Pseudotumour ~ help please !

[sarahb]

Hi all

I have discovered today, after having my right hip resurfaced in October 09, I have a fluid collection around the joint in keeping with a psuedotumour. 

Its not cancer, it just means I have reacted badly to the metal and now I need a ceramic hip replacement.

I have been researching today and feel proper fed up and down.... My surgery last year was horrendous.  I am dreading having to go through it all again :-(

Anyone have any experience of this at all ??

thanks

Sarah x

[linnett1906]

Yes, the same thing happened to me.  However, it took several years for anyone to accept there was something wrong.  Because it went on for so long I became really ill.

I eventually had a revision carried out 5 years after the resurfacing.  Because it went on so long much of my bone was destroyed.

My advice, get it done asap and go the best surgeon you can find.  There is a list on this site so you can find one near you.  I wish I had known about this site then as my revision is still problematic probably due to the fact that much of my pelvis was destroyed.

[BerkeleyGirl]

Hi. Linnett and others. What advice would you give to people still considering HR? Are there certain things in your physiology that disposed you to the pseudotumors, or in the angle of the cup, or what? Who were your surgeons? What would you wish you had asked or done differently if you had it to do over?

I'm getting ready for either a HR or THR, and I would greatly appreciate your insight.

[Pat Walter]

Most pseudotumors develop from high metal ions in your blood from the excess wear of the components of the hip resurfacing.  Most of the problems are caused by acetabular cups not placed at the proper angle.  This causes high edge wear of the acetabular cup and femur cap which is what causes high metal ions and other reactions.  Some of the recalled devices were designed differently than the more popular devices like the BHR and Wright C+ and were more likely to cause high metal ions.

It is very important to choose a very expeirnced surgeon that has done a thousand or more resurfacing and one that uses the most popular devices like the BHR, C + or Biomet.  I personally like the BHR since it is the most used, but the others have a good track record.

You can listen to Mr. McMinn's videos explaining why most hip resurfacing required revision - for the most part it is still from surgeon error. http://www.surfacehippy.info/mcminnnegativepr.php

Please don't let the negative press which is very biased affect your decision.  Choose the top surgeons and listen to what they suggest for your hip problems.  The top surgeons also do THRs, but will normally try to give you a resurfacing if possible.  If you use a local orthopedic that does not do resurfacing, they normally won't mention resurfacing.  They don't do resurfacing since it is a very diffiuclt surgery.  So they seldom recommend anything they don't do.

The revision rate of the BHR and top devices is still very small.  Not much different than a THR. l You can also have metal ion problems with a MOM  metal on metal THR.  You need to be careful in selecting a THR surgeon and device.  If you actually have an allergy to cobalt/chrome, then your option is usually ceramic on ceramic. 

Dr. Gross, Dr. De Smet,Dr. Bose and a few others will give you a free email consultation.  Dr. Gross will call you.  You need to send an email with a copy of your x-rays in a digital format as a .jpg.  You can talk to the best for free. 

Please try to stick with reading the facts and not negative press releases.  The National Registries are real information, not written by biased authors  http://www.surfacehippy.info/nationalregistries.php  Another good article about the BHR is here  http://www.surfacehippy.info/bhrhistory.php

Ask questions and we will try to answer.  I was 61 when I had my resurfacing almost 5 years ago and I have no regrets.  Pat