Re: 3rd. opinion is a CHARM! - almost same experience

[Guest guest]

My experience almost matches yours. I had nagging pain for years and

figured it was just another sports injury. At 52 (18 months ago) I

saw a local OS who told me I had AVN and needed a THR ASAP. I was

devasted - I didn't see anybody in the THR booklet they gave me

playing soccer, skiing etc. just a bunch old people doing old people

stuff. I found out about resurfacing and this website by purest

chance. I went down to see Dr. Mont (5 hour trip from upstate NY) in

fall of 02. When I told him I had been diagnosed with AVN, he paused

for about 30 seconds. I believe he used the 30 seconds to convert

what I might have phrased as " That OS doesn't know his butt from a

hole in the ground " into something like " Ed, I'm an expert in AVN.

Surgeons send me X-rays and patients from all over the US. You don't

have AVN you have advanced OA and are an excellent candidate for

resurfacing. " At that time my left was bad and my right was

moderate. I was dealing ok with the pain and Dr. Mont wanted to see

how the right would go - sometimes OA doesn't progress. Unfortunately

the right went downhill. I saw Dr. Mont again in fall of 03 and we

scheduled a bilateral.

I had the bilateral 2/23 and 3/01. I'm walking now with two canes,

swimming, doing PT on horizontal bike and treadmill. The last two are

interesting as I couldn't do bike before ops because of lack of range

of motion and couldn't do treadmill because of pain. Now mostly pain

free except for the times I forget that I had two surgeries and do

something stupid.

Dr. Mont is a great surgeon and Sinai is a great hospital.I was in

one of those can he do more of those FDA/manufacturer " will he be

allowed to do more " windows - I sweated but it worked out. There have

been a few of those windows before, so if Dr. Mont is confident he

will be allowed to do more then it will probably work out. Good

luck.

Ed

> I developed right hip pain for the first time last October. Blew

it

> off at first as a pulled muscle, groin pull, or just getting

older.

> Got worse and decided to see a OS December 23, 2004.

>

> First OS I saw looked at my x-rays and MRI and explained that I had

> AVN of right hip and life as I knew it was over. He said I needed

a

> total hip replacement and I would need most likely two or three

> revisions in my life. He said no more sports or other physical

> activities.

>

> Second OS said yes I did have AVN and bone on bone of right hip but

> was to young (40) for total hip replacement and should deal with

the

> pain for five or ten years and then get it done. ( I can hardly

walk

> mind you) We also tried physical therapy without any success.

>

> It all changed on my third opinion yesterday. Taking the advice of

> many of you hippies out there, I called to scheduled an appointment

> with Dr. Mont on March 30, 2004. ( I live in the Baltimore area)

He

> could not see me until yesterday. My appointment was at 8:30 am.

> When my appointment was over at 12:30 pm. I had learned that I do

NOT

> have AVN just severe OA, I am an ideal candidate for resurfacing,

> and I was scheduled for surgery on June 21, 2004. So if everything

> goes well with the insurance it looks like come June, I will join

the

> ranks of surfacehippy.

>

> Needless to say, I am happier today than I have been since last

> December 23, when I was told, " life as I knew it was over " . I now

> have hope that I will resume a fairly normal life after hip

> resurfacing.

>

> Without this great group, I would have probably already received a

> THR and would be worrying about revision surgery in the future.

> Thanks everyone for all the posts, support, and most importantly a

> positive attitude. This site has helped me greatly.

>

> FYI - Dr. Mont was to learn yesterday afternoon if he was eligible

> for 50 more trial hip resurface procedures from eith the FDA or the

> manufacture of the C+, I can't remember which one and he seemed to

be

> very confident it would happen. So it looks like there is hope out

> there for another 50 of us.