Hip Resurfacing

[wasinger]

I am thinking about having my hip resurfaced rather than the total hip replacement. I am 50 years old, used to be very active/athletic. Currently, walk with a limp and have lived with the pain for the past 2 years. I have reduced most all activities that I used to participate in. A normal walk would be great! The doctors in the town where I live only perform the total hip replacement surgeries and don't talk very highly of the hip resurfacing procedure. I have gone to a doctor several hundred miles away and he claims I am a perfect candidate for the hip resurfacing but did suggest I wait as long as I could before having the procedure as long as the pain wasn't too great.
I have trouble sleeping due to my hip pain- can't find a comfortable position for very long so I am constantly turning and repostioning myself throughout the night. Not very restful.
I am really struggling with the decision to have this surgery, either resurfacing or total hip, or wait. Just looking for some thoughts on what made others go forward with the surgery and if they thought they made the right decision after going through the surgery. Help!!

[stevel]

I too walked with a chronic limp and my left leg atrophied to about 2/3 size of the right leg.  I was wearing away my bones and should have my left hip resurfaced urgently according to Dr. DeSmet of Belgium.  I sent x-rays to Dr. Mont, Dr. Bose & Dr. Su and all agreed I was a good candidate for hip resurfacing.  So I had a LBHR installed on 9/29/08 by Dr. Su.  Now at 4 weeks post-op, I am shoveling snow in Juneau, AK, riding the bicycle for 32 minutes and walking up and down stairs OK.  I have some swelling near the incision but all of the joint pain was gone after surgery.  I am 55 and active (ski, hunt, racketball) and wanted the LBHR to remain active.  So you should also go for it ASAP!

[B.I.L.L.]

Wasinger, I made the decision to do it when my whole life revolved around my hip. Whatever I did or didn't do revolved around how the hip was that day, Walks or hikes ?  Forget it.  Swap meet ?  Uuumm...No, Movies ? Sure I got 2 vikes left, Surfing ?  Ha Ha thats funny, Can you help me at Costco ?  Uh I can help you carry the stuff in from the driveway when you get back..., Bike ride ?  Nope, don't think so.  Then it was affecting my work ($$$) and I was grumpy from hurting all day so after dealing with it for years I finally said I'm over it I gotta get it done.  I guess it's all up to you but those were some of my reasons.  Plus with the re-surfacing you have enough bone left for a thr later should the bhr not make it for 30 years. I figured a year off is a cool trade for 15+ (I hope) years of being able to do the all the things I have missed out on for the last 7-8 years.  I'm 50 in january and can not wait to be able to do the simplest things like go for a hike or even just mow the lawn, and to be able to surf again ?  Sign me up.  You have to weigh it all out for yourself, but those were some of my reasons, I finally said ahh F-it, lifes too short and my hip is holding me back, lets roll the dice and go for it, I mean I can't do what I want to do now so why not ?   Like I said you need to make up your own mind, but those were my reasons, Good Luck !!  

[John C]

Hey B.I.L.L.
I do not want to hi-jack this important thread, but I do want to throw a back-up plan your way. You mentioned surfing, which is an important part of my life. I have talked to a few people that have gotten back into surfing after HR and THR. In the meantime, i wanted to suggest a back up plan. I had to give up surfing about 10 years ago, because my hip would not give me a chance of jumping to my feet, not to mention the pain of sitting stadling the board. After a couple of years, I discovered surfing on a waveski (a high performance sit-down surfboard, not to be confused with a kayak). In surf up to just overhead, it offers at least as much fun and performance as stand up surfing, and  does not bother the hip. At four months after resurfacing, I am not yet quite able to stand up surf, but I just got back on the waveski (two months ahead of doctors orders), and am having a blast. Check it out on some of the waveski web-sites, and get back into the surf!

John

[Pat Walter]

Hi Wasinger

Welcome to Hip Talk.  Many of us feel we waited way to long to get out of pain and back into an active life style.  It is really up to you as to when the pain is not bearable and you are tired of watching people be active instead of joining them.

You can wait too long and loose the window of opportunity to have a resurfacing if your hip/s get too bad.  That is a good reason to visit an experienced hip resurfacing surgeon and get an evaluation.  Let the doctor tell you how bad your hips are.  There are no experienced surgeons who will perform hip replacement on hips they don't feel need repaired.  They don't need business, they are all extremely busy and don't go looking for something to do.

I certainly would encourage you to consider a resurfacing since you are still pretty young at 50.  I imagine you have read quite a bit about it by now and I won't go into all the reason a resurfacing is better than a THR in most people's opinions. http://www.surfacehippy.info/pcbhrvsthr.php

Listen to the Surface Hippies here.  There are a great bunch of people and very supportive.  Ask questions and listen to how well they have or are recovering.

Good Luck.

Pat

[Big Bill]

DITTO.... to all of the previous comments....couldn't have said it better myself     I am now 15 weeks into my journey...and I APPROVE THIS MESSAGE     !!!

                   BIG BILL    C.A.S.H.  7/9/08   
 

[montanahippy]

Get a good experienced surgeon (preferably 200+ procedures).
 
Get your leg and buttock muscles as in-shape as you can stand before surgery.

Don't put it off one more day than you absolutely have to.

I'm 63 years old, a month post-op for the right hip by Dr. Bose and am back into a full work schedule as an underground mining engineer, doing all the things I haven't been able to do for months.

I can't tell one leg from the other. It is like a miracle.

Total cost - $11,389, if you're hesitating because you're uninsured.

Good luck!