Deciding what to do...

[YetiKing]

Need some type of surgery for my hip - osteoarthritis w/ pain increasing and decreasing range of motion.  57 yo active male (former marathon/IM) - stopped running ~18 months ago and miss it, still like tennis, pickleball, golf, snowboarding, cycling...  Saw Dr Brooks PA at Cleveland Clinic and am considered good candidate.  Saw hip doc at OSU that is non-surgical and they said some things that were counter to my research to date... said not ideal candidate as space in my joint in limited and that my range of motion would be less than with a total replacement.  Seeing a traditional hip replacement doc in a couple of weeks and will then make a decision.  Looking for any counsel/advice from people that have been in my shoes.  Thx.

[PalmettoGolfer]

"as space in my joint in limited" = shallow?

If so, Dr. Gross did mine and I have shallow hips.  Doesn't mean it will work for you, but it can be done.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor nor do I play one on TV, so I could be WAY off base   

[Saddlepal3]

Dr. Brooks is very experienced. I would tell him what the OSU doc said and see how he responds. You can also send images to Dr. Pritchett and Dr. Gross for their opinions. I have no doubt that the traditional hip replacement guy will insist his approach is better, more reliable, etc. I have both a resurfaced hip and a total hip replacement. The only permanent restrictions I have are due to the THR due to possible dislocation risk. I cannot feel any difference in either hip; they both work fine.

[bluedevilsadvocate]

I had left hip BHR surgery with Dr. Brooks 11 years ago, and since then I have often told people that my left hip is the best joint in my body. Behind my house is a steep slope (maybe 45 degrees) on which I periodically use a string trimmer, and I never have any problem with --- or even second thoughts about --- my BHR hip.

[imgetinold]

Agree with the other replies, particularly about listening to the THR guy.  Surgeons who do not do resurfacing often (always?) advise against it, and the studies they cite are not even based upon failures of resurfacing.  If you do a deep dive into all the articles on this website, and also on Dr. Gross' website, you'll know more than the other surgeons about survivorship, failure rates and their causes, etc.  And is it really surprising that the non-surgical doctor told your you're not a candidate?  Most folks here I've followed get pretty much all range of motion back if they work at it.  Maybe not 100%, but pretty darn close. 


One of the main benefits (amongst many) of the resurfacing is that IF you need a revision someday, you still have all your bone to work with.  If you go THR now then a future revision is much more difficult and risky. 

Dr. Brooks did my brother's hip (he lives in a Cleveland suburb), and Dr. Gross did mine as he is about a 3 hour drive from me.  However, I prefer Dr. Gross' procedure because he uses a bone-ingrowth femoral component instead of cement.  This appealed to me, as it is possible (though low risk) for cement to fail.  But Dr. Brooks' track record is pretty awesome as well.

Good luck with your decision.  Deciding on my first one was hard.  Second one.......easy.

[23109VC]

I had my left hip resurfaced by Dr. Gross about 10 years ago. It’s still going strong.  I never liked running, and would sometimes run up to 5 miles at a time for exercise.  After my hip resurfacing surgery I began experiencing a cramp in the psoas muscle if I ran - and while running itself caused no pain - the muscle woudl cramp up and I had to stop.. I woudl maybe get 1-2 miles and the cramp would set in.  I think that is just a byproduct of the surgery.. Many Dr. Gross patients report they are running marathon’s and a handful of people have had similar issues as me.

Aside from THAT - I am 100%.  I have been snowboarding multiple times and I cycle - I did a century ride several years ago - no hip issues.  Only my rear end was sore from all that time in the saddle… the hip was solid..  . I actually crashed on my bike about a year ago… hit the ground so hard I broke my rib and collapsed my lung.  I landed DIRECTLY onto my left hip - the one that Dr. Gross put in.  It didn’t hurt the implant.. I”m back on my bike.

Hip resurfacing is the way to go - the main reason is it buys you time.  Your not that old.  What if you get a THR and it fails?  You have to go to a revision and from what I have been told, THR revisions are never as successful as the prior surgery.. you get less and less results with each one.  How long will you live?  At some point. You could outlive the implant and wind up immobilized.

With a BHR - *if* it fails - you can convert into a THR And it’s like yoru first one.  Odds are you will NOT outlive a BHR and a THR.

Plus you can return to a more active lifestyle with a BHR.

Just make sure you see a surgeon with lots of experience.  Good luck.

[YetiKing]

thanks to everyone that has replied.   surgery is set with dr gross and am about 60 days out.  excited and nervous at the same time.  spoke with dr gross and he was great - couldn't guarantee that running was in my future but gave me tons of confidence that pretty much everything else was a go.  don't know if it is timing or some weird self awareness but pain and discomfort seem to be increasing slightly.  just read a story about isaiah thomas getting back to the nba last night after having a resurfacing in may '20 with dr su.  made me smile and inspired me to write today. i'll drop some posts sporadically.  here we go

[jimbone]

Yeti-

Good decision imo.  My hip sockets were shallow- bilateral, Dr. Pritchett, 2018 and going strong.  Second hip required 2 screws to the acetabulum cup, decided by my surgeon during the procedure because of the mild dysplasia and "I didn't like the way it sat/fit".  These top doctors know their stuff and you can trust them to get the procedure accomplished correctly using all the tricks, hardware, skill, knowledge, science and experience they bring to the operating theatre.  Dr. Gross has too many successful surgeries to 2nd guess his abilities.  You're going to love being pain free and able to live the life you want again.  Keep us posted and best of luck.

[LarryBud]

I'm 45 days post resurfacing by Dr, Gross.  I was a fly in, fly out patient.  I'm pleased to have it behind me and know what you're going through right now.

I have a post going about my recovery but feel free to PM me with any specific questions. 

LB

[YetiKing]

lb - thanks for the reco. checking out your prior posts.  was with some friends last night - one had hip with dr gross and two others are going thr route.  we laughed at conversation.  friend that had hip w/ gross is headed out to park city this spring for some snowboarding. i remain hopeful and confident.  would love to get back to nyc marathon or ironman.  cheers