UK Doctors experienced in hip resurfacing

[PaulUK]

I guess this is of limited interest to US members, unless you'd like to take a trip to our lovely country and benefit from the weak pound, but it would be good if we could build up the list of experienced hip resurfacing doctors in the UK.

Most UK surgeons perform both NHS and private work. Since UK surgeons can't advertise directly, you have to deduce their skills from information on the internet like their special interests and specialities, which are often featured on each hospital's website, but it's difficult to tell how much experience they've had.

My own doctor, Mr John Skinner at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, London, tells me he has done over 400 resurfacings. I haven't personally experienced his skills yet, but hope to do so on March 30th!

Any other facts and figures, or good experiences with UK surgeons?

[sarahb]

I am under Mr Nadi Kalap at Gloucester Royal but I am currently searching for a second opinion ... My friend has suggested Prof Learmonth but he is retired. However, I have asked who he would recommend.  Its really hard to judge isnt it ?! x

[sharleen]

Mr Ronan Treacey has done over 5000 and is the BEST!

[Pat Walter]

Hi Paul

We enjoy having people from all over the world talk about hip resurfacing and tell us about their experinces. There are people from many countries that are part of this group.

Mr. McMinn and Mr. Traecy are the most expereinced in the UK.  Mr. McMinn is the designer of the BHR and has been doing them since 1997.

Here is a list of the more experinced resurfacing surgeons in the UK:

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

Both Mr. McMinn and Traecy do diffiuclt hip problems and would be my choice if I were in the UK.  I flew from Ohio in the US to Dr. De Smet in Belgium to have my hip resurfacing.  He has done over 3000 and is one of the best in the world too.  

Many of the overseas surgeons on my list are more experinced than those in the US since resurfacing has been done since 1997 there and only since 2006 here other than a few that were in the FDA trials before FDA approval.

Good Luck.

[sarahb]

Thank you Pat, the list of Doctors is really useful :-)

xx

[Lopsided]

The surgeons overseas are more experinced than those in the US since resurfacing has been done since 1997 there and only since 2006 here other than a few that were in the FDA trials before FDA approval.

Pat, please can you qualify this as 'many surgeons overseas...', or 'the best surgeons overseas...', or 'certain selected surgeons overseas...'.

D.

[Pat Walter]

Hi Lopsided

THANK YOU.  You are correct and I made the correction above to "many of the overseas surgeons on my list"    I talk in generalities and post so much - my fingers often go faster than my brain can think. I know what I am trying to say  LOL

Thank You for correcting me 

Pat

[PaulUK]

Hi Pat,

The list of doctors is indeed helpful. My only comment though is that several of them are private doctors and will charge for their services. Very few UK patients would start their search for hip surgeons in Harley Street, a very expensive area! I'd like to see more from the free National Health Service sector, which is where most hip surgery is done in the UK.

[Pat Walter]

Hi Paul

The list of doctors is pretty much who are the best in my opinon.  I only know about hip resurfacing surgeons if their patient's write to me or the doctors know me.  I go to hip resurfacing courses and meet the doctors that attend. They are usually the surgeons that are most pro resurfacing, interested in learning more and wanting to help other surgeons learn.  I give them a lot of respect and admiration for doing that.

There are many hundreds of surgeons in the US and other countries that do hip resurfacing.  I don't just list them because they are capable of doing resurfacing.  They have to stand above the rest in their skill and interest. Also I have no way of know who they all are.  That's why there are only a few listed in the UK and really not that many listed for the US.

If you have special surgeons that have patients that are happy and have done hundreds and hundreds of sucessful resurfacings - they can contact me and give me their information.  Their patients can also contact me. That is how the list had developed.

I don't know much about your insurance system - I am only interested in those surgeons that are very experinced and very pro hip resurfacing.  Many people from other countries often have to pay extra or travel to use the top surgeons like in Canada.  Some people can and choose to do that.  I paid to travel from Ohio in USA to Belgium to use Dr. De Smet since he is so experinced.  It cost me $18,000  on my credit cards.  It was the best investment I could have made for my body.  So we all look at things differently.

Anyone that has a great resurfacing surgeon that helped them and is very experinced - I will be happy to consider adding them to my list.  I ask for all their contact information and that they provide a courtesy link on their hospital of office website back to Surface Hippy. 

I hope that helps you understand my list.  The surgeons on my list, in my opinon, are the best in the world and are very pro hip resurfacing.

Pat

[Lopsided]

Pat,

I want to agree with Paul on this. By far most people in the UK only have the option of the National Health system. I am sure many NH surgeons are advocates of resurfacing, but not being a commercial system, they might not be allowed to promote themselves, and the courses they go on are dictated to them.

I am also going to pay to get done by Dr. De Smet, but I have previously received treatment on the NH and appreciate it. Please note, Mr. Treacy, who has done the greatest number of resurfacings has probably done most on the NH.

On another thread, which I am still to finish, I said I was upset with the response from England. That was in my view the ridiculous, egotistical and unnecessary attitude of the surgeons in the private sector.

Dan

[leggy]

Hi I am in the uk too. I saw one surgeon last November, he told me they no longer do resurfacing, but did not explain why. I asked my doctor to refer me to a bigger hospital in my area, I knew they did resurfacing, a friend had already had both hips done there.
I got my appointment for consultation 2 weeks ago.
To my suprise I was told that they have stopped doing them too, except for very rare cases.
He explained it was all down to the fact that some patients have had metal debris floating around in their bloodstreams,forming into non cancerous tumours, they will not know the full implications for about 20/30 years.
I told my own GP about this, he did not know, his guess is, surgeons will not now do it, in case the get floods of litigations in years to come. I am stuck with the NHS as I  cannot go private, now I am on the waiting list for a THR, I cannot stand to wait & research as I am in too much pain now & need something done asap!
Can anyone on here tell me what pain killers work well, I am in constant pain & nothing seems to help much
Thanks Leggy.

[Pat Walter]

Hi Leggy

I have to say up front that I don't live in the UK, but there have been others that do that posted there is a way in your system to see other surgeons. There are surgeons that do resurfacing in your country.  They are on my list.  I would find out how you get permission to see these other surgoens.  I know some have even been assigned to use Mr. McMinn and Mr. Traecy.  It would be worth some searching and asking questions to find out how you can use those surgeons that do resurfacing.

You doctors explanation of metal debris floating thru your blood stream is just not true.  The metal ions can get high ONLY WHEN THE SURGEON HAS NOT PLACED THE ACETABULAR CUP PROPERLY.  If the cup is not in the correct angle, it makes the metal bearing wear improperly and high edge wear.  It is a matter of using a surgeon that is well experinced and trained in resurfacing.  A well done resurfacing does not make high metal ions and works well for years.  There are many around since 1997 working perfectly when done by the best surgeons.  You can listen to Mr. McMinn explain all of this on a new page I have posted.  http://www.surfacehippy.info/mcminnnegativepr.php

The press and media has made up their mind that resurfacing does not work and is spreading that myth.  There are many medical studies and sucessful hip resurfacings that support the fact that hip resurfacing is a safe, good solution to hip replacement. 

I still suggest you try to find out how you work within your system and talk to  surgeons that do hip resurfacing.  You need to be careful if they don't want to use any MOM  metal on metal resurfacing or THR devices - you could end up with an old fashioned small ball metal/plastic THR.  THose do have the possiblity of dislocations and many restrictions.  They also develope a lot of plastic debris around the device as the plastic desintigrates.  Please be careful what they are forcing you to get if you want to stay active without any restrictions.

Pat

[PaulUK]

In the UK, you have the right to be referred to any hospital you choose within the NHS. Just ask your GP to refer you. Mine had a reference book of local surgeons and was able to identify ones that did resurfacing. You can also research them on the internet (start by looking at your local hospitals' web sites, which usually list their surgeons) and find out their 'interests' which translates as ' operations I've done a lot of'.

I don't know where you are in the UK, but the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore, London certainly is happy to do resurfacings - I had mine done there on 12th May by Mr John Skinner's team.

As to painkillers, it depends what suits you. I was on paracetamol plus ibuprofen simultaneously - my consultant told me you take  a full dose of each at the same time, as they affect the body differently so you don't overdose. Later I had co-codomol (codeine and paracetamol combined) in the 30mg/500mg combination. This was particularly good at night as it made me dozy. Whatever you go for, check it out with your doctor first (and you need a prescription for the co-codomol at this strength).

I hope it all works out for you.

[sarahb]

Dear me leggy, how awful for you !

I was taking Ibuprofen also, and found that co-dydramol (also another paracetamol, codeine combination) worked well for me. 

I am with a surgeon in Gloucester and am also on the list for a THR in August, after my resurface has failed, apparantly due to metal allergy. I feel like the last year has been like a roller coaster, in one way or another, but i am hoping after August I will be on the up.  Im not sure if I should have tried the resurface, but the info Pat gives about the fitting of the cup, is accurate.  I do wonder if mine is fitted incorrectly, causing so much pain only a few months in, rather than it being an actual allergy. Its very difficult to say.

Well i wish you much luck. have you got an actual date for your THR yet ?

Sarah x UK

[gary2010]

Can anyone tell me anything about Robert Middleton (Bournemouth / Poole area)? I asked to be referred to Jeremy Latham in southampton as I know he has done over 700 but my G.P. told me he was too far away.

Mr Middleton has an impressive C.V., lists resurfacing among his 'interests' and apparently lectures on the subject, but I can find no published statistics. It seems he uses a 'laser guided' technique - has anyone heard of this?

I haven't ruled out going private or even overseas, Bournemouth hospital is reminiscent of the crimea and often has some sort of infection alert going on.

Dr Bose has reviewed my X ray and is confident I can have a successful resurfacing and regain full function. I have a similar quote from De Smet, though I couldn't really afford him. I have already decided to turn down THR if offered it.

Best wishes G

[gary2010]

Surgery scheduled with Mr Latham for 10th September. He thinks it highly unlikely there will be any problem with resurfacing, though I have a few bone cysts and the previous arthroscopy against me, I've been advised I might have to keep the weight off it a bit longer. I will get a finsbury Adept implant. If he can't resurface, he uses a large head ceramic device made by the same company.

I will blog my experience on this site.

Gary

[bothdone]

Hope it all goes well, Gary.

Ed

[gary2010]

Thanks Ed, I am recovering in hospital just now, so far so good, all seems well. My diary of the first few days is in the hip stories section, and I will add to it as time goes on.
Best wishes G

[CarolUK]

Nadi Kalap carried out my metal-on-metal right hip resurfacing in July this year, he is an extremely attentive and dedicated surgeon, one of only two who specialises in this procedure in my area (Gloucestershire).
Prior to my surgery Mr Kalap gave me an additional appointment solely to answer all my questions. Following surgery he was the only orthopaedic consultant on my ward who made DAILY visits to his patients (at 7am in the morning!) and gave us paper copies of our post-op X-Rays for interest.
I was given exercises whilst in hospital to continue once at home and a Physio appointment at about 4 weeks post-op where I took home a sheet of gruelling - but amazingly effective - exercises to do daily.
I won't pretend it's been easy; I have muscle atrophy in my right thigh and the exercises have been extremely painful (shouting my way through them has sometimes been the only way to get through!), but with dedicated effort and determination - and some hydrotherapy - I am emerging from the experience a stronger and more agile person with no pain  

[gary2010]

Hi carol, from what I hear you are lucky to find an NHS surgeon who will spend so much time with you. I hope it's all going well. I had mine done in september last year - how are you doing now?