New Hip Procedure Gets Police Officer Back on Duty

Quicksearch

Syndicate This Blog

RSS 0.91 feed

RSS 1.0 feed

RSS 2.0 feed

ATOM 0.3 feed

ATOM 1.0 feed

RSS 2.0 Comments

New Hip Procedure Gets Police Officer Back on Duty

Monday, January 28. 2008

Link http://news.uky.edu/news/display_article.php?artid=2299

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 15, 2007) − At the young age of 33, Allen Harris already has had his first hip resurfacing procedure. Exactly one year ago, a car accident during the line of duty as a London police officer left him with a broken femur, crushed joints and a broken and dislocated hip. But thanks to a new procedure called the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing System, Harris, like many other active young people, was able to resume normal activities and an active lifestyle.

After his accident in May 2006, Harris had a procedure to reconstruct his hip. But he still had pain, and 70 percent of his ball joint had died. New to UK HealthCare, orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Mauro Giordani heard about Harris's hip issues and talked to him about the Birmingham Hip procedure. After discussing various surgical options with Giordani, Harris decided it was the best option available.

Thankfully, Giordani, who is among the first surgeons in the country trained to perform the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing procedure, was able to help Harris in his time of need. Harris knew he wanted to get back to his career. "I'd only been a police officer for six years, and I didn't want to retire too young," he said.

Later the same day as his procedure in November, Harris was up walking with crutches. After only two weeks, Harris said he was walking just fine. Giordani said the Birmingham Hip procedure is allowing young people like Harris to remain active and productive members of society.

"Dr. Giordani is one of the finest people I've come across," Harris said. "I'm glad he was there to help me."

After the accident, Harris was afraid he would have lifelong problems and never be able to work again. But now he says his life is back to normal, and that he has no pain in his hip.

Harris went back to work as a London police officer in January 2007. He said he feels good and is getting back in the swing of things. "I'm a pretty determined person," he said.

About the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing System

Hip resurfacing procedures are emerging as an alternative to joint replacement for baby boomers and young people whose active lifestyles make it likely that conventional implants will wear out and leave them with few subsequent treatment options.

During hip resurfacing procedures, which came onto the U.S. market last year following FDA approval of Smith & Nephew’s Birmingham Hip Resurfacing System, surgeons fit a metal cap onto the head of the femur and use a matching cup to replace the damaged surface of the patient’s hip socket, allowing the metal surfaces to articulate to mimic the hip’s natural movement.

The metal-on-metal system, which also leaves more natural bone intact than joint replacement, is thought to delay the need for hip replacement by at least five years. This bone conserving procedure, combined with the virtual elimination of dislocation and excellent survivorship, make the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing System ideal for the younger or more active patient. And because the all-metal implant is made from strong, smooth cobalt chrome, it has the potential to last longer than traditional implants.

"This is one of the most exciting new procedures I've seen in years," Giordani said. "I see hip resurfacing as the ideal solution for many of my young, active patients who suffer from hip pain. As I'm treating younger and younger patients who are staying physically active much later in life, I've needed an alternative to total hip replacement that accommodates their age and lifestyle. The Birmingham Hip Resurfacing System is that alternative."

For more information about the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing System, contact UK Health Connection at (800) 333-8874 or visit the UK HealthCare Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine Web site.

Posted by Patricia Walter in Articles 07, BHR, Doctors, Personal Stories 07 at 17:15 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

Trackbacks

Trackback specific URI for this entry

No Trackbacks

Comments

Display comments as (Linear | Threaded)

No comments

Add Comment

Name
Email
Homepage
In reply to
Comment	To prevent automated Bots from commentspamming, please enter the string you see in the image below in the appropriate input box. Your comment will only be submitted if the strings match. Please ensure that your browser supports and accepts cookies, or your comment cannot be verified correctly. Enter the string from the spam-prevention image above:
	Remember Information? Subscribe to this entry
Submitted comments will be subject to moderation before being displayed.