Best THR surgeon

[Rebeccahpffd]

Hey all ---

Well my story is very long but basically I am now looking for the best and most forward-thinking THR surgeon in the US. Any input would be VERY helpful!!!!

 

[younghippie]

Welcome, @Rebeccahpffd ! I don't know where you are located... if you are anywhere near Atlanta, I can recommend some surgeons. I am only 37 and had to find a surgeon who was open and optimistic about me having THR.

 

[Rebeccahpffd]

I'm in birmingham, so atlanta wouldn't be too bad! I've had 1 hip and knee replacement, but both got infected. My dr doesn't want to try it again bc of risk of infection - so now I'm looking for someone who will!

 

[younghippie]

Just sent a private message so I could give lots of detailed info...

 

[younghippie]

I'm tagging @Vetgirl

She is super nice and may be able to help.

 

[Vetgirl]

Hi @Rebeccahpffd I'm in Australia so all I can say is that Dr Gerald Maale is often the most recommended surgeon on Bonesmart for infection....he is highly recommended by @Josephine in UK and @RestAssured had an infection which was treated by Dr Maale

Hope that helps

Xxx

 

[Tykey]

Whilst the quality of surgeon is important, but with infections it's important to look at the hospital environment as well.
In the UK, the hospitals have to publish their performance, including the rate of infections.

 

[Vetgirl]

I totally agree with @Tykey after my infection I queried this with the OS and he told me my hospital is below average for its infection rate

This is a great question to ask....

 

[Tykey]

Thanks, Sally. It's a few years since my knee was replaced, and I chose to have it carried out at one of the NHS specialist joint replacement treatment centers, operated by Care. One of the important criteria in this choice was that in their 3 UK facilities, they have never had a single case of hospital-acquired MRSA. That's a comforting statistic

 

[RestAssured]

Well as I have said, Dr. Maale, has had a special surgical room built to his specifications. He keeps it pressurized at a rate where infectious bugs in the body cannot survive. He also has a different protocol about how he makes sure the MRSA is colonized to only the metal and not in the body with the type of antibiotic specific to each person. I would trust him to work on my neck, and even though he probably will refer me to one of his colleagues if we find out I need surgery, he will still be there overseeing the process. He is very meticulous and doesn't want an infection in the neck because then we would be looking at two knees!

By the way, my MRSA was not hospital acquired either. It was a "gift" from a teacher.

 

[Vetgirl]

Oh dear @RestAssured are you having problems with your neck now? So sorry.....will have to find your thread

 

[RestAssured]

Thanks @Vetgirl ,

Yes, my neck is so excited that my knees and ankle have gotten out of the way,so that it has the "right" to be the sole complainer! It is doing a great job of being a real pain right now, I must give it kudos!

My thread is always in my postings! It is in blue so you can click on it for a laugh or two!

 

[calikat]

@RestAssured I know you are making light of it, but I am so sorry to hear about your neck issues. Believe me I understand the toll of chronic pain. On the positive side I am happy that you have a doctor that you can completely trust. I think that is half the battle.

 

[RestAssured]

@calikat,

Well, neck pain is no fun, I will grant you that, but I am actually doing better. It might come to the point where I have to think about a fusion somewhere in the near future, or maybe in later years. I don't know. Right now, the pain is gone from down the side of my arm, and I am left with a slight dull ache in the neck. It is getting better so I will take that! I choose to savor everyday that I am pain free!

You see, I am extremely fortunate! I have had things along the way that were much worse than this. God saw me through them, and He will see me through all my storms ahead! Sometimes when my family, friends, etc. didn't understand the pain I was going through I was comforted by this saying

 

[Jamie]

Dr. Gerhard Maale, Plano, Texas (Dallas/Fort Worth area) would be the person I recommend that you see if you don't mind traveling. He sees patients from all over the country and will do an evaluation long distance if you can provide images of your hip and some details about your history.

However....there may also be some surgeons closer to you that can handle your hip. Am I understanding correctly that this will be a primary THR on your other hip and not a revision? I think you are definitely right to seek out another surgeon and hospital! Two instances of infection tell me there may be some issues with one or the other that are causing this problem for you.

Here are a couple of surgeons in the Atlanta area for your consideration. Please let us know how things go.

George N. Guild III, M.D.

Allen McDonald, III, MD

 

[RestAssured]

I'm in birmingham, so atlanta wouldn't be too bad! I've had 1 hip and knee replacement, but both got infected. My dr doesn't want to try it again bc of risk of infection - so now I'm looking for someone who will!

So are you looking for a revisionist to replace the hip and knee? I know TX is a ways from Georgia, I have driven it, but Dr. Maale takes that into consideration when he works with you. I must tell you that I have seen many diffenent types of infections come to him when their OS's wouldn't touch them! He isn't arrogant, he just knows his stuff. If you send your records ahead of time, he can tell you if he can help you and what will be involved.

Good luck in whomevever you choose! Infection eats away at more than just the body. It erodes our trust, our feelings of normal, our perception of ourselves, and leaves us feeling weak and vulnerable! Take it from a "kneesie" who had 8 MRSA infections, but has come through the other side! I am now out living and loving life again!

I guess that's why I am trying to put a positive spin on my neck! I am having way too much fun for more surgery right now!

I will be walking in my first 5K on March 29th! I love exercising and challenging myself again! "Life is too short to sit on the sidelines, so I'm back in the game!"

 

[Hippiemama]

I am putting my hip in the hands of Stanford Hospitals and Clinics in Palo Alto, California. Members of the OS team serve at the American hip association and know every conceivable implant. I originally saw another OS who tried to convince me about the anterior approach, however, with a second opinion about leg length and dysplasia and my labral tear I am now getting the posterior surgery. I trust my doctors now and am not opting for what yields the fastest recovery but the adequate approach for my unique condition.


Sent from my iPhone using BoneSmart®

 

[younghippie]

@Hippiemama I too chose posterior over anterior. I have dysplasia as well. I was told by all (even by anterior surgeon) that they have a better window into the joint with posterior and that could be beneficial. I know with my age, I'm not thinking about recovery or placement of scar. I am thinking only about longevity of new joint.