Edna Said:

Hip resurfacing?

We Answered:

what you mean i believe is birmingham hip resurfacing-its a newer technique(4 year old)--developed just for young patients who have been advised thr(total hip replacement).This surgery is available only in england and in India,but yet to be develped in USA.I am telling you all this as a doctor.It is very cheap getting it done in India.My young cousin has got it done.This surgery gives you more flexibility with your joint movement as comapared to THR and takes less post operative healing time.it has become the gold standard for young arthritis patients.You can visit the website of one company that arranges all kinds of surgery for USA/UK/international patients in India.I read very often about them in newspapers about their successful patients.they are called the forerunners healthcare/website-
http://www.forerunnershealthcare.com
hope this helps.

Luis Said:

Birmingham Hip?

We Answered:

The price of birmingham hip surgery is very low in India as compared to USA, UK and Canada. My cousin also got her hip replacement surgery in India through the forerunners healthcare .She is more than very happy with the results. She is totally pain free now. She just paid 25% of the amount she was quoted in USA and is all praise for this forerunners healthcare company.


Forerunners Healthcare is very famous in India. I read a lot about them in the Newspapers and magazines. I have read a lot of their patient stories also. They arrange financing for USA, Canadian, UK and other international patients who plan to have surgery abroad for low price, as all joint surgery is not covered by insurance in USA or by NHS in the UK. They also have photos pasted of their International patients. You can checkout their website. There are huge cost savings. As a doctor I personally believe that your surgery can be easily handled in India, as the quality of healthcare available In India is simply best in the world. The surgeons are USA/UK trained and facilities are 5 star.

http://www.forerunnershealthcare.com

Terri Said:

i had a hip resurfacing done on my left hip june 3 2008... how long is my left leg suppose to be swollen?

We Answered:

I know you asked for experience only, and I've never had hip surgery, but I have had surgeries, and my grandparent's have had hip surgeries.

It is natural for the body to swell after a major surgery, it's a way of protecting itself. The swelling doesn't allow as much movement as what you could do if it wasn't swollen, so it's a natural defense of the body to keep it immobilized.

Heat can also cause swelling and not keeping your leg propped up could cause the swelling.
Ice packs help with the swelling if it is becoming a problem, and your doctor can give you an anti-inflammatory medicine like Vioxx (but vioxx is no longer on the market).
You may want to call your doctor/surgeon on Monday but if things get worse try calling the ER doctor nearest to you. They take calls and are helpful...it can save you a trip out there too. Also, you may have your surgeon paged so he can call you.

Julie Said:

Has anyone had the Birmingham hip resurfacing procedure done in the USA . I would like to have some feedback?

We Answered:

I see that no resurfacing patients have come forward to reply to your question. I have not had the procedure; I have had both hips replaced at age 58 with metal/poly bearings, a few years before the FDA approved the resurf device. Up to that time, some Americans went abroad to have it done (some went to Belgium).

What I can offer you are a couple of links to additional reliable information about the procedure. Keep in mind that it can be a rather contentious topic among U.S. ortho surgeons who continue to debate the issue. However many have had their hips resurfaced (particularly young people - I guess "young" in this case is under 50).

These links may interest you and are from a website compiled by a Swedish orotho surgeon as a service to patients. It appears in (slightly fractured) English translation. Also note that this site includes comprehensive info on hip replacements also.
http://totaljoints.info/NICE_details.htm
http://totaljoints.info/surface_hip_repl…

Also, you may want to research the new materials (and techniques) that are being used in conventional hip replacements - such things as ceramic and metal/metal bearings, which may prove to last longer than metal/poly, especially in more active people. A place to begin this research might be the totaljoints.info website that I referenced above. You may decide that a conventional hip replacement performed by a skilled surgeon who has done lots of hips on people like you is a good choice. Shop around for your surgeon while you are shopping around for devices.

I've had my hip replacements for 4 and 4 1/2 yrs. and am very happy with them. If I were having my hips replaced today, I would at least ask about ceramic/ceramic bearings. IMHO, the 50s present somewhat of a dilemma - you just might outlive your implant if you live long enough and have to have a revision when you are in your 70s or even 80s. And revision surgery is major surgery. The idea behind resurfacing is that by conserving the femoral head (not amputating it), the patient is postponing the total replacement. But - the eventual total replacement is another major surgery. So it may be a matter of whether you want your two surgical procedures to be 1) a primary resurf job, followed years later by a THR, or 2) a THR, perhaps followed many years later by a revision THR.

As you look for surgeons, ask lots of questions.

Velma Said:

When should I consider hip replacement/resurfacing?

We Answered:

To be honest, only an orthopedic surgeon would be able to tell you whether you are a candidate for resurfacing or not. It would be presumptuous of me (or anyone else) to tell you what your prospects are for resurfacing. This procedure has been in clinical trials in the US and the device has been recently approved by FDA. It is performed more frequently abroad - in Europe, for example and some Americans have traveled abroad to have their hips resurfaced. An example of a European OS who does resurfs: DeSmet of Belgium. In the recent past, the only way one could get the procedure in the US was to participate in a clinical trial. Now that the device has been approved by FDA, there will likely be an increasing # of US surgeons who do it. No matter what procedure you have, one of the important factors in making your choice of surgeon is whether the surgeon has done lots of hips on people like yourself.

There are still more surgeons that do THRs in the US. This may change. Only you can decide how long you can put up with the discomfort and increasing disability. I waited too long to have my hips replaced. They got so bad I couldn't walk (needed a cane) and couldn't travel, and basically my world got ever smaller. While I did fine after the surgeries, I do wish that I had opted to have them done a little sooner (nothing like hindsight!).

Do be aware that opinions on resurfacing vary and it is still a somewhat controversial procedure in the ortho world. However, many people have had one and done fine. By the same token, many more have had THR and done fine. As you do your research, here are a couple of items on resurfacing from a web site developed by a Swedish ortho surgeon as a service to patients (it is in English translation):
http://totaljoints.info/NICE_details.htm
http://totaljoints.info/surface_hip_repl…