| My hip hurt, my body hurt and I needed a new hip. I | | | | is then necessary to replace the old hip device. If a |
| had fought hip pain for almost ten years because I | | | | person starts with a hip resurfacing and at some |
| just did not want "half my leg bone cut off" to get a | | | | point later in life requires a revision, then they have a |
| new hip replacement. It just did not make sense to | | | | complete femur bone for the surgeon to work with. |
| me that doctors were still sawing off a big hunk of a | | | | If a person starts with a total hip replacement, then |
| femur bone to replace a hip. We sent men to the | | | | the doctor has to break apart the femur bone to |
| moon, had nuclear power and every kind of | | | | remove the long steam of the old total hip device. |
| electronic device imaginable, so why are our | | | | The femur bone must be wired back together when |
| operations still old-fashioned? | | | | the new stem is in place. Hip resurfacing allows a |
| I asked myself that question quite often. One | | | | much easier revision later in life if it is required. |
| evening while visiting our local tavern, I was telling a | | | | The second advantage of a hip resurfacing is that |
| gentleman my feelings about total hip replacement. I | | | | the hip device, due to it's large size, allows a person |
| am not sure how the conversation started, but | | | | to return to any of their favorite activities without |
| perhaps I was complaining about my hip pain. To my | | | | restrictions or possibility of a dislocation. The old |
| surprise, he told me that they don't have to saw off | | | | fashioned total hip replacement devices used a very |
| part of your femur bone to replace a hip any more. I | | | | small diameter ball as compared to size of your |
| was shocked. I had been doing some internet | | | | natural femur bone. The small size of the ball would |
| searching, but had not found information about hip | | | | allow a hip to dislocate easily. The size of the hip |
| resurfacing yet. | | | | resurfacing device is matched very closely to the |
| He explained that he had his hip resurfaced with Dr. | | | | original size of your hip, so any movements you |
| Schmalzried in California in 2005. With hip resurfacing, | | | | make are much less likely to cause a dislocation. The |
| the surgeon reshapes the top of your femur bone to | | | | hip resurfacing device is acting the same way your |
| accept a cap that is the same size as your original | | | | natural hip use to function. |
| bone, he explained. The cap has a small stem which is | | | | I was sixty-one and still felt young when I needed a |
| placed into a hole that is drilled in the top of the | | | | hip replacement. I had always been very active during |
| femur bone. A small amount of cement is used to | | | | my life playing tennis, ice skating, bike riding and |
| hold the cap in place until new bone grows under the | | | | participating in other sports. I wanted to remain |
| cap. A matching metal cup is placed in the acetabulum | | | | active and did not want to worry about dislocating a |
| of your hip to provide a bearing surface for the cap | | | | hip after a total hip replacement. I had sixteen dogs |
| on the femur bone. It becomes a perfect metal | | | | and often got on the floor to groom and cut nails. I |
| bearing which replaces your injured or arthritic hip | | | | needed to be as active as possible and the only |
| joint. | | | | solution for me was hip resurfacing. |
| Hip resurfacing is major surgery just as a total hip | | | | I had my hip resurfaced with a Birmingham Hip |
| replacement is. The basic difference is that the | | | | Resurfacing, BHR, in March 2006 with Dr. De Smet in |
| doctor does not saw off a major portion of your | | | | Belgium. I did not have health insurance and could not |
| femur bone and drill a long hole into it to accept the | | | | afford surgery in the United States. Dr. De Smet is |
| long stem of a total hip replacement device. | | | | one of the best hip surgeons in the world and had |
| Hip resurfacing is bone conserving. The reason that | | | | done over 2400 hip resurfacings when I went to him. |
| hip resurfacing is a better choice than total hip | | | | My surgery and medical costs were $13,500. The |
| replacement for many people is that at some time in | | | | complete trip for my husband and I to Belgium, |
| the future, you could require a revision. The actual hip | | | | including the medical costs, was about $17,000. I felt |
| devices don't wear out since they are metal, but the | | | | this was the best investment I ever made in my |
| bone holding the hip device often deteriorates. The | | | | whole life, an investment in my own health and well |
| hip device becomes lose and very painful. A revision | | | | being. |