Important information to patients with an upcoming hip operation:
It is my experience, I am sorry to say, that hip patients in Sweden are hardly ever correctly informed by their surgeons and other medical personnel about the possibility of a Hip Resurfacing prosthesis. The number of cases where this information is given are shockingly few, which is clearly shown by the extremely low number of performed operations with resurfacing prostheses in Sweden since December 1996!
It seems fair to assume that the situation is similar in the Netherlands and many other countries.
The traditional prosthesis that on the other hand is advised in
almost 97,9% of all the cases (in Sweden) is
unfortunately not giving patients the same quality of life and possibilities
that a resurfacing prosthesis does. A traditional hip prosthesis leads in a number of cases to a long road with repeated
operations and much discomfort (modestly expressed)! In 2006 was for example an
increase of incorrectly performed traditional hip operations reported in the Swedish Hip Registry’s Annual Report, most of those failed required new (revision) operations.
Important note:
Patients that have been told by their surgeon that Hip Resurfacing is not possible in their case should in that case be aware of the existence of the new BMHR (Birmingham Mid-Head Resectioning) prosthesis. This prosthesis can in stead be used in most of the situations whereby the standard Hip Resurfacing (like the BHR or Birmingham Hip Resurfacing) no longer is possible. The BMHR offers nearly the same set of great advantages as the BHR and those alike but still doesn’t amputate the femoral neck as with any THR hip prosthesis.
Internet can be a source for good information, especially if you manage other languages like English. In case you have not been taught English then this website attempts to show the most important facts about Hip Resurfacing in your own language.
Piece of advice from me:
Don’t just
accept the verdict of your orthopaedic surgeon if you feel that it is suspect
and he/she is also the first surgeon that you consulted who said no to Hip Resurfacing or worse still never mentioned Hip Resurfacing! In that case the second or even the
third opinion of other orthopaedic surgeons can show you if you were wrong or
not. If your surgeon himself does not perform Hip Resurfacing and he still advises against it, then his verdict should be
called in question. After all, he lacks the required experience that would
enable and allow him to make a correct judgement. If you need help in getting
further opinions from surgeons of world class in this field then I will be
pleased to assist.
Please contact me if in doubt and before you decide to undergo an operation as drastic as the standard hip arthroplasty. All other options should first have been investigated in depth!
12-12-2010