MY BHR w/ Mr Biswas

[steveallan]

Hi all,
First post, i have finally given in to the pain, got my BHR for my right hip booked for the end of the year hopefully i will a few more years out of my left one. Having it done NHS at Kettering Northants, Surgeon is Mr Biswas. Had OA in both hips for the last 7 years (I am 47) so fingers crossed all goes well ( i'm bricking it if truth be known lol)

[hernanu]

Welcome, Steve! Good news to see you've made the decision.

I don't look at it as giving in to the pain, rather that you are taking steps to eliminate it. The pain may force the choice, but the action and the good results are what follows from your taking control of your life.

Good decision and nice to have you here.

[Boomer]

Steve,

I agree with hernanu 100%. You've taken control of your life again.

Now instead of thinking and talking about your limitations, you can start thinking and talking about what you are going to do once you are better. It's pretty exciting!

Stay posted.

[newdog]

Welcome Steve from Steve. You won't regret making the first step toward a life with no hip pain. Keep us posted on your progress.

[steveallan]

Hi folks, just need to pick your brains. When I met with my surgeon he asked me to do a bit of research on the net about bhr complications so that I was fully aware.
However I think that I am now talking self out of it and thinking about a thr, the reason being I have read on other forums about failures that needed converting to thr after only a couple years or even less. Do they fail more than a thr can, I only ask as I am now really worried and my logic being might as well go do thr as at 47 now it could last me out and don't really want to be going through it twice. I wish I had never found the other forum lol.

[Lopsided]

Steve, you do need to be doing research on devices. But much more importantly, you need to research the surgeon doing the operation.

[steveallan]

I am in UK so having it done nhs, can't afford to pay private and have top surgeons. The surgeon I have seen has done 1300 thr and approx 140 bhr so hopefully I have the right man, so worried though that's why thinking about thr now.

[Kiwi]

Hi Steve,

It's very much a personal decision. I have OA in both hips too and are getting my really bad one (left) done first. I was advised by most surgeons here in NZ to have a THR. I've just turned 43 and the obvious kicker here is I would need a revision of THR before my time and a 2nd THR is apparently very complicated. So that coupled with the fact that BHR is more bone conserving & I want to get back to an active life, playing sport etc my decision was BHR  -after 2 years researching!

A lot of the surgeons here are staying clear of resurfacing op as it has had negative publicity lately, but this is mainly due to the ASR device which was recalled - not the BHR device which has been wrapped up in the bad publicity.

I'm booked in for my BHR early Nov and as my surgeon says (who's extremely pragmatic) - if I get more than 10 years it's good, if I get less than 5years it's bad luck. Either way, I would have bought some time before having a THR. BTW - My surgeon will not state a BHR will last any longer than there is solid data on - by that I mean studies of several thousand resurfacings, hence his 10 year comment. He is the most experienced surgeon in the country.
 
Good luck with your final decision & do your research. If you decide to go ahead with the BHR, as Lopsided mentioned  - do your research on your surgeon - it's highly recommended that you get a very experienced surgeon as it's quite a complicated operation. Placement of cup is critical to it's success.

You've probably visited this website http://www.mcminncentre.co.uk/birmingham-hip-resurfacing.html

Simon

[Lopsided]

The surgeon I have seen has done 1300 thr and approx 140 bhr so hopefully I have the right man

No.

Ronan Treacy has done the most resurfacings of any surgeon, and he does it on the NHS.

[steveallan]

Already mentioned him to my gp was told I cant choose my surgeon on nhs, I having a nightmare trying to get a second opinion via referral to Birmingham orthopaedic hospital, he said northants pct wont fund it what with all the cuts etc.

[Lopsided]

You cannot choose a surgeon, but you can choose a hospital, and whatever they say, they cannot refuse.

When you get to ROH Birmingham, you merely ask for Mr. Treacy.

[Dannywayoflife]

Already mentioned him to my gp was told I cant choose my surgeon on nhs, I having a nightmare trying to get a second opinion via referral to Birmingham orthopaedic hospital, he said northants pct wont fund it what with all the cuts etc.

Steve, just come accross your post. I am also in the uk and am slightly furhter along the line with surgeons than yourself but have had a very similar rollorcoaster ride on the NHS as your self.
I have managed to argue my way to Mr Ronan Treacy at the ROH Birmingham. Your Gp obviously doesnt have your best interests at heart as as far as im aware being opperated on by any one of the team at the ROH who are all world class wouldnt cost anymore to the NHS than it would being done by your local ortho.
If i were you i would give Mr Treacys Private secatary a call and book a private consultation with him. It cost £150, but if it gets you on the books of the most experienced man on the planet then its worth it!
Im somewhat younger than you im 28 and although he wouldnt commit to say that it would last my life time im assured by other partys that its not beond the relms of possibility.
If you fancy a chat of any advice please feel free to drop me an email and if i can help at all i will.
Danny

[steveallan]

Thanks guys, i am seeing the GP again for another round of arguments tomorrow lol. Must admit though the more i read about BHR the more i am now leaning towards THR, if i cant see someone at Birmingham then i will probably go that route.

[Lopsided]

Must admit though the more i read about BHR the more i am now leaning towards THR,

Don't quite understand. Does that mean that if you cannot be guaranteed of getting a resurfacing for life, you will settle for a replacement guaranteed to need revision?

[Lopsided]

Really, I am going to push this.

Don't settle for second best. Why? It is your body, and you have only got one life. Get the best!

You will have to pay one way or another. Either with cash or by fighting. Certainly by doing research.

DannyWay fought his way through the NHS. I paid in cash to go to Belgium. Most other people here have paid one way or another.

[steveallan]

Thanks chaps.
Its not that i want second best, im trying to get another surgeon but getting hurdles put in front of me all the way the excuse is always funding, torys have scrapped the 18 wait thing so i would be at the bottom of another list (which i dont mind for the right surgeon but its getting to see him). Funding it myself is not an option only just got a job after 3 years unemployment due to redundancy so savings all gone. The only reason i am considering THR is the amount of BHR cases i have read about that needed revision to THR and that was even with a good surgeon, nothings guaranteed. Having said all that i am pushing for a second opinion in Birmingham.

[hernanu]

I guess more than anything you need information. Take a look at the current statistics for revision from HR to THR over the number of years that they have been gathered and you can see that HR holds up well. Look at the raw statistics from Australia, etc., not as they have been filtered by the press, and also look at both the statistics for THR over the years.

As far as I know, we are talking about failure rates in the single digits, which given the way medicine works and the fact that surgery is performed by human beings, is extremely good. This does not play down at all the problems that people have had, especially since we've gotten to know some on this site.

We've seen Danny's fight to get to Mr. Treacy, and while I don't envy his path to him, he definitely battled his way to him.  I think he can give you advice on how he did it (sorry Danny, throwing you under the bus on this one), but most of all, consider the invasiveness of the THR versus the HR. I try to avoid promoting HR too much to someone considering it, since it is such a personal decision,  but now in particular, there is so much misinformation out there, it's hard to see good people maybe make a decision on an imbalanced presentation of the current state of affairs.

[Dannywayoflife]

Steve,
         if your a good candidate for a HR then why would you settle for a thr? A HR has so many advantages over THR. Yes HR has had bad press recently but that is down to a bad implant (the ASR) and very poor surgical placement which surgeons have then blamed on either the device or the materials.
If you see Mr Treacy as i did for a private consultation then he will write to your GP asking to see you via the NHS. Even if your GP then wont reffer you to him inform him that you want to use the choose and book and simply choose the ROH.
Believe me my GP was as yours is chucking every obsticale he could find in my way but its your health he wont even remember you in 5 years time so you have to fight for what is best for you!

[Dannywayoflife]

Just checked the Nhs website and it doesn't say the 18 week rule has been scrapped. It says the opposite. Did that come from your gp by any chance?

[Dannywayoflife]

Hay Steve,
               how's it going have you managed to get anywhere with your gp?
Danny