I've had both hips resurfaced. Both times, I got in sooner rather than later. I reached a stage with both where I wasn't in constant and unbearable pain but where I couldn't walk my dogs, I couldn't get around my favourite haunt , the racecourse without great discomfort and where I couldn't get in and out of my car without pain.
When this happened with my first hip, I didn't want to exist on debilitating drugs and I didn't want to get around on a stick before doing something about it. After learning about resurfacing, I decided that's what I wanted. After going to several local GPs they gave me the line that surgery was a last resort, something to be avoided until you were at the end of your tether, in pain and dysfunctional. They prescribed drugs which didn't do much good and upset my stomach in to the bargain.
Not satisfied with their attitude, I travelled to my old family doctor of thirty years, some two hours drive away. He looked at the X-rays, listened to my problems and just said "Where do you want to get it fixed?". He recommended a surgeon and I ended up having the hip resurfaced soon after.
My other hip lasted another eighteen months before I felt that it was time to have it done as well. It was maybe a little less advanced than the first but still interfering with my ability to work and play. I went to my surgeon with x-rays and symptoms and he resurfaced the second hip last August.
If anything, I was the one pushing for the operation, I wanted it as soon as possible. The alternative frightened me more than any risk from the surgery. Many family and friends fell silent, or went "oooh!" when I said I wanted to have the operation. "Can't you wait? Can't you take drugs for it? That surgery looks terrible, it's dangerous, etc. etc."
Considering the success rate of resurfacing surgery and knowing all the associated risks, I find the attitude that a person should be in uncontrollable pain and seriously impaired, hard to understand. I suppose it's a matter of how much risk you are prepared to take. Maybe I'm in the reckless category. Anyway, it's all turned out well for me and I'm glad I did both hips sooner rather than later.