Other hip acting up

[curtieman1]

Some frustration has set in as my right hip has started bother me. I'm 16 months on my LBHR & feeling great on it, but pain on right side is getting to me. I was diagnosed with slight OA in it this spring. An MRI in Oct revealed a frayed/slightly torn labrum, with slight to moderate OA. My Dr said he didn't feel it was bad enough for a resurfacing yet so he sent the test results to another surgeon in hi office that handles labrel tares& the like. I got a call from his office the other day saying he would be willing to see me not guaranteeing that he could help. Now trying to get an appointment with him, the scheduler said the first opening he had is in March. Trying to get in yet this year as I have met ins deductible.
Curt

[Juno]

Curt-- good luck. I feel your pain. I was hoping my left hip had a few years left, but it started acting up right before my right hip surgery this past July. It's gotten worse since the surgery --- my ROM deteriorated rapidly. I'm scheduled for a HR with Dr. Gross in 4 weeks. Can't wait to finish this chapter.

Let us know what you find out.

[Miguelito]

Curt,

I am in the exact same boat, my friend. Mine started acting up just as the other started feeling athletic again. I think our situations are fairly common, unfortunately. You don't say (in this post), but I imagine you have FAI?

At your age (45, I am 43) I suspect you are going to be told the same things I have been. I have been going to a surgeon who corrects FAI and labral tears here in Boston and I really, really respect his opinion. While he would do the surgery if I really wanted it, I think what he believes (I hesitate to put words into his mouth) is that at my age the outcomes for that surgery are not that great, and it is really just a holding action before ultimate replacement/resurfacing.

And searching on the web (there is a good Yahoo FAI message board, if that is the underlying cause of your OA) has opened my eyes to the fact that the success rates for that surgery are not what they are with replacement/resurfacing. While I am sure that an absolute majority of people experience good outcomes, there is a very real percentage of people who don't. And I think success (at my age) would be just five years before resurfacing.

I posted to that Yahoo message board and people who have had that surgery basically responded back to me that if I had resurfacing and was comfortable with that, then don't bother with the surgery they had. The responses were really completely different than the ones on this board, where everyone is like, yeah, definitely have the resurf.

This is just my opinion/experience. By all means explore all your options. I am still meeting with the  FAI/Labral surgeon, though I think when I next meet with him in December he is going to tell me (after looking at my Arthrogram) that he is even more "pessimistic" (for lack of a better word) about my outcome from FAI/labral surgery than he was previously. I think the arthrogram will show more extensive joint space narrowing than the x-ray.

Been a few tough months (mainly mentally) as the "good" hip very rapidly deteriorates. But I do really appreciate that I better understand what is happening to my body than I did the last time. And since I (just the other day) kind of decided on a resurf for the other hip, and have taken steps in that direction, I find myself in a distinctly better frame of mind as i envision a future finally free of the pain and disability.

And if FAI isn't your issue Curt, please excuse my length.

Mike

[bestbob]

Hello Curt. I had a RBHR on June 18 2013 and all is great, and the reason I am replying follows. I was diagnosed with slight OA last year June, and that by itself was not enough for a BHR. I tries supplements, changed my diet, and performed exercise specifically for OA. The pain was getting worse by the month. Finally, a Dr. said to get a MRI with dye. The results showed that I had a torn labrun and slightly detached in places. After see Dr. Brooks (Cleveland Clinic), he said I was a good candidate for a BHR. Post op report showed the OA was worse than what the xray showed, and the torn labrub was also worse.

My point being, get a 2nd opinion please, my pain was really bad and it all makes sense now why it was. It was that torn labrum.

Wishing you well.

Bob

[curtieman1]

Thanks for response Juno, Mike & Bob, my Dr did not say anything about FAI just said I had slight tear/fraying of labrum with mild to moderate OA. I suspect for insurance purposes he want to rule out any other options. As I said the specialist for the labrel surgery is booked until March, & I was hoping to have an answer by than will see. Have read others with labrel tears & how they did with surgery. Don't know that I want to go through surgery, recovery than probably do it all again with in a year or so, as you said Mike at our age that's what I would probably be looking at. Will keep you posted. Thanks
Chrt

[whyme]

Hi Curt,
As many others, I'm now with one HR done (2 months ago) and the other hip is going the same way. I'm 47, the reason for OA in my case is a combination of FAI, dysplasia (I guess mild) and hypermobility; the left hip deteriorated earlier, but the right will follow suit.
My surgeon thinks it's too late for fixing the FAI (due to the status of the joint).
In his opinion, is very hard to predict how fast it will be gone after resurfacing was done on the other side: it could either last longer (because loading on the hips re-balances after the worse one is fixed), or wear out quicker (because you become more active thanks to your new, painless hip).

It's also my understanding that FAI and labral repair/preservation procedures aren't always successful, and in most cases it's only a temporary remedy. In particular, if you've other underlying conditions (like dysplasia and hypermobility I mentioned), it's a bit pointless I guess at this age.

I had seen another experienced HR surgeon before Dr. De Smet and he wanted to repair the right hip labral tears and FAI, so they clearly disagree... As always, we have to take the decision ourselves.
Mine was not to touch it and hope it will last at least a couple of years, when I will be even more reassured that the HR on the left hip was a total success (I already think so, but is early days yet).