It's hard to believe that earlier this summer I went in to see my surgeon for the ol' two-year check-up. I'm pleased to report that my x-rays looked fabulous, the prosthesis is perfectly positioned, and I no longer need to report back in unless I experience any problems.
For those of you unfamiliar with this procedure that was approved by the FDA in May 2006, hip resurfacing is an alternative to hip replacement, especially for younger patients. It is bone conserving and, after one year, there are no restrictions whatsoever, unlike replacement. I found a great video about the procedure on YouTube where a San Diego Fox affiliate interviewed orthopedic surgeon Dr. Scott Ball (not my surgeon).
These past two years have been a fun adventure in gaining back my former, healthy, pain-free life. I am so thrilled with the results and so happy that I had it done. So far, my "natural hip" is fine, but I do worry that due to the abuse it took while I limped so badly for so long on the arthritic hip, that I might have torn it up. Occasionally, I have twinges in that hip; but, I try not to worry. I will say, however, that if I had to have it operated on, I wouldn't hesitate to have it resurfaced.
If you're interested, here are some great online resources:
• Surfacehippy and sister site Surfacehippy
• SurfacehippyInfo (related -- a great collection of info on surgeons, devices, patient stories)
• Hip Resurfacing Information
• "This surgery's a hit" -- article about an avid golfer returning to his sport
• famous resurfacing patients: Floyd Landis (triathlete) and CBS health reporter Dr. Bob Arnot
• Smith & Nephew's Birmingham hip prosthesis
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