February 17, 2023

I had bilateral Polymotion hip resurfacing with Dr. Jim MacKenzie in Calgary on Nov 15, 2022. I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was the first Polymotion resurfacing in North America, and Dr. McMinn was in the operating room to observe!!

I am 48 years old, 47 at the time of surgery, and a petite female (5’ 2”, 125 lbs). I was very active up until my 40s when hip pain started to restrict my activities. Up to that point I was a runner, triathlete, field hockey player, snowboarder, skateboarder and Phys Ed teacher.

Like most of you, I tried every conservative measure before being asked to be referred to an orthopaedic surgeon – physio, chiro, PRP and hyaluronic acid injections, acupuncture, CBD, joint supplements and pain meds. They all helped somewhat, but ultimately, I had to adjust my activity level, restricting all impact activities and abstaining from team sports.

Leading up to surgery, with heavy supplementation, I was still able to walk and be on my feet to perform minimal teaching and coaching duties, but then had to rest at night. On weekends I could do board sports for up to about an hour and half before I had to stop and rest for the day. I consciously tried to maintain my mobility and strength throughout, although lower body exercises were only with bodyweight at the end, even light weights would aggravate my hips.

I was referred to Dr. MacKenzie in Jan 2020, had my consultation March 2021 and then surgery Nov 2022. It is universal health care in Canada, which means nothing out of pocket, but long wait times. It was an almost 3 year process. During the consultation I honestly did not know what I had agreed to; did not know anything about hip resurfacing or the custom implant that he spoke of. Dr. MacKenzie offered me a chance at doing everything before I had arthritis and I said yes.

I had both hips done at the same time, bilateral, although it was a very, very tough first week it was only one recovery. I would not hesitate to do them both if that is an option for you. I spent 2 nights in hospital, heavily relied on my walker, upper body strength and slept in a rented recliner chair for the first 2 weeks. Phase 1 exercises were quite challenging.

The big change happened on day 8, when all of a sudden I was able to walk without need of the walker or even crutches (not very gracefully, but still) and made it up the stairs with relative ease. Jaelynn, Dr. MacKenzie’s nurse, had told me that most people turn a corner 7-10 days out. She was right!.

At the 2 week check up I had my surgical dressings removed and told to stay on at least 1 crutch up to 6 weeks, although I was moving around the house without any aids. The biggest concern was to walk without a limp. I was driving (manual) by 3 weeks.

By week 6 I was able to forgo the walking aids, although I still brought 1 hiking pole for longer distances. I began phase 2 exercises, which focused on building strength, band work and balance.

By the 9 week mark I was feeling like a lot of my strength had returned, however I still had range of motion issues, especially flexion. My hip flexors would scream as soon I tried to bend over to pick up something off the floor or put socks on or tie laces. My hips did not want to go past 90 degrees. I needed more, so I started seeing a physiotherapist who has encouraged me to work through some of the discomfort. I am slowly seeing improvements.

I am now at the 12 week/3 month point. At the checkup, Dr. MacKenzie was happy with where I am at and encouraged me to continue to work on my range of motion, although still not crossing midline with the legs or aggressive internal rotation work. My flexion still needs a lot of work and I feel stiff after sitting and into the evenings.

I know that the Polymotion implant is new technology but am hoping it will stand the test of time and be a viable option for other petite frames. Beyond slowing down, there are not many options for a youngish, petite, still wanting to be active female. I believe this implant was custom made for me and Dr. MacKenzie had to apply for approval from Health Canada to use it.

The experience has been excellent so far, and I am beyond grateful for having Dr. MacKenzie as my surgeon, and the possibility of being as active as I want in the future.