Hip resurfacing issues 5 years removed from surgery, facing revision or THR

[27mccdew]

Hello

I am 5 years removed from having my left hip resurfaced.  I went the resurfacing route because of my age at the time (45) and my status as an athlete (distance runner).  Shortly after my full recovery from surgery (9 months), I had limited range of motion and stiffness when I was active.  This feeling has never ever changed.  The more I'm on my feet, the more it hurts.  I've been through countless sessions of physical therapy and have had psoas tendon release to try and fix this issue without going under the knife again.  My device is a Corin Cormet 2000.  I've had my metal ion levels checked (normal) and currently waiting for tests to get back to see if I'm allergic to material used in my hip resurfacing.  I'm going to have hip surgery in March to either revise my current device (from x-rays it appears my cup could be loose) or THR.  To tell you the truth, my goal after hip resurfacing was to run again but now my goal is to be able to walk without pain.  What I've went through in the past 5 years has aged me 10.  The one thing I've learned from all this is that if your going to have surgery, find the most experienced and rated doctor you can find.  I don't know how many people have gone through what I've experienced (the back and forth with your doctor telling you that your fine) but it's not fun.  I'll wake up from my upcoming surgery with a quick question, "what did I end up getting".  Anyone had similar experiences?

[Mike D]

Hi 27,
I didn't know what I would have-BHR or THR until I woke from surgery.
Due to past hip procedures, it turned out that my femur head was not able to be resurfaced so I got a Oxynium THR.
Mr Treacy rated me at 70/30 against being able to have resurfacing and thats the way it turned out.
I found it hard to think about before the operation but nearly 6 months on, I'm still absolutely delighted to have a fully functional pain-free hip.
It's all down to coming on here and getting so much first hand advice from all the hippies that have been in the same place.
As long as you're in good hands, 27, you'll be okay. Mike.

[Tin Soldier]

Sorry you're going through this 27.  I think we can all relate to some extant, and an adverse reaction or revision is something we all think about a little.  "Experienced surgeon" is heavily emphasized here and for good reason.  They all have great results.

I would emphasize seeing an experienced HR surgeon before assuming THR is the only option.  Gross is obviously very familiar with the Cormet, plus he's got tons of experience.  You might poke around on Pat's list of surgeons here and see who might be closest to you.  That might not matter that much though.  Lots of folks travel to get the best, again for good reason.

B.I.L.L has had problems for awhile, he posts a lot on Metal Ions section.   You might just PM him and see what his thoughts are. 

On the topic of waking up wondering what you got.  In your case, it sounds like that really might happen because of the possible complications.  For the average OA-ground down hip with a really experienced surgeon the patient will most likely have a lot of confidence, as will the surgeon, about the fact that they will be getting HR and not THR.  With that in mind, I do think you should still be seeking revision to HR.  The BHR install manual has a section on revision of the cup and I believe the cup is often responsible for adverse reactions due to a high angle.  I suspect the Cormet has the same.

Good luck.

[hernanu]

Sorry to hear about your problems 27.

Tin and Mike covered a lot of good ground. It sounds like you had issues right from the beginning. Hopefully they can give you an HR, but either way you'll be much better off.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Dannywayoflife]

Hay 27 sorry to hear your problems! Who was your origional surgeon? And who is doing the work in march?

[Pat Walter]

I am sorry to hear about your problems at 5 years.  Some people have had successful acetabular cup revisions while most end up with a THR revision.  If you receive a large ball ceramic THR, then you will continue to be active again and hopefully without pain. 

It is always sad to hear about a hip resurfacing that is not working properly.  Fortunatley it doesn't happen too often, but to the person facing a revision - it is catastrophic! 

Please keep us updated when you can.

Pat

[Dee Dee]

Hi 27,
Sorry to hear about your troubles.  Please keep us informed as we learn from others and people here are a great encouragement. Hope all goes well with your revision.
Dee