Liz’s Hip Resurfacing with Mr. Witt 2007

August 6, 2007

I am just about 3 weeks post op from a hip resurface where they did a little extra, and so I have a plate and 2 screws as well as the resurface. My surgeon removed a bit of bone to help maintain my blood supply to my bone for the future. I am 37  and had dysplasia as a child with lots of surgery but luckily not OA. I have been using crutches for 2 years since my hip suddenly started hurting and I experienced a lot of pain and found I couldn’t walk. I had some surgery last summer to try and put off a resurface, and that helped a lot, but it became clear that I needed a resurface to get back to normal life.

I had the most fantastic surgeon Mr Witt at UCLH in London, who has already changed my life for the better, however, I am not seing him again for another 3 weeks and wondered if anybody could help with some of my questions. I have been told, due to the extra plate and screws I need to use my crutches for 6 weeks to allow that bone to heal, but I can put my full weight on my leg if comfortable. I must also not bend my hip more than 90%  or do the excercises where you raise your leg out to the side until I am seen again. Much of this is due to the extra surgery rather than the resurface.

October 16, 2007

I am now just 3 months post BHR and have just been sailing with the agreement of my consultant. Not something I had ever thought would be possible. I am not 100%  and can’t yet duck and move about the small boats as others can, but believe, me I have much more mobility than I ever imagined and no pain.

Having had 2 years of not walking at all I certainly wasn’t fit pre op and had put on a lot of weight so flexibility will take a while . I am however walking about 5 miles a day and can manage stairs well, so if you are a fit person it doesn’t seem unreasonable to think you might be up to your usual sports at 6 months. I had my surgery in London and my surgeon said as long as I don’t put my leg in the position they did to dislocate my hip in surgery ( knee up and pulled in, in the way you might cut your toe nails) for 6 months, I can’t really harm my hip. My body will tell me if I am doing too much!

Whilst on Holiday I met another UK orthopaedic surgeon who asked what I had had done, as he was worried about what I was doing to my hip. Once he knew it was a resurfacing not a replacement he was happy. His comment was "oh that’s fine you won’t do any harm. Give it another 3 months and you won’t even know you have had it done."

I really indentify with everyone who is carrying on despite the pain putting the surgery off. Nobody really wants surgery! I did this for 2 years, and finally had my resurface 3 months ago.

Everyone needs to make their own decision, but I can’t believe how fantastic I feel now. I had no idea I was feeling so rough, tired, down and in pain. I thought how I felt was normal it had crept up on me. Now I am bouncing around with loads of enthusiasm for life, walking and sleeping with no pain and have more enegry than I remember for years. I continued to work though the years of pain, and am just about to return to work post op , in fact I visited this week to catch up with everyone. I can’t tell you the number of people who told me I looked younger and amazingly well. I guess I didn’t look too hot before!

I think of my surgeon as the man who gave me back my life and if I was ever in ythe position where I needed the other hip doing I would not wait a moment longer than I had to. The day post op my pain was nothing like as bad as it had been in the previous months. It was different pain and yes it was sore and it took a few weeks to be walking, but still better than before.