Greetings y'all & work comp surgeons

[blmjumper]

Sorry to be "meeting" everybody here under these circumstances...and pun intended...but, I feel your pain.

On July 12, 2001, I managed to vaporize a good portion of my femur while training as a smokejumper in Idaho. The femur was pinned and after a bit of recovery I returned to smokejumping and enjoyed six years of having one of the greatest jobs I could hope for. However, it's pretty tough on one's body.

Unfortunately, OA has set in my left hip with a vengence and my ortho said my days were numbered and a THR was in my future. After doing some research and considering my age (40) with a VERY active lifestyle, resurfacing appeared a better option from my perspective.

The immediate issue I've encountered is, since this was an on the job injury, it is under worker's compensation with the Department of the Interior. Granted that is better than nothing, but it is very limiting in which physicians would even see me.

With family in SC and Dr. Gross's skill and reputation, he was my first choice. However, he's fed up with the government's pay scale/plan and won't have anything to do with it.

Rather than go through each doctor's website...or make countless phone calls, I was wondering if anyone knew of an experienced surgeon who will work with OWCP?

Thank you in advance and best wishes to all for successful surgeries, quick recoveries & long service lives of their new hips!

tyler

[Pat Walter]

Hi

I am sorry but I don't know about OWCP

I do know that if you run into too many problems, you can go to Dr. Bose in India for a total cost of about $10,000    You are very young and should have a hip resurfacing if possible.

Many of us had to pay for what we wanted.  I did not have health insurance and paid $18,000 to go to Belgium to Dr. De Smet.  It will take me most of the rest of my life to get it paid off - but it was the best investment I could make - for my own health.

I just wanted to make sure you know Dr. Bose is an excellent choice if you have to pay yourself.

Pat

[blmjumper]

Just to update....

After much frustration trying to find a surgeon who accepted OWCP (work comp) I found out my original surgeon for my broken femur is now resurfacing with the Stryker.

Have an appointment next week.

The next question is do surgeons leave a pin (full femur length) in place or remove it before doing the resurfacing?

If they leave it in, it'll make for one cool x-ray!

[bernsber]

Every case is different, but in most cases the pin is only in the femoral neck(as opposed to the femur(thigh) bone) and is part of the resurfacing implant. In a Total Hip Replacement(THR) the head and neck of the femur are removed, and a stem with metal neck and head are inserted down the thigh bone. In a resurfacing, the neck is preserved, and the head is simple reshaped to accept the resurfacing device.

As for your case, I don't know what exactly would happen, being that you already have a pin in. Only an experienced doctor could tell you(which I'm not).

It would be in your best interest to take some time and really familiarize yourself with the hip procedures. Find which procedures has the best success rate, and find the best doctor for your case.

A few extra minutes of research on this side of the operation could save you hours, if not a lifetime, of regret on the other side.

Good Luck!

[Pat Walter]

Hi

I am not a doctor, but I know of one man that had a pin in his femur and it forced him to have a hip resurfacing because they did not have to cut the femur with the pin off.  Only a doctor can tell you if the pin would be in the way - but if the pin if not close to the top of the femur bone, they would not try to break apart a bone to remove it as far as I know.  If they had to break apart a bone to remove a pin, it would be like getting a thr revision.  They break apart the bone to remove the long femur neck stem.

The fellow I mention actually needed both hips done and decided against a hip resurfacing because he felt it was too new of a procedure.  He received a MOM thr.  Then when it was time to do his second hip - he found out a pin was in the way!  Then he elected to have Dr. Gross do a hip resurfacing since it would not get in the way of the pin.

That's the best I can tell you.  A doctor will tell you much more. 

Good Luck.

Pat

[blmjumper]

Well...the good news is the pin in my femur is at an angle and won't be in the way....and now the real battle begins with worker's comp!

The bad news is since I have a pin in my femur, I have a large hole in the top of the femur where it was inserted. There's a little concern with femoral neck fracture b/c of of the hole...but I've got hundreds of parachute jumps with some hard landings on it...so, I'm not too worried.

I'll keep y'all posted.