Hip Resurfacing News - Personal HR Stories 2008

Walker Alford Hip Resurfacing Dr. Shahrdar 2008

nospam@example.com (Patricia Walter) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:33:08 -0700

I am located in Shreveport La. and my doctor is Cambize Shahrdar. I raced motocross my whole life and my body got beaten up pretty bad. The hips always seemed to be involved in crashes. Also, racing motocross requires a lot of training like running and biking which also is rough on the hips. I noticed trying to play golf about half way through the round my lower back area would just be killing me.

After a good while of dealing with the pain I decided to get checked. That is when I discovered my hips were in really bad shape. I was 40 at the time and the doctor told me I had the hips of an 80 year old. I continued to deal with the pain for a while even though it was getting worse all the time. After being in a store one night with my family my hip completely locked up and I couldn't walk out. This for me was the point of no return. I thought if my family would not have been with me I would have really been in a bind trying to get out and home. Shortly after that I received the Birmingham hip resurfacing.

Dr. Shahrdar suggested the Birmingham for me because of my age and activity level. Dr. Shahrdar in this area is the guy to go to. I have a lot of friends that are Doc's and 100% of them told me he was the guy for hip issues. Everything to do with the surgery was pretty much as he said it would be. The timing of issues like walking and driving were spot on.

The only thing I wish I would have done more of was research like looking at the surfacehippy web site. All of the info. you need is on this site. There are some small details that a person needs to check before having this surgery.

One of my issues after I got home was the tape they used on me in surgery. I was allergic to it and it was like the worse sunburn you have every had times 100. I also did not realize I was going to need to take blood thinner shots for a couple of weeks after I got home. This was tough for me because I had to give them to myself below my bellybutton. Other than those couple of things the surgery is awesome.

It has now been a year and a half since my surgery and my new hip is 99%. No pain and plenty of strength. I was 41 when I had my right hip resurfacing done in December 2008. If your age and activity level works the Birmingham hip resurfacing is the way to go. It's a great solution.

Linda Ward LBHR April 30, 2008 Dr. Clarke

nospam@example.com (Patricia Walter) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:18:51 -0700

I had my left hip resurfaced by Dr. Clarke on April 30, 2008 using the Birmingham hip. Prior to that I had been in physical and aqua therapy for nearly a year, attempting to retain range of motion and strength. My recovery after surgery was very quick. I walked without a cane in less than 3 weeks, and mowed my lawn with a self-propelled walking mower at 3 weeks. All the time I was diligent about my exercise program from my PT. The progress was amazing with noticeable improvement from one day to the next. In a month I was able to walk around my neighborhood (a little over a mile), something I had not been able to do in a couple of years.

In fact I was so pleased with the success of my left hip that I had my right hip done on July 23, 2008. Since it was not as debilitated or weak that side bounced back even faster! The surgery itself was very quick, about an hour, and because of my fitness on that side I noticed ability to move right away that was not present on the previous hip.

For both operations I stayed in Community General Hospital, where the care was outstanding. On the orthopedic floor they have many private rooms, and I was fortunate to be assigned to a private both times. The follow up care through Dr. Clarke was also top notch. My questions were always answered, and everyone was easy to talk to.

I am a teacher, and plan to return to my classroom ready to roll in September. Can't wait to do my job without pain.

Long story short, if you are considering this procedure, don't wait until things are terrible in your joints. Also try to prepare your body with exercise prior to surgery.

You will find it helps you to recover faster and with less pain. I feel blessed to have Dr. Clarke with this groundbreaking procedure, in the area, although I would definitely travel to obtain this care.

Linda Ward

Dr. Barry Tannen Bilateral HR Dr. Su 12/18/08

nospam@example.com (Patricia Walter) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:02:52 -0700

Dr. Barry Tannen (bilateral HR 12/18/08)

I am a 52 year old physician who had bilateral hip resurfacing with Dr. Su on December 18th 2008 at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. I had been diagnosed with moderate to severe osteoarthritis 3 years earlier and increasingly had to deal with the pain and limitations that this brought on. I am an avid tennis player who competes locally and in USTA tournaments and obviously my tennis game was greatly impacted, but so were ordinary activities of daily living such as tying shoelaces, etc.

My experience with Dr. Su, his staff, and the entire team at the Hospital for Special Surgery was nothing short of amazing. I left the hospital 6 days after surgery and was discharged to my 2 story home. My wife was terrified that I would be climbing stairs immediately, but it was no problem. I started outpatient physical therapy one week after being home, returned to work 4 weeks after surgery, and started playing doubles tennis in 8 weeks, singles in 12.

I feel better than I have in at least 8 years, maybe longer. I enthusiastically recommend HR, and especially Dr. Su who is an amazing surgeon in my opinion.

Emanuel captures tennis tourney

Temple Emanuel captured the recent Jewish Athletic Group (JAG) Tennis Tournament. Barry Tannen (left) and Mike Spivak hoisted their trophy. The duo overcame the father-son team of Richard and David Fischer of Cong. M’kor Shalom in the finals. Over 30 area players representing many area men’s clubs participated in this year’s event.

Dr. Barry Tannen Bilateral Dr. Su 2008

nospam@example.com (Patricia Walter) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:43:19 -0700

Temple Emanuel captured the recent Jewish Athletic Group (JAG) Tennis Tournament. Barry Tannen (left) and Mike Spivak hoisted their trophy. The duo overcame the father-son team of Richard and David Fischer of Cong. M’kor Shalom in the finals. Over 30 area players representing many area men’s clubs participated in this year’s event.

World Judo Medalists Open New Club After Hip Resurfacing

nospam@example.com (Patricia Walter) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 09:23:32 -0700

World judo medalists to open west-end club after hip resurfacing

Kevin Nagel, Post Sports Editor

Link http://www.burlingtonpost.com/sports/article/268172

Published on Jul 17, 2009

The husband and wife team of Ron and Tracy Angus has accumulated 19 medals in world masters judo competition over the years.

For Ron, who has 14 of them - 11 gold - there are two reasons why he still travels the world for such events. "No. 1, I like to compete," he said, while taking a break from a little one-on-one soccer play with his nine-year-old daughter, Chelsea. "No. 2, it keeps me realistic when I'm coaching people. If we don't test theories and training methods, we start going off track as coaches."

A nagging hip injury kept him in pain for 15 years and out of competition for the past four years until a hip resurfacing operation eliminated the suffering. It worked so well, he is back running and lifting heavy weights.

"I'm so happy with it, that's why I decided to get back into competition - I'm pain free," said Angus, 52...

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Don't Wait Too Long for a Hip Resurfacing - You Could Miss The Window of Opportunity

nospam@example.com (Patricia Walter) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 20:26:59 -0700
Don't Wait Too Long for a Hip Resurfacing - You Could Miss The Window of Opportunity

By Ian Munro

I am a retired 69 year old surgeon. For most of my life I had been super fit: competitive squash 5-6 times a week, heli-skiing, windsurfing, sailing, single handicap golf etc. I left it too late to have surgery and I find this is a common story (see Jimmy Connors, Jack Nicklaus, etc.) As there are now two options: BHR and THR, this has become important. Like most people, trouble started with discomfort in my right thigh on walking. Eventually I went to see an orthopaedic surgeon in Fiji. I was surprised when he examined me and then ordered hip X-rays. I had lost half the cartilage.

The thickness on the outer half of my right hip. As a surgeon working a lot with bone, I knew that the glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate, needed for cartilage formation, are formed by the body. I deluded myself into believing that taking them orally would help – they had no effect. I also believed that a lot of walking would stimulate cartilage formation - again deluding myself. Gradually the pain got worse, going from thigh to knee to leg to ankle. After 2 years I got a cane. This helped. Then I had to progressively increase to 200mg Celebrex a day, plus occasional Tylenol.

I am now a full time sailor going around the world with my wife. Maintenance and repairs are constant and require contortions of the hips into many awkward positions. Eventually I could no longer function in this life, so it was do something, or give up our life style. I was not afraid of surgery but I had never consciously realized that things could be so limiting that I had to get treatment. I started research and soon found BHR. Physiologically this was more logical and satisfying to me than a THR. I had excellent bone density, excellent muscle strength and I intended to live a physically active life for at least another 25 years!! A not unreasonable expectation as my mother died at 99!

I had been a surgeon in Dallas, so after due research, I found Kurt Rathjen and wrote to him. He replied personally saying he had learned BHR in England. He had installed 134 BHR and had 1 major infection. These were good enough statistics for me so I arranged to fly back to see Kurt and have surgery 1 week later.

Before leaving Malaysia, I had new X-rays taken of both hips, right knee, and both ankles ( a total cost of $85!). This was 3 years from my first X-ray showing trouble. I was appalled to find that I had no cartilage on the lateral side of the hip joint. It was not just bone on bone but disintegration and micro fractures of the femoral and acetabular surfaces. Kurt took further X-rays and this is when the bad news arrived. I had developed large cysts in the femoral head and acetabulum. Presumably the micro fractures had allowed the joint synovial lining to be forced into the bone. The synovium then expanded to form the synovial cysts.

Kurt and I discussed the possibilities. One (unrealistic) possibility would be to scrape out the cysts, insert cancellous bone grafts, wait for 3 months forming new bone, almost non-weight bearing, then have a BHR. Obviously stupid. Secondly, I could have a BHR, ignoring the cysts. However, as the cysts were so large, there would be a significant risk of femoral neck fractures and neither Kurt nor I were interested in taking the risk. This meant a THR was the only sensible option. One advantage of the BHR is the very large femoral head and an acetabular cup that covers 80% of this head. This decreases the chance of dislocation. The standard THR has been a small femoral head and an acetabular cup that covers 50% of the cup and thus a higher chance of dislocation. I was delighted to find that Kurt uses a prosthesis that is similar to the BHR with a metal head and acetabulam. Over long term metal on metal would be more durable if lubricated. Think of a car or boat engine with constant motion for thousands of hours, working beautifully if well lubricated. Fortunately, your body physiology means you do not have to change the oil every 100 hours!

So I had the THR, and expect it will me 25+ years. However, as yet, I am not sure that I will be able to reach the level of activity possible with a BHR.

The moral of the story is: Get yearly X-rays. Once the cartilage is almost gone, or sooner, get surgery. Do not wait until disintegration occurs and cysts develop. Although a BHR is a relatively new procedure, it is physiologically and theoretically more sound than a THR- if the majority of the femoral head and neck are normal healthy bone. Conceptually, it really irked me that Kurt had to remove all the good normal bone of my femoral head, neck and shaft. Also if there is a problem with a BHR you can still have a THR. The reverse is not true. DO NOT WAIT. I wasted a year and a half – progressively limiting activities of going ashore to explore, or go for walks, visit restaurants etc. We went to Flores to see the Komodo dragons. Instead of going for a 5-10K walk with the guide, I was limited to an slow, brief half hour only seeing the dragons around the camp (wild but indolent). If I had been having yearly X-rays, I would have been able to have a BHR before cysts appeared.

Don't Wait Too Long for a Hip Resurfacing - You Could Miss The Window of Opportunity
By Ian Munro

Modern surgery is safe in a good center and will get you back to a normal life. Some surgeons use minimalist exposure techniques with less muscle disruption resulting in a reputedly faster recovery. I had the standard approach but I am writing this 11 days post operatively and I am pain free all the time except for muscle ache during the three times daily exercise periods. I can see that within another week I will be pain free. Then mental discipline will have to take over in order to restrict activities. I have a non-cemented femoral stem and acetabular cup; in my opinion the only way to go. Progressively, over time, scar tissue will develop and adhere to the roughened outer surface of the prosthesis. By 6-8 weeks this starts to become significant. Over further time, the strength of the adhesion becomes stronger and stronger. If the periosteum of the femur was preserved at the time of bone removal, there is a good chance of developing bone adhesion to the prosthesis. This is more likely in a younger patient than myself. However, all joints of the body – normal or abnormal – are protected by the strength of the muscles around them. Prior to the onset of symptoms, I had enormous leg strength, balance and agility. All of this was lost by waiting so long. Beforehand I used to be able to jump from uneven rock to uneven rock along a seashore – even if slippery – knowing I would never fall. My muscle strength and balance meant I could always recover if I made an error. I wonder if I will ever get back to that again?

Hip-Hip-Hooray! Exciting New Hip and Knee Resurfacing Surgery Comes to

nospam@example.com (Patricia Walter) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:01:34 -0700

8/18/08

Like most people, you probably want to keep your body parts for as long as possible. Innovative hip and knee surgery at San Joaquin Community Hospital (SJCH) can help you do just that. It's called resurfacing, and it's life-changing.

Bakersfield, CA (eMediaWorld) August 18, 2008 -- Like most people, you probably want to keep your body parts for as long as possible. After all, God gave them to you for a reason. Innovative hip and knee surgery at San Joaquin Community Hospital (SJCH) can help you do just that. It's called resurfacing, and it's life-changing.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 383,500 hip replacements and 550,800 knee replacements in the United States in 2005, and the numbers are rising. You don't have to be one of them.

Birmingham Hip Resurfacing

Gary Shepard, a 56-year-old from Bakersfield, has been athletic most of his life. It took its toll. He's been in pain for countless years, limping and walking at a 45 degree slant. He couldn't even cross his legs, so in 2007 he had Birmingham Hip Resurfacing (BHR™).

"The change is dramatic. It feels like my own hips. I walk straight, I've grown two inches, and even my knees don't swell anymore. People can't believe it when they see me---I feel fantastic," says Shepard.

Your hip is a ball-and-socket joint that unites two separate bones---femur (thighbone) and pelvis. The femoral head is a ball that fits into the pelvis socket. In the standard total hip replacement (THR), ball and socket are completely removed and replaced. The femoral shaft (thighbone's long part) is hollowed out and a spike, which holds the ball, is pressed into the bone. The spike can loosen and cause bone wear.

It's completely different with resurfacing. The femoral shaft is never disturbed---there is no spike. A minimal amount of the ball is shaved and then fitted snuggly with a smooth metal cap. The socket is shaped to fit a polished metal cup that the bone naturally takes on as its own.

Resurfacing preserves bone, improves range of motion, and gives you freedom to have a highly active, normal life. And that's a great thing.

Resurfacing was available years ago; it didn't last long. Technology and metal implants were far less sophisticated than today. Patients can now expect superior results with new medically-advanced implants.

In 2007, BHR™ celebrated its 10th anniversary. It has been used in 26 countries with a worldwide success rate of 97.2 percent. The FDA approved its use in the United States in 2006.

"With BHR™, I remove a lot less bone than in hip replacement. Oftentimes it's only 10 percent of the femoral head," says Tom Ferro, MD, FAAOS, orthopedic surgeon. "Patients experience less pain and report that it feels like their own hip. Resurfacing patients appear to feel normal very quickly, frequently by the second day after surgery.

"Another huge advantage to preserving bone is that you have more to work with later if your hips are injured."

It's just a fact of life: once bone is removed, you can't put it back.

Ferro, the leader in BHR™, is one of approximately 50 surgeons nationwide who perform this procedure. It requires considerable expertise in resurfacing. Although his clinic, the Bone & Joint Center, is located in Arroyo Grande and San Luis Obispo, Ferro also performs BHR™ in Bakersfield but only at SJCH.

"The hospital is extremely receptive to state-of-the-art procedures, and they have the patient's best interests at heart. It's important that patients have the finest technology used by the best people and in a highly efficient system---that's San Joaquin," says Ferro.

This procedure is recommended for active people under 66 years of age with good bone quality. There are some exceptions. Always talk to a physician to identify your best options.

"After seeing the huge change in me, friends and relatives are considering this for themselves. My wife spent a lot of time researching BHR™. I highly recommend it, and you can't do much better than Dr. Ferro," says Shepard.

Bilat Resurfacing - Copenhaver hopes to compete again

nospam@example.com (Patricia Walter) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:36:45 -0700

Link http://www.star-telegram.com/376/story/822867.html

By RICKY TREON

Calf roping is no longer a young man's sport for Jeff Copenhaver.

It was, back when he was 9 and dreamed of being a world champion. Back when he went to his first national finals 13 years later, and when he competed in that prestigious event for the last time at 29.

But now, at 59 years young, Copenhaver has decided to return to calf roping competition, something he thought he'd given up long ago.

Copenhaver, who runs the Cowboy Church at Billy Bob's in Fort Worth and also works with kids, did win that world championship in 1975 and he continued to be one of calf roping's premier competitors and teachers for two more decades.

It seemed age had finally caught up with Copenhaver in 1995, when it became too painful to mount a horse. And at the time, not being able to practice calf roping in any capacity was something he could deal with.

"I really didn't think I had any more desire to do it," he said of the skill that he'd nearly perfected throughout his life. "I was just minding my own business in 2006. And then, bam, the desire came back."

Copenhaver said that desire was subtle at first. But in October 2006, he scheduled a double-hip resurfacing, a new procedure that allows less bone removal and more mobility than a total hip replacement. The hope was to eliminate the pain and regain the abilities he thought he'd lost forever.

Turns out he had to wait until the following August to finally have his surgery done by Dr. Theodore Crofford at Fort Worth's Texas Hip and Knee Center.

It was tough, waiting all that time, he said.

Copenhaver hasn't had any complications after the surgery last Aug. 27 and said he's feeling better physically than he did at age 36 when he'd last sat in a saddle.

"They know so much more about the body and how it works nowadays," Copenhaver said. "I'm just way more fit."

So fit that he wants to start competing again. Though it sounds like a pipe dream, Copenhaver is doing everything he can to make sure he doesn't end this comeback disappointed or hurt.

Riding a horse and roping a calf is hardly like riding a bike.

"It's going to take a certain length of time to get riding again with an edge," he said. "The hip is just now, at 11 1/2 months, starting to feel strong again"...

Hip joints resurfaced instead of Replaced

nospam@example.com (Patricia Walter) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:47:17 -0700
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080715/news_1c15alivem.html

July 15, 2008 SAN DIEGO ALIVE

With more people in their 40s and early 50s being sidelined by severe osteoarthritis, a new technology – hip resurfacing as an alternative to hip replacement – is giving baby boomers a chance to stay active longer.

Robyn Benincasa, a runner and San Diego firefighter, had a new hip resurfacing procedure.

The Birmingham Hip Resurfacing system takes only the cartilage off the outer part of the ball and socket joint, and installs a cobalt-chromium steel cap and cup that slides more smoothly than hip replacements, lasts longer and has less potential for leg-length discrepancy. Widely used in the U.K. since 1997, the BHR system was approved for use in the U.S. in May 2006.

This week, San Diego Alive, the Union-Tribune's video health feature, spotlights local adventure racer and San Diego firefighter Robyn Benincasa, who, under the care of La Jolla orthopedic surgeon Dr. Michael Kimball, had the procedure. Five months after Kimball resurfaced Benincasa's troublesome hip, she ran across Vietnam.

Dr. Bob Arnot Bilateral Hip Resurfacing with Dr. Su

nospam@example.com (Patricia Walter) — Fri, 23 May 2008 14:56:43 -0700

Dr. Bob Arnot's Bilateral BHRs with Dr. Su

Read Dr. Bob's Complete Story by Clicking Here

As a television medical correspondent for decades on shows like Today, Dateline and the CBS evening News and author of 12 books on consumer medicine, I have to admit it. I have never faced a more vexing decision than choosing between a total hip replacement and hip resurfacing. The claims and data appeared wildly contradictory and each surgeon’s take was miles apart from the others...

...I called great friends in orthopedics at the leading Harvard hospitals and in NY, Baltimore and Los Angeles. The word I got was emphatic. Don’t do the hip resurfacing, it’s a failed concept. It failed in the 70s and its doomed to fail again...

...I began reading the entire world literature. I called doctors in France, England, Belgium, Germany. The more I read, the less I seemed to know...

...Then I came upon Surface Hippy Website and read everything on it...

...I went back over my notes, reread the literature and it suddenly became incredibly clear. What did I really want?

...The decision ended up being a no brainer. Hip resurfacing with two BHRs .

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