Advice...

[mackzoore]

I was unaware of my misshaped hips until nasty fall surfing brought me to an orthopedic.  He said that i had osteophytes and recommended getting it scoped.  Did that 3 years ago and got on with my life.  Surf and beach volleyball were for 2 years, but over the last year my hip has really degenerated.  The x-ray shows no space, bone on bone, and some big bone spurs.  My orthopedic recommended a THR.  I sought out other options:  PT, soft tissue work, looked into plasma rich platelet injections and stem cell injections.  They either didn't work or I was told that my hip was bad off enough that the therapy wouldn't help.  The last specialist I saw thought BHR would be a great option for me.  My normal orthopedic is not a fan of resurfacing, but from what I am reading, I sounds like it might be a good fit for me.
-I'm 39 and very active - would a resurfacing give me more of a chance to get back to the physical level i was at last year?
-I teach and am on my feet a lot - is the recovery process shorter with a resurfacing
-Longevity - Assuming the resurfacing goes well, how much longer can i expect it to last compared to a THR?
-Systems - BHR seems like the standard, is there anything else out there that is geared towards more strenuous usage?
-Doctors - I live in Santa Barbara, close to Thousand Oaks and LA.  I have a PPO and want to find someone who is used to working with athletes... Any suggestions?
Sorry for all the rambling.  Thanks!!!

[Woodstock Hippy]

Mack,  I think you've come to the right place, or one of the right places to do your research.  I searched all over the web and decided that Birmingham Hip Resurfacings were the way to go for me.  I'm a retired heavy construction carpenter and a life long runner and triathlete.  Seven months after my bilateral surgeries I'm feeling great and back on track with my running, although I have a long way to go to get back where I need to be.  These hips can take what we like to dish out, but they are kink of new so we will have to see what the long term life is for them.  I don't think a total hip replacement will do the job for you.  I don't think you could surf with it, at least not big stuff and I seriously doubt if you could play beach volleyball.  Don't take my word for any of this.  Read everything on this sight, including the list and interviews with the doctors.  Read the hip replacement sights.  Talk to at least 2 more doctors and then make your decision.

Good luck to you, take your time and make the decision that's right for you.  I did and I'm thrilled with my outcome.

[Dannywayoflife]

Mack,
        welcome! Firstly @39 unless there is some real medical reason not to have a HR then in my opinion that tells you to have a thr does not have your best interests at heart!
These hip resurfacings will allow unrestricted activity after your recovered. The timeframe for this is a topic of hot dispute on here and it seems among surgeons. I errr on the side of caution and will be waiting the full 12 months before returning to high impact.
I believe thay the recovery period for a HR is faster compared to a thr. There are less proprioception issues, no real dislocation issues(dislocation rate is 1in1000)
As for long term Derrick Mcminns 12 year results for young men were 98% retention rate! Thats with unrestricted activity!!! Theres no guarentees as to how long these will last but the 15 year data on the BHR is very very promising! Also with the BHR there is a lot of associated data. This is because the BHR drew on known clinical success so the bearing couple that it is made from goes back 40-50 years! There are some 40+ year old THR's out there made from the alloy that these are made from!!
The recipe for success with a HR is as follows.
A good candidate(let a very experienced surgeon decide if you are!)
A very very experienced surgeon(This is THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT!!!!!) if possible choose a surgeon who has done over a 1000 with a good success rate!
And finally pick a device with good date the BHR is currently the market leader with good reason!

Hope this helps
Danny

[Tin Soldier]

I emphasize everything that Woody and Danny wrote.  HR is the way to go for the young and active.  Don't let any of the media BS fake you out on the stats.  Get a highly experienced surgeon and a good product (BHR, C+, Biomet).  You might look into seeing Dr. Schmalzried in LA.  He's got a lot of experience, is mentioned a fair amount here, great results, worked with Amstutz (father of the C+).  I think Pat might have some names of others in southern CA.  You might check on the doc list here. 

Also, you can take a little time, if you haven't already, and dig through the posts here and ask questions, get familiar with HR and you will probably gain a healthy understanding of it and feel more confident about it before taking the plunge. 

I played soccer last night, for the 4th time since my last HR (August) and it's been 3 years since I stopped playing.  Almost feels like I never had the surgeries, other than the pain is gone and the ROM is returning.  If I had a THR, the doc would have recommended no soccer or other running sport, forever.

Good luck.  There's lots of help here on the forum.   

[Dan L]

Mack, I can't add better detail than the guys above, other than to say my experience has been tremendously positive so far, one coming up on nine months ago, the other 4 months ago.  I too have a ways to go, but my level of activity has been amazing even at this stage, vs before the surgeries.

I'm following the program that my surgeon requires (he trained under the 2 gents in Birmingham) and waiting 1 year to resume everything, and based on where I am now, that seems very achievable.

The folks in this forum are incredible sources of information, you'll find them an invaluable resource on your journey.

Dan

[mackzoore]

Thank you for all the helpful adviceA  I'll check out the docs info posted on this site in my area and set up an appointment.  If anyone has personal experience in the LA area and wants to pass it on, it would be much appreciated. 

[Dannywayoflife]

Mack,
        Good luck with finding a surgeon. I don't know much about the insurance system in the US as I live in the UK but I do know Derrick McMinn takes US insurance and with his fixed costing it works out vastly cheaper for the insurance company!
Danny

[hernanu]

Hey Mack, welcome! As everyone mentions, you're in one of the good sites to be for information from people who have had both the motivation to stay active and resurfacing.

You'll find many people here both who are active in different types of sports, jobs, etc. and in different stages of recovery, so you can get an idea of not just how people reached the decision to have an HR, but also who they chose, why they chose them and how they recovered.

Getting these kind of problems in your hips is dispiriting. Especially for people who are used to having very good control of their bodies. That is why I've found this to be the best solution for me. I also had no cartilage left in both hips, bone spurs, etc. I had both done (as several folks have here, like Woodstock, who had both done at the same time), and can tell you that it was the best thing I've done.

There are several surfers here, martial artists (including Danny and me), runners, skiers, rock climbers, etc. As far as jobs, a wide range of them. As far as I know, many people have returned to what they do, or gone on to better.

Like all things, there is a failure rate, something on the order of 3.6% for all types of patients and devices. Nothing is guaranteed, but faced with very good odds like that, I took the plunge and am glad I did. I also got the negative opinions from surgeons who wanted to do a THR, but I thanked them and went on.

As for the area, this is the kind of surgery that doesn't require you to be near your surgeon afterwards. Some folks here have traveled widely to make sure they were treated by a skilled, good surgeon with deep experience. You do have several surgeons who are very capable near you, but don't rule out traveling to other states (Colorado, Washington, S. Carolina, N.York come to mind) to get the best for you. As an example, KirkM, a triathlete traveled from Cali to N.York to have his done by Dr. Su and was very satisfied with it. You might check out his posts.

Like was mentioned, read the posts, it will help you with your research and decision.

[Woodstock Hippy]

Another thing is that several of the HR doctors will give you an online consult if you send you Xrays.  Dr Gross is one and I think Dr Su might be.

All of us here are very positive about HR.  The saying is that it has given us our lives back.  It's true, my wife and I had been running together from the day we met until the arthritis in my hips put an end to that around four years ago.  I started to run again in the beginning of May and around two weeks ago we met on the trail and ran together for about thirty minutes.  It was the best part of the whole recovery.  Today we left the house together for the trail and did the complete run together.  It makes it all worth it!

[imgetinold]

Welcome, Mack.  Ditto what everyone has said.  Dr. Gross in South Carolina will give you a free consult, typically within 2 weeks of submitting x-rays to him.  He's one of the best.  Whatever you do, don't let a local orthopedic guy inform you about resurfacing.  I just recently got a cortisone shot in my elbow, and that doctor grilled me about my resurfacing and why I went where I did.

Also, if you're really in pain with it getting worse, don't second guess it.  Do your research, find the best surgeon, and git er done.  I think most of us originally put it off way longer than we should have, then regretted waiting.

[Anna]

Hey Mack, welcome!

Listen to these guys ... they know what they are talking about. I think the best thing to do is lots and lots of research and find a really good surgeon (and dont be afraid to travel). This site is a great place to start and Pat has done an excellent job. Everyone is really helpful and supportive.

Dr McMinn said on an interview I was watching that the only restrictions he put on the BHR initially was no bungy jumping or skydiving. He went on to say that some of his patients ignored this advice and they are absolutely fine after several jumps so he now he says theres no restrictions at all once it has healed properly! I think thats great. Some of the guys on here are playing rugby, mountain biking, skiing ..... all sorts. If I could have a BHR I would have one. It seems the right way to go for a young active person like yourself.

Keep us all updated

Anna x

[bilateralbliss]

Hi Mack.
Also agree with everyone elses comments especially about Derek McMinn  who did mine. He has performed well over 4,000 BHRs. ( He had done  4.000 when officailly celebrated the 3333!) When I was in hospital , people were coming and going from Heathrow airport lol. Funnily enough I told him I wanted to learn to surf to which he replied "great, just wait a while" 3 months afterwards I flew to California....really want to learn now!!
There are other excellent surgeons in USA though. Pat`s the lady to ask:)