first surgery on left hip

[wayne]

Hi All
  I would first like to say that this site is brilliant in providing information on hip resurfacing and would like to say thank you to everyone who has posted on this site and put some of my queries to rest, keep up the good work.
   Anyway i am due to have my first resurfacing surgery on my left hip on 26/03/2013 with Dr Woodnutt at Morriston hospital in Swansea UK. I am having this done on the NHS , and the device is the Accis ceramic hip , i am slightly worried as this is relatively new device but what i have read seems quite positive. i asked him about the Birmingham hip but this surgeon didn't use that device. I have every faith in Dr Woodnutt as a surgeon but still worry about the device, if any of you could give your opinion it would be most appreciated. Obviously the surgery is going ahead now as i just can't wait to hopefully be pain free after many years of pain, Oh yes i am a 45 year old and will have to have both hips done starting with the left because of osteoarthritis.
  Regards

wayne 

[Dannywayoflife]

Hi Wayne welcome to the board! Always good to have another Brit on here!

I have looked at the accis device but found very little in the way of non Laboritay info on it.

Good luck and let us know how you get on

Danny

[hernanu]

Hi Wayne,

Here is a paper that Pat provided to another person considering the Accis device,

http://www.surfacehippy.info/pdf/accis-ceramic-hip-resurfacing-device.pdf

[imgetinold]

Hi Wayne.

Unfortunately, you never know if there are design issues with the implants until they've been out for years.  That's the gamble.

What is NOT a gamble, but statistically proven, is that surgeon experience plays the most important part of a good, long-term outcome.  Probably more so than the device.  The generally accepted learning curve for resurfacing is 400 surgeries.  Less than that, and they're still figuring it out.  That is the FIRST question I would ask your surgeon.  I would also ask him for how many revisions he's had, and for what reasons.  If he cannot, or won't, provide those answers, then I would question moving forward with him. 

I don't know how the NHS works there, but the most experienced surgeons in the world are there, as you probably know.  I'm guessing they don't accept NHS anymore?

Anyway, find out his experience level.  And good luck.

[evant]

Wayne - I was offered the Accis ceramic on ceramic for my right hip at Bangor hospital (North Wales, UK) in September 2012 by a surgeon who had done @ 20 hip resurfacing operations in 4 years.

I hadn' t heard of the Accis device so I immediately posted on here.

The great advice I got was to get a second opinion from a very experienced hip resurfacing surgeon.

Within 10 days I had my second opinion and chose to go with Mr Treacy instead who used the BHR device.

For what it's worth I don't think you need to get a second opinion (it's your choice of course, plus I see your surgery is scheduled for 26/3/13).

I believe you are in excellent hands with Dr Woodnutt. He is very experienced in hip resurfacing surgery, very dedicated, and loved by his patients - I discovered this through my research of him and I exchanged emails with one of his patients on here, Rach41, who was fitted with the Accis device too last year.

Read the link that Hernan has thoughtfully provided (initially Pat provided me with this link last September. You will gain a lot of confidence from this paper.

The Accis device is made in Germany by Implantcast. It has undergone many years of trials, particularly in South Wales hospitals among others in Europe.

The North Wales surgeon had previously carried out an arthroscopy on me and following this I didn't have a lot of confidence in him. Plus, having done only @ 20 hip resurfacings in 4 years is just not enough to inspire confidence.

Have confidence, trust Dr Woodnutt (you already have great faith in him), and all will be well I'm sure.

Best Wishes.

[wayne]

thank you all for your comments, the link from hernanu is most helpful thankyou for that, it has put my mind at ease somewhat. the accis device seems to be a good device on paper i guess i will find out in the next few years.
     many thanks again and will keep you all posted on how i get on

  wayne
 

[toby]

Andy,
In your post to Wayne you said...'The generally accepted learning curve for resurfacing is 400 surgeries'.
I'm interested in where this came from.
Thanks
Toby

[Marco Polo]

I had the same question.  While there are outliers, it seems like most doctor interviews I have read put the learning curve for experienced hip surgeons much lower (100 to 200).  The frequency with which the surgeon performs the procedure is another important factor.

[imgetinold]

Toby,

I would struggle to find a link to it, but I know that came from Dr. Gross....either in a video interview, or in one of his papers.  I'll see if I can find it.

Andy

[Marco Polo]

Andy:  I agree that Dr. Gross puts the number that high.  (I came across his estimate in an interview on one of the surface hippy websites.) I believe Pritchett also puts the estimate quite high.  My point is that many, if not a majority, of the experienced resurfacing surgeons give a much lower estimate, so I question whether it is fair to say that the "generally accepted" number is 400.

Just my opinion.