We all want the perfect solution to our hip problems or even health problems. We have to realize there is no perfect solution. Hip devices and artificial parts are constantly in a process of development and change. We think if we choose the right surgeon and right device, it will last a life time. Sometimes hip replacement can last a lifetime, but in many cases the bone growth around the components determines if the device will remain in a body for a lifetime.
When artificial parts are used to replace body parts, there are no perfect solutions. What we have to do is to choose from the current choices that seem to have the best results. We try to choose a surgeon that has a great track record of excellent results. We try to choose a hip device that has a track record of excellent results. There are national registries that help us determine which currently used devices seem to have the best retention rates. Surgeons' statistics are not easy to find. Some will share their information on their websites or when you talk with them, while others won't. We can talk to other patients to find out how their surgeries and recoveries turned out. That is where discussion groups and the internet is a help. Other than doing some research and talking with other patients, we finally have to make a decision about what surgeon and device to use. No surgeon will tell you that any hip device whether a resurfacing or a THR is guaranteed to last a lifetime. They have no way of telling. They can tell you trends of what they see happening in their practices and other surgeons practices, but there are no guarantees.
There are no perfect bodies and no perfect hip devices. If we all had the same physical shape and body, then hip devices would be easier to design and place during surgery. Humans come in all sizes and shapes, so no two are alike. Therefore, we rely on a surgeon's experience to know how to place a device in our own personal bodies. If anyone ever worked in a manufacturing environment, they would realize that any manufacturing process for parts is not always perfect. There are tolerances in the design, the making of the components, the machining of the components and the metallurgy of the components.
There are so many possible variables in the making of the devices and in our individual bodies, it is amazing to think that any hip replacement surgery even works besides working perfectly for a lifetime. We as laymen need to understand the large amount of research it takes to develop hip products. The problem is that designs don't stay static. They are always changing so it is difficult to get long histories of use for any one device. So again, we rely on national registries and surgeons experience to choose good hip devices.
Artificial parts are just that – artificial parts that are foreign to our bodies. I have an aortic valve replacement. The history of the development of valves continues to change. Many variations from human valves, swine valves, bovine valves and artificial valves have been used. The technology changes constantly so that the valve you have now will most likely not be the valve used 5, 10 or 15 years from now. The problem with artificial valves is similar to artificial hips, they eventually wear out. You can limp around or use a wheelchair if you don't want to have your hip replaced, but when your heart depends on an artificial valve, it has to keep working to keep living.
The discussions by patients are often about "will my hip device last a lifetime". I want people to realize there are no guarantees for any artificial parts. The retention rates on national registries tell us what is the best choice at the time, but devices will change. We need to concentrate on choosing what surgeon is best for us and what device is best for us. We have to put our faith into the surgeon's experience and opinions. We can't look for perfect, we are trying to find the best solution to a problem in our imperfect human bodies to help keep us active and moving for as long as we can. There will always be questions about the products and surgeons that need to be answered, but there is no guarantee of the perfect device that will last forever. That would be great, but in life few things last forever including our lives.