.

Good Luck.

Pat
Webmaster/Owner of Surface Hippy
3/15/06 LBHR De Smet

stevel

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Re: Choosing Surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery in NY
« Reply #5 on: September 24, 2009, 11:06:07 AM »
Hi Pablo,

I am a Dr. Su alumni and you will have excellent results if he operates.  The HSS now has a Center for Hip Pain and Preservation.  15 doctors are on the list.  I believe Dr. Su is the most experienced with hip resurfacing surgeries.  I too am amazed of the ignorance of US Ortho Drs. of the hip resurfacing procedure.  For me as a relatively young active recipient (A 56 year young guy that downhill skis and hunts), hip resurfacing was the obvious choice.  I don't want to worry about dislocating my hip with a conventional THR, should I fall or do an extreme movement during skiing or hunting.  Also the BHR may last my lifetime since the contact surfaces are metal (and with proper placement, metal wear debris is minimal - ppb) whereas a conventional THR may require a revision in 15 years due to polyethlene wear debris.
Steve
LBHR 60mm/54mm Dr Su 9/29/08 age 55
RBHR 60mm/54mm Dr Su 11/1/19 age 66
Age 70

Yogi222

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Re: Choosing Surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery in NY
« Reply #6 on: October 27, 2009, 10:56:23 PM »
Dr. Friedrich Boettner is an excellent surgeon at HSS. I had my left hip done in August and am so happy with my entire experience. HSS has an outstanding reputation and the surgeons are first rate. Good luck with your surgery!

 

 

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