Personal HR Stories 2009

My hip journey starts like a lot of people , was very active and started to get pain in the groin and front of my left hip this was November 2007.

I was running 50 miles a week preparing for a December marathon so I just ran though the pain. In February 2008 as I was training for my April marathon by now the pain was starting to slow me down , so in May I went to my Family Dr. and he ordered a MRI. When the MRI showed very little joint space that’s when I started looking at hip replacement/resurfacing. Training for a marathon in January 2009 the pain was really bad, so at mile 7 of my April 2009 marathon I decided to get a BHR as soon as possible.

When I went in for surgery on June 2, I knew I had to be ready to run on April 25th 2010. Dr. Joel Tupper in Oklahoma City, peformed my hip resurfacing with a BHR for my left Hip.

Post surgery when they stood me up I just knew my running days were over. I starting walking 6 days post op about a half a mile a day, by day 18 I was walking 10 miles every weekend.

3 months post op I was doing some light jogging with a lot of strength training. In December I was running 35 miles per week and was ready to race, so in January 2010 I ran a half marathon I push it and the BHR pushed back but I knew things would get better with more work.

February 27 I did a 25k and the hip preformed much better. March 28th I ran a half marathon with good results so I knew April 25th I would be ready to go the full 26.2. I ran my 13th marathon, first with the BHR 11 months post op no hip issues.

After years of thinking I had a bad back, in the Sept. of 08, I found out I had a bad hip instead. With moderate degeneration I knew I had to have surgery. So I researched Hip Replacements on the internet. The Birmingham Hip Resurfacing popped up and I knew this was just what I needed.

I am a professional photographer and very active. I am also only 51 years old. I don't run marathons or play tennis, but I work really hard and I need to move unrestricted to do my job right. So I met with Dr Clarke. We had to have a few extra things checked first, (I only have 1 kidney) there was concern about the ions and my kidney's ability to excrete them.

My nephrologist did his research on the BHR and the ions and gave me the green light to have the surgery. I had my right hip resurfaced by Dr Clarke On Feb 4th 2009.

I am now almost 6 wks postop and I can walk around the house without my cane. I am progressing very rapidly. I work really hard at PT and do exactly what they say. Today I walked 3/4 of a mile. It felt great!

I know that eventually I will have to have the left done, but now I know what to expect, it will be less intimidating. But it sure beats having a THR especially at my age. Dr. Clarke is the greatest, and Community General is the best hospital I have ever been in. Never have I been treated as nice as they treated me. I am extremely satisfied.

Darlene N Chissom

30 years old. 11/11/2009 Left hip Biomet uncemented by Dr. Thomas Gross.

It has been exactly 7 days to the minute since I had my left hip resurfaced and I just walked my first mile so this seems like a good time to write this note. My story is similar to many of the stories on the Surface Hippy website. I could never thank Patricia Walter and all the other contributing Surface Hippies enough for this invaluable resource - it was the #1 resource I used while educating myself about my situation and available options. What an awesome example of how technology can empower the patient community!

At the age of 29 I was diagnosed with severe OA in my left hip, likely due to a slight malformation of my femoral head which caused uneven pressure and eventual breakdown of cartilage. The news was very unexpected and I was absolutely crushed. The tears started coming once I got back to my car. It wasn't that I was thinking "why me" or anything like that but that I felt a huge sense of loss. Everything about my life was active - a normal week might consist of 50 miles of single track mountain biking, soccer, softball, yoga, and the gym. Being active was how I relaxed - it was my only real hobby besides reading. My journey to the diagnosis was a long one and started with groin pain as a college soccer player - trainers and myself would assume the pain was due to a strain or pull and I would rest. Several weeks and I would always be fine. A blown knee and approaching graduation took the focus off soccer and on to academics. Once I stopped competing at a high level I paid little attention to a progressive loss of speed and agility. I was athletic enough to compete just fine in recreational sports and the years passed while I immersed myself in my professional life. I naturally transitioned to sports that better fit my changing abilities - yoga and mountain biking. I though I had just been slacking and yoga would bring back my flexibility. It didn't. I continued to loose flexibility, was unable to run at speed, and groin pain had become a constant part of my life. Eventually I realized I could not remember not using my hand on my knee to pull my left leg into my car or picking something up without lifting my left leg in the air behind me. Putting on socks and shoes was one of the hardest aspects of my day. "Are you limping?" questions came from all directions. It hurt to exist - awake, asleep, sitting, standing - chronic hip pain now defined who I was.

Before I found the Hippy Surface website two themes defined the messaging I received from medical professionals. The first was that I was too young for this to be happening and that my situation was weird (fascinating insight). The second was that this was a big shame, none of my options were ideal and I should wait as long as possible to consider surgery because of my age. I have enough experience in healthcare to know doctors are constantly wrong, information disseminates at a snails pace in medicine, and there were other people like me and I needed to find them ASAP. Finding the Surface Hippy website was one of the best days of my life.

At my age I never considered traditional THR - if you're reading this neither should you! There are situations when THR is the only option but they are rare. It is important to note that THR is a massive industry - there are billions of dollars and lifetimes invested in this procedure. If you think most physicians who have built their entire practice, professional career, and sent kids to college by performing THR's are going to be impartial regarding resurfacing you're nuts. I asked a physician at Washington University why anyone in their right mind would ever consider THR if resurfacing was an option. He seemed almost offended, stated it was a perfectly good procedure (for him maybe) and I should consider it as a very viable option. Doctors are people - its your hip, you're the expert and must take on the responsibility of the role. Ask questions and know the answers you're looking for.

In choosing my surgeon I met with teams at Washington University in St. Louis, Dr. Su at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, and Dr. Gross at Midlands Orthopaedics in South Carolina. The surgeon at Wash U was primarily a THR surgeon who basically does resurfacing on the side. He had completed about 60 cases in 3 years. I wanted someone with more experience. I met with Dr.Su in New York. I left the meeting feeling very confident he would do a great job and enjoyed our meeting. However I passed on Dr.Su for several reasons. I wanted to go with an uncemented femoral component and Dr. Su only does cemented. The Hospital for Special Surgery is an extremely difficult facility to navigate (one appt. had me visiting 3 completely different buildings) as is Manhattan (awesome town, unless you can't walk) - this seemed like a nightmare scenario after surgery. Some of the staff at the Hospital for Special Surgery were also extremely unprofessional - staff members making fun of and arguing with patients definitely had an impact on my perception of the facility.

I choose to have my surgery with Dr. Thomas Gross in South Carolina for several key reasons. Key factors included: surgeon's experience specifically with resurfacing; uncemented femoral component option; an incredibly friendly staff throughout the facility; and easy access to facilities.

THR and resurfacing are two completely different surgeries - skill at one DOES NOT necessitate skill at the other NO MATTER what any doctor might say - the entire process, tool set, prosthetic components, etc. is completely different. Resurfacing is going to continue to gain in popularity which means more and more inexperienced surgeons are going to start doing the procedure - I personally wouldn't want to be someone's practice. Ask your surgeon how many times they have performed the specific procedure with the specific components. The experience and skill of your surgeon is the single most important factor in your success. It is only day 7 and the only pain medication I took today was two Tylenol 7 hours ago and I'm sitting on my couch with ZERO pain. I have almost ZERO bruising. I walked one mile today without crutches or a cane and didn't have any pain - I could have walked another one, the last step didn't feel any different than the first. I have not heard any popping, clicking or other unnatural noises coming from the joint. The OA pain is GONE! I know my joint and recovery still have a very, very long way to go and I'm far from out of the woods - anything could still happen - but I could not be happier with how things have gone thus far. These results are all due to the skill of Dr. Gross. 

While the contemporary uncemented femoral component option is so new data is not yet available on outcomes it was an easy choice for me. I believe it will become the standard. While a 20 year lifespan for a cemented component is a great outcome it would still have me moving to a THR relatively early. I need both components to become parts of my body - I need the connection between the components and my body to be alive - I need the connection to be bone. I personally saw cement as one more point of failure which added variables to the overall system. Cement is not alive and cannot regenerate itself.

Everyone at Midlands Orthopaedics was extremely professional - from the front office, to x-ray, Nurse Nancy Smith, Nurse Practitioner Lee Webb, and Dr. Gross himself. After having visited Wash U and the Hospital for Special Surgery this professionalism was a giant relief. I finally knew I found the team I wanted to work with. Dr. Gross was the first surgeon who seemed genuinely excited about the components he used for the surgery. I asked other surgeons, "What components do you use and why?" The general answer before Dr. Gross was "I use 'x' mostly and it seems to work OK" - I absolutely hated that answer! These guys should be experts on the options and choose their tools of the trade with passion! I wanted to hear extremely specific reasons why, of all the options, this doctor thought I should have a particular piece of hardware in my body, potentially for the rest of my life. No doubt they're getting paid by the component vendors but I wanted to figure out what other specifics they used to pick their horse.

I'll share some of my advice for anyone facing the difficult situation of needing a new hip(s).

• Find ways to get into or stay in shape. Your body is a system - the stronger the overall system the better you will be able to cope physically and mentally with the challenges before and after your surgery and recovery. Find exercises you can do - swim without kicking, use adjustable elliptical machines to find a bearable setting, do upper body exercises, walk as much as possible. Rehabbing a hip is a difficult task - you don't want to have to rehab a quad, hamstring, calf, etc. all at the same time too. My left leg was still very strong at the time of my surgery - I can already tell this is an excellent help in my recovery. You also want to get into the habit of a daily exercise routine before surgery so you will have one less change you have to make after - you'll already feel comfortable with the daily routine of rehab.
  

• You are the foremost expert on this planet regarding your hip. Nobody else. Embrace this role and become an expert on every aspect of your situation. Don't let doctors intimidate you or pressure you into any procedure or timeline. Ask specific questions and demand specific answers, "how many hip resurfacings have you done?" - I had a doc answer this question by lumping THR's and resurfacings together 3 times and would not tell me the specific number eventually stating the surgeries are basically the same which we all know is nonsense. If you've studied the Surface Hippy site carefully, you have expert knowledge and know more than a vast majority of doctors.
  

• Take your time in choosing your surgical team. I remember just wanting to get the decision over with and move on with my life. If not for my very supportive family challenging me to make sure I felt comfortable with my surgeon I probably would have gone with the easiest option which upon further reflection would have been the wrong choice.

• Remember THR is a multibillion dollar institution - there are vested interests and a great deal of economic momentum working to keep THR procedures as the standard. Just because your local doctor isn't up to date on modern resurfacing doesn't mean it's not the better option in many cases. Personally I do not see any reason why someone who has the option of resurfacing would ever choose THR.
  

• Keep a positive attitude. Life is difficult. Always has been, always will be. I'm in a good place right now with my outcome but a fall on ice, an infection, or some random car accident and the game changes. Before I had my surgery I had reserved myself to accept the worst possible outcome (well death is the worst but that would be easy on me) which I saw as a long fight with infection, zero weight bearing, and ending up with a THR . This situation would suck but I'd need all my mental strength at hand to fight to get my health back. I entered the hospital ready to battle. My right hip isn't too far behind my left so I'll be on this journey for a while. 
  

If you've found this site consider yourself lucky. Take your time, get prepared, and take your life back from pain. I am so very thankful for my supportive family and my beautiful girlfriend Meghan who traveled with me to South Carolina. I am eternally grateful for and humbled by all the love and support I received from Meghan, my family, and our friends.

Best wishes on your journey!

Sincerely,

Joseph P. Tierney
Surface Hippy Newbie

I'm 10 days out of bi lateral hip resurfacing with Dr. Su. Can't say enough good things about Dr. Su.

My hips feel strong enough to stand with no issues and no crutches 7 days out. Post surgery, he told me my hips were a mess, and I had pretty big cuts, around 14 inches per leg. I went on a strong natural product regiment right out of surgery, only taking pain killers for a few days, and trying to avoid everything else. I used natural wound healing products and probiotics so my GI system would be normal.

There's no sugar coating the first 7-10 days after surgery. It's hard work and a lot of discomfort, but it's not from pain per se. It's that it's hard to sleep, and you're confined to bed most of the time with both hips having been done. However, with PT, stretching etc, you can recover fast and feel a lot better.

Once you get past the first week, things improve daily. I got my staples out on the 10th day, which is a big improvement. Starting tomorrow I expect even bigger improvements daily, as I'll really begin focusing on regaining flexibility.

HSS is excellent and you can't find a better doctor than Su.

---

December 27, 2009

I’m 3.5 weeks out of bi lateral surgery with Dr. Su. I’ve been on a stationary bike for a week, no resistance, up to 20 minutes a day, and another 20 minutes walking on a treadmill. I started driving just short of 3 weeks out of surgery, although I get stiff when I’m in the car too long. I’ve had no pain, just discomfort around trying to regain flexibility. I still can’t put socks on (although I got lucky a couple of times), but I’m able to walk without crutches, including stairs.  My physical therapist recommended I buy a cane that’s more for hiking, so I got one that collapses made by Leki called the Wanderfreund, and tossed the crutches. I’ve got 2 14 inch scars because my hips were so bad, and yet, I cannot believe how fast I’ve progressed since surgery. The absolute worst time for me was just the discomfort post surgery (not bad pain), and getting the pain meds out of my system (even after stopping all opiods 3 days after surgery), so I could pass the stairs test to leave HSS. Now, it just feels like I have to work hard on flexibility, so I can push the endurance part of rehab.  Each day seems to get a little better, and I frankly, I’m surprised at how well things have gone.  Still can’t say enough good things about Dr. Su, and for those considering doing both hips at the same time, I’d say the experience has been way better than I expected, and he’s got to be a doctor you consider. In the beginning, the improvement comes every 3-5 days, but as time progresses, I’ve found improvement daily. You wake up and suddenly you can do something you couldn’t do the day before. I fully expect to be back on all non impact sports soon.

Jonna Ramey

Right BHR 2009 Dr. Klug

I had surgery on November 10, 2009. I am 4+ weeks post-BHR surgery on my right hip. Dr. Raphael Klug of Kaiser Roseville CA was my surgeon.

I'm a 59-year old post-menopausal woman. Previous to my year of increasing hip pain and surgery, I was an active stone sculptor. Exercise for me consisted of water aerobics and walking. I had been experiencing unusual thigh pain. It was as if my muscles just gave out. I could barely walk. My general practitioner referred me to a sports doctor. The sports doc immediately steered me to an orthopedic surgeon in San Rafael who only did lateral total hip replacements. I got on his 3-month waiting list because I thought this was my only option. Then, I began to research.

I attended a lecture sponsored by Queen of the Valley Hospital in Napa at which two orthopedic surgeons talked about the benefits of anterior THR. At this lecture I learned that there was one surgeon at Kaiser Vallejo that performed anterior THR. I immediately got a referral from the San Rafael Kaiser surgeon, consulted with the surgeon in Vallejo, who said I was a good candidate for anterior THR and got on his 3-month surgery waiting list.

All of this research took months and my hip was getting worse by the day. The anti-inflammatory drugs I was taking were no longer controlling my pain. I hobbled with a very pronounced limp. It was so obvious that people stopped me on the street and asked me if I had a bad hip. Everyone was full of advice; much of it very helpful. All of it was pointing me toward an anterior total hip replacement. Then one night, at my neighborhood table tennis club, Jeff, a man with a deadly slam, told me that he had had a Birmingham Hip Resurfacing two years earlier. He had been an ardent soccer player before the BHR. Now he ran, exercised and had complete freedom of movement. He explained the difference between a BHR and a THR. His wife Linda told me about a great website called Surface Hippy and how it had really helped them. They whole-heartedly recommended their surgeon Dr. Gilbert in San Francisco. However, he wasn’t in the Kaiser system so I had to find a Kaiser surgeon that performed BHR surgery.

I went home and checked out Surface Hippy. Loved it! I went into the Kaiser member website and tried to find a surgeon in my area who performed the procedure. There was no information. I sent an email to the surgeon in Vallejo that I was scheduled with and asked if he did BHRs and was I a good candidate for one? He responded that he did not do them but would forward my x-rays to Dr. Baker in Oakland and Dr. Klug in Roseville. Both surgeons did BHRs.

Once I had the names of Kaiser surgeons who performed BHRs, I got back on the internet and did more research. I found an extremely informative video of Dr. Klug discussing the procedure at length. Subsequently, I received an email from my Vallejo surgeon. Dr. Klug had looked at my x-rays and was confident he could help me. I contacted his medical assistant and got on Dr. Klug’s 3-month waiting list for the initial consultation. Fortunately, there was a cancellation and I was able to see Dr. Klug in two weeks.

The initial meeting with Dr. Klug was informative. I appreciated his candor and experience. He has performed hundreds of BHRs. He was very clear, however, that while his goal for me was an anterior BHR, it was possible that I’d need a total hip replacement and he couldn’t make that call until he actually touched my bone. I agreed. For me this was an important consideration. I wanted a surgeon to have all the tools at his disposal for my benefit. Yes, my preference was the BHR but I wanted long-term success above all.

Did I mention, there was a three-month wait for the surgery? Since it was close to the Thanksgiving holiday, I stressed my strong desire to take any surgery cancellation that might occur. Even though his office is 2 hours from my home, I would drop everything, at a moment’s notice, to get the surgery done. Luck was with me. His scheduler called back in a couple weeks; someone had cancelled and I was having surgery four days later.

As it turned out, I did get a BHR. I was in the hospital 2 nights. Dr. Klug’s surgery team is hard working and bright. The staff at Kaiser Roseville was sharp, attentive, friendly and motivated. I really appreciated that. The physical therapist started me with a walker that I used for about 10 days. With the approval of my in-home physical therapist, I transitioned to a cane. Recovery is going great. Every day I walk further and longer and my stamina increases. I'm looking forward to weaning myself off the cane, getting back in the pool and on an exercise bike. I’m about two weeks away from being able to drive but I’m trying to be patient. And, I’m waiting for the rains to stop so I can begin sculpting stone again in my outdoor studio. Thanks Dr. Klug.

I read that there is a perception out there that some surgeons are generally reluctant to perform BHRs on post-menopausal women. I think it has more to do with each patient’s situation and the skill and expertise of the surgeon. Any responsible surgeon would refuse to perform a procedure if it wasn’t in the best interest of the patient. I'm proof that there are surgeons out there (like Dr. Klug) who are capable and comfortable working on us middle-aged and older broads.
 

My name is Bill Thom, aged 67 and a Scot living in London.   My hip operation was a Birmingham Hip Resurfacing procedure and was done on November 2nd 2009.   I had been consulting my surgeon Mr. Ronan Treacy for about 7 years as my hip was gradually deteriorating which made it difficult for me to enjoy an active life.    I am an accomplished ski-er and I also play tennis every week.   It was becoming increasingly clear that the BHR solution was pretty ideal for me and eventually, the hip joint showed signs of serious wear and Mr. Treacy advised that it was now up to me to decide whether to have the surgery.

I  was fortunate as I had private medical cover that would cover most of the costs and so I quickly decided around October 2009 to get the thing sorted.   I attended the Priory Hospital in Birmingham where Mr. Treacy does his hip surgery for the pre-operative tests and then was admitted for the surgery on November 2nd.    I met Mr. Treacy who drew where the incision would be made on my hip and I was sure that I was in good hands with him and his team as he has done between 5000-6000 of these operations which is his specialty.    My anaesthetist talked to me about his role, and the next day I was put to sleep. The surgery was conducted in well under an hour and everything went very well.

When I revived and I woke up I was given self administered pain control using morphine and could top up any time I felt discomfort using a button on a small handheld machine.   I was fine.   The only awkward after effect was I had to have a catheter inserted as I could not seem to urinate. The following morning after the surgery I was able to stand and took a few tentative steps with support.   The following day I was able to walk with a type of Zimmer frame up and down the corridor, and the day after that I was walking with two sticks without pain.   The procedure was a complete success and the care and treatment I received from Ronan Treacy and his team was superb as was the care and support given by nursing staff and physiotherapists at the Priory.

I left hospital on the fifth day and when my wife Betsy arrived to pick me up to take me home to London she was amazed how well I was walking with sticks, and standing she thought about two inches taller and with a good posture.   The wound was neat and clean and I had no sign of infection. The dressings used were easily changed and I was given some to take home along with some pain killers.    I did get constipated for a while, probably caused by the morphine and the painkillers, but this was easily dealt with using suppositories for a few days.

Six weeks after the surgery in mid December I returned to Birmingham to see Mr. Treacy and he was very pleased with the progress.  I exercised each day with simple techniques given to me by the physiotherapists at the hospital.   I also started walking about a mile each day, and within 3 weeks of the surgery I was down to one stick, then in a few days I was walking very well without any support.   The leg swelled up after exercise but I used high pillows to raise it while resting and was able to manage the pain reasonably enough.   I had no infection and was careful to follow the procedure of not raising the leg too high and sitting correctly.   I soon began to get full movement and was able with a little help get my socks on and dress myself without assistance.

I was also able to return to playing some gentle tennis doubles and this was just before the end of the year just eight weeks or so after the operation.    To my great surprise Ronan Treacy also said that I would also be able to ski this season, and in the first week of March 2010 just four months after the BHR was done I was zooming down the blue and red runs in Courchevel with a friend.  It was superb exercise for my hip and I only fell once during my six full days of ski-ing.    The one time I took a dive, I landed with a crunch on a rather hard packed piste on the new hip side, but there was no problem.

I would advise any one with a progressive hip problem, especially if you want to be active in your old age, to consider the BHR hip option and get yourself along to see Ronan Treacy. He has basically given me back full movement, and I am free from pain. Should you wish to contact me then I would happily relate the details of my hip resurfacing experience and have no hesitation in recommending the Birmingham team who put me back on the tennis court and the Alpine pistes in under four months.

Bill Thom

Dr. Vail is such an amazingly skilled surgeon and lovely gentle, humble human being that I would give him the highest recommendations to anyone considering a BHR or THR. Dr. Vail has performed bilateral BHRs on me and I am a new woman thanks to him!

I had my left hip resurfaced by Vail 6 weeks ago, on December 22nd, 2009, and I just came back from a weekend in Tahoe, snowshoeing, swimming and otherwise moving around easily on my new hips. Dr. Vail resurfaced my right hip just 5 months before, on July 21, 2009. I was 48 when I had my right hip resurfaced and 49 when I had my left hip resurfaced.

I saw Vail after having seen two surgeons in the East SF Bay both of whom said I needed arthroscopy.  The first surgeon referred to me by my primary physician, Dr. Kenneth Caldwell, is not a hip surgeon so his opinion can be discounted. The second surgeon I saw, Dr. Thomas Peatman at Webster Orthopedic, is one of the Raiders Team doctors. Two years in a row, Peatman insisted that I would only need to have arthroscopy and that I didn't need BHRs or THRs on my hips. I did extensive research to find a second opinion and found that most people with advanced arthritis had unsuccessful hip arthroscopies. And, thankfully, I found Vail.

Within minutes of my first visit he gently broke the bad news that I would need either a BHR or THR, my choice as to which. I asked him which he would do himself or recommend to a family member and he said BHR if they had that as an option. From that day forward I have had only the most intelligent, respectful, and thoughtful communication from Dr. Vail and his staff.

My surgeries each went very well. My hospital visits were very good and my post-op care has been as good as I have needed.  Dr. Vail visited me twice in the hospital after each surgery and his chief residents/fellow also visited several times. Everyone working with Vail has such complete respect and devotion to him, from his residents on down to his office assistants.

After my first BHR Vail's previous chief resident said that he pioneered BHR in the U.S. and that he was one of the top hip surgeons in the country. His current fellow (post-residency doc), Dr. Caravelli, said that Vail is such an incredible surgeon that when he performs THRs he usually doesn't require any limitations or restrictions on movement.

I had difficulty finding much information out about Vail prior to my first appointment with him, because he is relatively new to UCSF, they are a teaching hospital and thus don't focus on promotion and I believe because he is so humble and doesn't have a big ego. He truly wants to help people regain mobility and heal. I have been extremely happy with my BHRs and really feel that I owe my renewed life force to Vail.

Hello, I am a 37 year old former (and hopefully again in the future) athlete who recently had my right hip resurfaced with Dr. Gross in Columbia, SC, having traveled from my home in Charleston, WV for the procedure. My story and this information is for those who are scheduled for or may be considering the procedure, I would like to pass along as much information and personal experience as possible for your benefit, as so many others have done on this wonderful website.

Would like to first summarize that so far I am completely satisfied and recommend the procedure 100%. Also, I wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Gross and his wonderful practice.

As of today, Aug 15th, 2009, I am almost to the 5 week mark post-op. From the moment I woke up from the surgery, I have not had any pain in my hip more than what feels like a muscle stretching or general tightness / stiffness. There is no trace of arthritic or bone pain. I'm not sure I had any expectiations either way, as I read lots of stories both ways - people that had problems and those that sailed through. It is hard to believe that there could be no pain, not with all the wrenching around that goes on in there. Dr Gross has videos on his website showing the procedure (ha, I couldn't bring myself to watch them until AFTER the surgery) - your hip is sliced through, dislocated, and then subjected to medieval torture devices and power tools! How can that not hurt later? But, for me, it doesn't.

I have to say, I was feeling very sketchy in the pre-op room where they start to work on you. Needles and pills everywhere, people coming and going, doing weird things to me. And then, wheeled into the operating room. Just like on TV, with everybody in masks, and the overhead light the size of one of those old satellite dishes. I don't remember much, but even in a sedated mode, it was scary. Then that's it – I was out. I have heard they ask you to count or whatever, but as far as I can remember, they snuck up on me.

The first 24 hours after surgery were the hardest, but even that was not too bad. Even had it been worse, there's not a lot of remembering due to the pain meds and the lingering sedation. I was told Dr. Gross does five surgeries a day, twice a week. Mine was on a Monday, at 9 am. That made me second in line that day. In my mind, that was great - that way he got to wake up and practice on someone else before hacking on me (ha). Seriously, though, I wonder about these things. Doctors are people too, I want them to have their A game when it's me under there. That was really my only question during my one and only office visit – "hey, Doc, you're not going to go out and get wasted the night before my surgery, right?" He said he wouldn't, just for me. Sweet.

Speaking of pain meds, they gave me vicodin that first day and I think I took my prescription two or two and a half more days after that. As I said, there never was any real pain from the surgery, but they kept saying "stay on top of the pain, if you get behind, it's harder to catch up". Well, at that time, I didn't know if some big pain wave was coming or not, so I took the meds. I really don't think I needed it. Hard to tell. The only thing that hurt was when they took the catheter out on the day after surgery. That was bad. Sort of like a vacuum cleaner hose had been up there all along, and got removed along with the catheter hose. There was this weird suction feeling along with the discomfort.

A physical therapist (PT) came and helped me walk that 1st afternoon of my surgery (a mere few hours after the surgery!). The walk was with crutches, but the crutches were for balance, not to take weight off the hip. I have read that they want you to put weight on the hip to help press-fit the devices into their respective slots. The most difficult part was keeping balance considering the lingering sedation. Mostly, though, I just laid there in the bed. The PT also said to keep moving my feet and legs. She gave some prescribed motions to do.

Providence Northeast Hospital is 1st class. Everyone that I came in contact with there was super. Also the food was not too bad. The hospital is yet part of Dr. Gross's well-established system that is wonderful.

I was told to plan for two nights in the hospital, but it ended up only being one. That first night sucked. The main reason is that it was hard to sleep with the O2 / heart monitor beeping all the time and the nurse coming in every two hours. Also, my heart rate kept going down too low, which would set off an alarm. I don't know what was worse, the alarm, or me wondering how bad it is to have a heartbeat low enough to set off the alarm. The low heartbeat was surmised to be me being in relatively good cardiovascular shape, along with lingering sedation effects. I still hardly slept at all.

At the consultation appointment prior to surgery, they asked (made?) me to buy this cold pack machine that is basically a little igloo cooler filled with ice water, attached to a pump, some hoses, and a bandage. I mention this because had I known it was going to cost so much out of pocket for the thing, I could have purchased one on eBay, brought it with me, and saved some $$. But I wasn't aware I would need this prior to the surgery and therefore didn't know to ask if I could have brought my own. Anyway, cold water circulates through the bandage. I was told to bring it to the hospital. After the surgery, they kept it on my hip and leg, circulating cold water constantly. When I left the hospital, it was sent with me, and I used it every 2 hours or so, including in the car on the way home. I think that was a big help to my quick recovery, by minimizing the swelling. I have read about people with bad swelling problems; I had none.

The next day, Dr. Gross stopped by my hospital room. He asked a few questions, and advised that I could leave later that day. I was all for that. Also, a PT came by and explained some of the disabled person tools like the sock put-on device, followed by another walk. I was able to stand and take a shower. I got a little dizzy in there, which I believe was due to the heat and lingering sedation and pain meds. Fearing possible fainting, I had to get out and sit on the toilet. Later that afternoon, I was discharged from the hospital. They make you ride a wheel chair out, but I could have definitely crutched out on my own power.

The second night, which was in a hotel, also sucked. The main problem was the whole sleeping on your back thing. The main mode of sleeping the first few nights is on your back with a pillow between your legs. You are allowed to turn over on either side, as long as the pillow stays between your legs. Well obviously, I wasn't going to lie on the operated side, and while lying on the good side, I was not confident in the ability of the operated side/leg to stay under control. That leaves the back-lying position. There's only so long you can stay in one position before muscles get tight, and general discomfort sets in. It was not a good night. In general, the confidence of sleeping on the good side grew, and by 7-10 days, I was in a routine of moving from back sleeping to the good side every 1-3 hours, with good sleep in between. It helped me to sleep in a recliner for a day or two before moving to my regular bed. One other thing that surprised me was that I had to pee every 1-3 hours through out the night. I surmise that it was a side effect of the catheter. That very slowly went away up through the 3 week mark.

Wanted to mention that that 2nd night I had a fever that got up to 101. I was somewhat nervous about that. It's hard to know in the moment if it's just temporary (it was), or if it's going to get worse. Make sure you have a thermometer with you.

On the 3rd day post-op, my wife drove me and our 2 year old daughter on the 6 hour drive back to WV. We have a CR-V, and I sat in the back seat with the front passenger seat reclined all the way back to give my legs room to stretch out. Could definitely have made it sitting in the front, it was just even better back there. The ice pack has a hand pump bulb thing, which I used to keep the cold circulating on my hip and leg. We stopped 2-3 times so I could get out and walk.

My walking progressed roughly as follows:
1->4 days - walking with crutches
5->20 days – walking with a cane or one crutch. Towards the end of that period, walked with a limp when not using the cane.
21 days -> now (34 days). Walking fine with zero assistance. Limp is almost completely gone.

Again, it seems crazy to me to walk, unassisted, with no limp, so soon. Most of the time, I have to keep reminding myself that I recently had hip surgery, lest I do too much too soon and risk damage to it. And really, my belief is that it would be hard to damage it, but I'm sure not going to chance it. Like on the stairs. I could walk up the stairs normally with no problems by 21 days. I catch myself taking two at a time on the way up (including with the operated leg!), like I used to do before the surgery, and have to slow down, since, who knows, that might not be good for it. Definitely one of the best gifts of the procedure is the "not-thinking-about-my-hip" mindset it allows, in contrast to before, where the pain when I walked consumed my attention.

Some background on my situation and events leading up to my resurfacing:

I am a former college basketball player, and have enjoyed continually playing basketball at a fairly high level up until this spring; when my hip pain finally forced me to stop. It began around 5 years ago as an occasional snap or click in there, and gradually progressed through tightness and stiffness to a slight limp in the past 2-3 years (people would ask "why are you limping?", and I didn't even realize I was). Couldn't pinpoint what it was, but last spring I knew something was really wrong. An X-ray showed "severe degenerative changes" (loss of spacing superiorly, osteophytosis), basically arthritis. There's not much positive in those adjectives "severe" and "degenerative". Was pretty crushed by that news.

Began my research on problems of the hip. Purchased a couple of books and eventually found Surface Hippy. Visited a recommended orthopedic surgeon here in Charleston, WV. He diagnosed arthritis caused by congenital (birth defect) hip dysplasia in both hips and recommended a total hip replacement in the really bad one, noting that the other one will require one in the future. There's another 30-something-year-old guy in my office with one of those and he's not allowed to run on it. I mentioned hip resurfacing to this surgeon and he noted that he didn't recommend it due to risk of femoral fracture and un-proven track record. OK, well, I have to think about this.

Was able to play basketball this past winter. Would basically take my daily Celebrex and supplement it with two ibuprofen before going out to play. By March, people were feeling sorry for me and saying I should stop. I would limp-run up and down the court. The weird thing was though, is that when I quit for good in April, it REALLY got bad. It went from a manageable limp in April to a "I can barely walk 2 blocks" severe limp by May. It was like the running and exercise had been keeping it loose. Got a cane; it was the only way I could get from my cubicle to the bathroom. Weirdly, though, I could still play golf. Would ride the cart up to my ball, cane my way the rest of the way, and then hit the ball. Lost 2-3 clubs worth of distance (due to not being able to push off with my right hip), but oddly, it didn't hurt my scoring. I theorize that I was now playing old man golf, where it's hard to lose any balls if you can't hit it far enough to get into trouble, ha!

Meanwhile, the more I researched re-surfacing, the more it was crystal-clear obvious that it was the thing for me. Active, young, good-looking (oh, well, 2 out of 3 ain't bad). It seems utterly ridiculous to cut off the top of your femur when there are other alternatives. There are so many other benefits, but if you're reading this, you're probably already educated as to those, so no wasting time re-preaching. How could I find out if there were any few orthopedic surgeons in this area that would do resurfacing? Call each and ask? I don't know, I guess I could have done that. Found one that was on the Birmingham Hip website and visited him. He had only done 8 procedures. I believe it is important to have someone with lots of experience at this. That's one thing that is so incredibly helpful about Surfacehippy - the doctor experience data. I cross referenced my insurance coverage with doctors that had significant experience (at least 100 procedures) within a 2 state radius and that gave me a manageable list to choose from. Ended up going for the high end of experience, which was Dr. Gross, and believe that was the very best choice I could have made. Will not hesitate to return to him when my other hip gives out. Definitely hope it is later rather than sooner, but I now have no fear what-so-ever about the procedure.

Wanted to also share some information about the financial end of things. Below is what I have experienced so far. I have Aetna Open Access (EPO) insurance.

1. At the doctor's office prior to my surgery, they suggested I buy the below items, but I am unsure whether I could have refused at the time:
a. Crutches (insurance doesn't pay for all of it) ~$15 copay with my insurance (you can bring your own if you have them, eliminating the need to purchase in the office)
b. Disabled person care package (grabber thing, long shoe horn, sock putter-on thing, and long sponge on a stick) $60
c. Polar ice pack. Mine was a Polar Care 300 model manufacturered by the Breg Company. It was $250 in the doctor's office. The reason I list it here is that these are on sale on Ebay for $70-$100. I would have bought mine there if I would have known.

2. Dr. Gross's office requires a pre-payment of $1,200 which is for having a Nurse Practitioner present during the surgery; they said most insurance companies wouldn't cover that. I paid that, and am still not sure if my insurance will cover that or not. There is also a prepayment of $1,000 for some people, if their insurance won't cover "minimally invasive technique". I did not have to pay that one.

3. So far, my insurance website says they've been billed a little over $51K. Thank goodness for insurance, right?! That is definitely a lot of money, but to me, it would have been worth paying whatever.

In closing, I am less psyched about getting back on the basketball court than I was before the surgery. It may have something to do with the thrill of just walking painfree being plenty of satisfying exercise at the moment; also it's summertime and golf season. Speaking of golf, I got the OK from Dr Gross's office to return to the links at about the 5 week mark, so that will keep me busy until winter. Knowing myself I'll be back on that court, though. Sweet!

That's all I have as of now, best of luck to you with your decision, and your surgery. You are on the right path!

I was not able to find anyone in Atlanta with a good track record doing resurfacings -- so a very big "Thank You" to SurfaceHippy.info and the fellow surface hippies on this site. 

I started having unbearable pain around November of 2008. I called Dr. Gross's office in December after speaking with Mike from this site who had a bilateral with Dr. Gross back in June. When I hung up with Mike I called Dr. Gross's office and on the first call had tentatively scheduled the surgery dates pending me getting the package together.

I got the package put together according to the protocol on Dr. Gross's website and Dr. Gross called me to confirm I was a candidate. I drove to Columbia from Atlanta on a Friday for my pre-op consultation and met with Lee Webb and Dr. Gross (about 3-3.5hr drive). I drove back to Columbia the following Sunday (Super Bowl Sunday '09) and got to the Courtyard Marriott in time to watch the game and get a good nights rest before Monday's surgery.

Monday was very smooth at Providence NE. I went in a bit early and was in pre-op in no time. The whole pre-op team was a lot of fun, the anesthesia team, the nurses... it was a positive environment. The surgery was the blink-of-an-eye kind of thing where I felt like I closed my eyes for a moment and then I am coming to in post-op with the post-op nurses.... to whom I am sure I probably owe an apology for some reason... and then after a while I am being wheeled up to the room for recovery. I was late in the day so the following morning the Physical Therapy team had me doing the exercises, and walking the hall for the first time on crutches. Then the Occupational Therapist showed me how to use the ADL (aid to daily living) kit. Those OT/PT folks were a lot of fun and very helpful to get me started on the way to recovery. The floor nurses were very helpful and good people, one of whom is a fellow Dr. Gross resurfacer!

Wednesday was basically a repeat of Monday. They wheeled me down to pre-op and started with the prep and again it was a very positive experience with the anesthesia team and the nurses and "vampirella" the vampire lady who loved my veins. Then in what seemed like a few moments I was coming to in post-op -- and probably saying things I shouldn't have been -- and then I was wheeled back up to the room. The PT/OT team had me exercising and up and walking on Thursday and then we did a little group PT session and practiced stairs on crutches and walked the hall a couple of times. I was able to shower on Thursday evening, standing up.

Friday after breakfast I did a little PT and then was discharged by 11am. I rode home to Atlanta and got out a couple of times to walk around a rest stop and stretch a bit.

The one thing I would do differently is wear the provided ice packs on the way home. It was cold the week I was in the hospital and some nights that ice felt pretty cold so I was not to fond of the ice. So I didn't use the ice on the way home.

Well I got very swollen. This is probably the one thing I was not prepared for from doing my research. Dr. Gross told me I would probably swell up and I didn't really know I would swell up so bad. I believe it may be normal, maybe not, but the entire length of my legs were enormously swollen starting on that Friday and increased through Sunday. So Saturday, Sunday and part of Monday I spent with legs elevated by a couple of sofa cushions with the ice packs running, laying on my back (for the most of the time) working to get the swelling down. I called Lee Webb on Sunday and she told me to elevate and ice and that the swelling was probably at its worst on that particular day -- she was right. On Monday (5 days post-op) the swelling had already started to decrease rapidly and I was feeling so much better.

Crutches: I was doing my exercises as prescribed and walking on two crutches until 9 days post-op when I felt like the crutches were holding me back at that point. I had shifted to one crutch at 8 days post op and it was a bit awkward so I decided to get a cane.

Cane: I shifted to a cane 9 days post-op and it felt more natural than the crutches. I was glad to be rid of them.

Ten days post-op: Armed with a cane, I went to the Kiwanis Club's pancake breakfast fundraiser and was amazed how well I could stand up in a very long pancake breakfast line inching around an elementary school cafeteria. I am sure most folks with hip pain can relate -- this would not have been possible pre-surgery. I would have had to sit down every two or three minutes to ease the pain. This is when it clicked with me how well the surgery/recovery was going.

Then I walked around Wal-Mart behind a shopping cart and picked up a couple of items. Then we stopped by Lowe's for a few things and I was able to walk fine with the cane. I just had to take it easy and slow getting in and out of the car so as not to break the rules prescribed by the PT team.

Eleven days post-op: Went to church. Walked in with a cane and everyone was wowed that I had bilateral hip surgery and was walking so well. I have to admit I have been pretty wowed by how well everything has gone -- and I thank God for all of it. And I thank Pat and all the helpful people on the surface hippy website and everyone on Dr. Gross's staff that were so welcoming and hospitable, and all of the folks at Providence NE hospital that were part of the process.

Thirteen days post-op: Getting in an out of the car is getting easier. I still have this pain that last about 20 seconds when I stand up after having been seated for a prolonged period of time. I believe this will pass with time and it is so minor compared to the pre-op pain I was having.

I am 34 yrs. old and am in pretty good physical shape. It turns out I had worn a large hole on my right femoral head approximately 3 cubic centimeters. Dr. Gross told me that if I had waited much longer I would have had to go with the THR -- thank God I called in time! He was able to graft the hole and "achieve an excellent press fit."

I hope writing this will help someone else benefit from my experience – since I received so much valuable help from folks on this site. Let me know if I can help with anything.

Thank you,

Tim

Bilateral - Dr. Gross
2-2-09 (R) 2-4-09 (L)
Biomet ReCap/Magnum

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June 12, 2009

Today I am 128 days post-op. I have done so well that I have been quite slack on updating this beloved group where it all started for me. I have no pain whatsoever in the hips. The "clunking" is very few and far between nowadays. I have a 5,000 s.f.+ garden that I have been actively working in every evening without any pain at all. Yesterday I strolled easily up the middle of a long flight of concrete steps to enter a building (without touching the rails)! If that sounds like a miracle to you then you are a surface hippy or a potential surface hippy! I have been back in the gym at a low to moderate level of activity as I wait for the six months to pass. I feel wonderful !!! I could go on and on about the things I can do with ease...

When I read the Wall Street Journal article on last Thursday June 4th, 2009 "Doubts Raised Over New Type of Hip Surgery" by Anne Tergesen, I was a bit disappointed with the negative tone of the article. Naturally, I fall into the "perfect" candidate for the resurfacing being young with strong bones, but I have heard prevailing positive messages from "less-than-perfect" candidates on this site and other places.

I'm sure you know how these things work in word-of-mouth: the old rule of thumb in business is "a bad experience gets talked about 11 times where a good one gets talked about 3 times". I believe it is the same with online reviews and ratings -- many times we only make the effort to put the bad ratings and reviews up so as to help prevent anyone else from having a similar negative experience. With this in mind I believe hip resurfacing's strengths outweigh the weaknesses or we would have a considerably more negative feedback on this site and others.

I felt like the article's title and subtitles set a dominant negative tone and the positives of the article were mediocre in comparison. Oh well... That article is why I said I better log back in and keep folks updated a little better.

Please contact me if you have any questions about the surgery or Dr. Gross or anything else I may be able to help with. In my case it became "no news is great news!!!" over the last few months, but know that I remain happy to help wherever possible! Do not hesitate to contact me!!

Tim

>Nov. 1, 2009

I sit in Chennai 4 days post op on my right hip, Birmingham w/ Dr. Bose.  Today when I seem to have gotten past the pain bits and am actually looking at my gait.

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>Nov. 15, 2009

I am breaking my return trip from Chennai in Munich for 6 days (enjoying German beer, bread and brats!).  18 days post op and did an easy 2-hour bike around the city's parks today.  Leg still a bit long but coming around.
 
Thanks for your work on the website and support!
 
cheerz,
 
stuart