Re: Re: ?!$*!#...WHEN (a bit long-winded:)

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ACK! I didn't mean to overload or overwhelm... or be the posting that made you just fry and be weary of the whole thing. I can't even imagine having gone through five surgeries. It is a huge process, and takes a lot out of us. You must be very tired of thinking about it. I was tired of thinking hip hip hip, all day every day, in everything I do. I still think about it, but think about how cool things are these days, and respond to a post ever so often, on a few of the 'body-parts' sites:) If you choose either THR or Resurf you will be done for a while.. quite a while I imagine. Doctors on either side may say that one will last longer than another, but they don't know. What IS in your favor, with a resurf, is simply having a whole femur to use IF you need another one down the road. Kind of like a reserve tank of gas (bad analogy, I know) But I do understand that

feeling of overwhelm, of hearing advocates of either procedure (whether Dr.s or patients) giving equally good supporting and convincing information. It gets confusing and too much at times. One absolutely has to feel right about the decision one makes. For me, if I'd gone with the THR, once I knew I was a resurf candidate after all, I would have always regretted not going with the resurf. From the beginning, the idea of keeping as much of "me" as possible felt emotionally right. A immediate gut feeling. On the other side of it all, I can also see, that either procedure would have been a miracle for me.. being out of the hip pain is good. While it was also important to me to be able to move as naturally and freely as possible, I'm sure I would have learned to accomodate any positional and movement considerations that I may have had with a THR. Best Wishes! Kellen in NM hipsrus <hipsrus@...> wrote: Kellen (and all)~What you and everyone else is saying is alot to digest, I must admit, but after being down the road I've been I think it was all for a reason, if none other than to prepare me for what is to come next.You have provided me with a great deal of information that I truly appreciate...and gives me alot to consider. The surgeries I have had have not been for nil, as I did receive some successful

months after each and the time has been pushed back a bit. But it is hard to know so soon after the last that things are what they are...and it is exhausting to even think that another surgery may be in store for me, which I think makes me want to consider a THR over a BHR just to be done with surgeries for awhile...does that make any sense?I'm ready to "take the bull by the horns", as is my personality anyway (what can I say...a former Marine!). I just want to make sure I am taking the RIGHT bull by the horns, and want to make sure I know as much as possible and ensure I ask plenty about that bull before I get in the ring with it! =)I want to be able to quit going to the DR all the time, get back to work, enjoy my kids (while they still want me around!), look forward to not having to rely on my hubby for SO much extra help, and just have something else as my "major" focus other than pain and grinding in

my hip(s). I want my life back!Thanks again!!!>> Hi~ HIPSRUS... here's my two cents, after quickly reading over the > responses... Mostly, it's "What Deb said" but I really want to > stress that when you see an OS, make sure you see one that does BOTH > resurfacing and hip replacements, and LIKES the option of > resurfacing. If an OS hasn't spent the time and money for the > additional training required (which they are unlikely to do, unless > they are excited about resurfacing as an option) then he/she may try > and steer you away from it as an option. I myself, and many other > resurfacing patients also, have had multiple OSs either dismiss > resurfacing, or not mention it until it was

brought up. In my case I > saw two, and neither had factual information. One surgeon didn't > even know about large-head MOM devices. > > If your doctor says no, it might be a good idea (just to see) to > email digital Xrays to a few other doctors and get their opinion.. > there are three in particular who are very experienced, and do well > with difficult cases. Not sure if yours is necessarily difficult, > but since you've been throu a lot of surguries to "save' your hip, > I'm thinking maybe.> > I can testify that a resurfacing is a wonderful choice. For me, I > spent almost five years progressively getting worse, without > insurance to find out the cause of my pain. An early Xray revealed > nothing, and perhaps an MRI would have shown a soft tissue tear, from > a fall I took, and arthroscopy might have staved off further > deterioration. Maybe.

Anyway, untreated, it turned into trauma-> induced OA, and by the time I got the news I needed a THR, my > cartilage was nearly bone on bone. I heard about Resurfacing from > another source the same day, and knew that's what I wanted. I'm > older than you, (47) but still too young to want to go straight to a > THR. > > I didn't have money, no one in my state did/does Resurfacing, and I > watched myself become a cripple: took a huge downward turn during the > fifth year, and began using a cane, stopped sleeping, was haggard, > cranky, depressed and ready to cave to a THR. Then my new MIL came > to the rescue and lent us the money to go to Belgium and get > resurfacing from Dr. Smet. I was a difficult case, and even with my > husband's good insurance, I was too far gone with a bone cyst for > most newly trained American doctors to want to try my case. > >

Anyway, I'm a little over five months out.. the limp is gone, my life > is back, I sleep through the night, I can outwalk my family, and I'm > so happy. The hip pain was gone immediately, although of course it > took the muscles and soft tissue a while. There is still healing to > go, as well as more flexibilty/ROM to be gained. But for normal, > daily-wear, it's fantastic. If the hip ever messes up, then I can go > to a primary THR later.. probably much later. The expectancy for > both THRs and Resurfacing is equally long, (they talk 15 years to a > lifetime now) and there is no data longer than 10 to 15 years > (approx) on either appliance to do more than make a projection. At > your age, say the resurf lasted 25 years, then you'd have had that > many great years, and have a first THR around 60. Sounds like a plan > to me!> > The newer THR devices are

modular, which does lessen the possibility > of the very complicated revision that requires removal of the stem > that goes in the thigh. But stem loosening does happen, and wanted to > stack all the cards in my favor, should I live a long time. Also, > body weight loads differently on a THR, and consequently causes > changes in the bone called stress-shielding. (I can find the details > if you haven't read about this before) > > If I needed to have a THR though, I definately wanted the large head > MOM, for the same reasons other cited: less risk of dislocation, and > greater range of motion. Also, if a BHR resurfacing needs to be > revised to a THR, there is a compatible device that will work with > the same acetabular cup. > > My surgeon said that he is seeing a lot of THR revisions due to the > MIS approach, because, he feels, the surgeon doesn't

have enough room > to place the device accurately... the debate rages on about this > subject, and I know of two very good resurfacing surgeons who make a > small incision. For myself, I don't mind that I have a sizable scar, > because I know that he had enough room to do what was neccessary. I > had a lot of osteophytes and a mal-formed femur, that latter which > didn't show in the Xray. > > The jury is out on risks associated with metal ions, but the first > couple years are when the levels are higher, so if you don't take > more chromium (get vitamins that don't have any extra, at GNC)and > keep the water intake going, I think we'll be fine! I've read about > ladies who have had children after surgery, and no unusual levels of > ions reported in either mother, or children. I've said before, if > there is a risk, I think eating bacon will probably

kill me first.> > Anyway, these *astards get worse, not better, and if I had it to do > over, with the ability to do anything I wanted, I'd get the > resurfacing BEFORE most of my forties were gone. Before I gave myself > arthritis in the knees from walking funny. I wish you the best of > luck.. you can email me off-site if you like... there's a handful of > us resurfers on here that can help you with addresses to send JPG > Xrays (free BTW) and help, if you feel you want to pursue that route.> > Best regards, Kellen in NM> > > > >>

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