THR Shopping Doctors

FlaGal

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I have finally decided my hip pain is interfering in my enjoyment of life too much! My GP said I would know when it's time and it's definitely time. I have spent the last month getting referrals (I posted on Nextdoor app and got over 100 replies from wonderful people sharing their experiences). The 2 most recommended surgeons use different approaches. The one I have met with uses anterior but does not use the Hana table. He does only anterior and has been doing it for over 10 years. He said I should qualify for same day surgery. Has anyone out there done same day anterior that could share their experience? I am seeing the 2nd Dr next week for another consult. He does SuperPath. Has anyone had experience with this approach? I would appreciate any input. Thanks in advance for any help or advice.
 
Hi and welcome FlaGal!

I think one of our Moderators will soon send you some links and probably make suggestions for who to look for to view their stores for ideas... This is a wonderful helpful group of fellow joint-caring folks here, with lots of help to offer, as I'm sure you'll discover. Quite often one of our other members will have have had an experience that you can learn from, I find...

Good luck and I'm sure someone will chime in here soon!
 
Hello @FlaGal - and :welome:

Did you set a date for surgery with this surgeon or are you waiting to see the other surgeon?

The most important choice for your surgery is your surgeon. Choose a surgeon with plenty of experience and let him/her choose the approach with which heshe has experience and success.
 
Here are some articles to help you with preparation for a surgery:
If you are at the stage where you have joint pain but don't know for sure if you are ready to have surgery, these links may help:
Score Chart: How bad is my arthritic hip?
Choosing a surgeon and a prosthesis
BMI Calculator - What to do if your surgeon says you're too heavy for joint replacement surgery
Longevity of implants and revisions: How long will my new joint last?

If you are at the stage where you are planning to have surgery but are looking for information so you can be better prepared for what is to come, take a look at these links:
Recovery Aids: A comprehensive list for hospital and home
Recliner Chairs: Things you need to know if buying one for your recovery
Pre-Op Interviews: What's involved?

And if you want to picture what your life might be like with a replaced hip, take a look at the posts and threads from other BoneSmarties provided in this link:
Stories of amazing hip recoveries
 
@FlaGal Welcome to BoneSmart. Many of our members have had THR anterior. But as Celle says, it's all about the experience and skill of your surgeon. Let the surgeon make the decisions on approach and implant. They will look at your own medical situation and your lifestyle when assessing you.

I think @Mersada had superpath. I've tagged her so that she can come and chat here with you.
 
Basically you want to decide on the surgeon and their record. The approach does not correlate with excellence. The approach is merely the "approach," the path by which the surgeon cuts. But each approach has dangers and tricky spots and there's a thousand variables a good surgeon has to keep track of.

No approach produces consistently better results than another. There are plenty of posterior-approach surgeons who get results that are excellent. My surgeon cuts from the side. By the time I got to him, I had learned here that approach really didn't matter. You want someone with a great record (sometimes hard to suss out) and somehow you hit it off with, that you trust.

Surgeons love to get people out of the hospital because they think doing so keeps the infection rates down. There are lots of sick people and germs in hospitals. So getting people home fast is part of the modern protocol for good hip replacement. Same-day surgery just speeds it up. I was in the hospital for overnight. They do have ways of checking in with you when you're home, and they won't send you home same day if you're having some unusual problems.

So did you connect/feel good about the first surgeon you met with?
 
@FlaGal Welcome to BoneSmart. Many of our members have had THR anterior. But as Celle says, it's all about the experience and skill of your surgeon. Let the surgeon make the decisions on approach and implant. They will look at your own medical situation and your lifestyle when assessing you.

I think @Mersada had superpath. I've tagged her so that she can come and chat here with you.
Nope, no one would perform anything but posterior on me due to my dysplasia of the hip. It turned out fine though.

I think if you search super path you'll find some experiences with it. I consulted with a surgeon who performed super path. Supposedly faster recovery but because I had a complicated hip. No one would perform anything but posterior on me.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the replies. I asked for experiences with THR on our local Nextdoor app. Got over 130 replies and met with the one most recommended (anterior) and one of only a few doctors in Florida who perform Superpath . It is going to be a tough decision. Both have excellent reputations, they both answered all my questions to my satisfaction. SuperPath supposedly has no post op restrictions. Both are done same day but the anterior doc uses general anesthesia while the SuperPath is spinal and nerve block. Also anterior doc uses cement, SuperPath doc does not. Also antior doc does not use the Han table but seems to have good outcomes. That's all I know at this point. Thanks for any feedback that anyone can give of their experience.
 
Happy that you've narrowed it down to two. My doc left the anesthesia up to the anesthesiologist. The morning of Surgery he and I had a great discussion about my previous spine fusion and some other medical issues. He decided it would be better for me to have general anesthesia so they weren't poking around all over my back to get a good injection.

I would be curious why the one uses cement. Bottom line, you need to feel comfortable with your choice of surgeon and his surgical abilities. Best of luck.
 
I thought the same thing about the anesthesia. Anterior doc says he only uses general because it completely relaxes the soft tissue making it more pliable and less apt to get damaged with all the stretching. Superpath doc says patients do better on spinal and a nerve block. Also anterior says he likes cement for immediate stability, less bleeding and pain? But he will do it either way. Both docs said they don't like to use our local hospital because they are limited to Stryker and Zimmer. So whoever I go with it will probably be same day surgery.
 
@FlaGal thanks for the feedback, very interesting.
 
Hi,

I have no answers to your questions, but just wanted
to wish you well ! I had to google "Hana table", "Stryker",
"Zimmer", and
"SuperPath". Thanks for teaching me more new info! :yikes:


I'm glad you're
posting here to get info/ support. This site has been SO helpful
for me! I hope that whatever you decide, your surgery goes well and
you will be PAIN-FREE !!!! :)
 
Thanks everybody. I have been on this forum for days reading everyone's stories. So happy I did.
Especially helpful to me at this point were the people who went back and forth between realizing they need tkr and thinking maybe they could hold off for a while. Made me feel better to know I'm not alone!
One of the reasons I had hesitated for so long is that my hip is not my only source of pain. Both of my shoulders bother me a lot, my rt knee (which may be from my bad rt hip!) And my rt ankle. I almost felt like what's the use in going through all this because I will still be in pain anyway. After reading all the stories here of people with multiple joint replacements it made me realize you gotta start somewhere and I can do this! So since the rt hip is the worst, I'll start there.
This is such a wonderful site. I will have many more questions I'm sure. So good to know there's a place to come for help and clarity.
 
Sorry, I meant thr!
 
It's very easy to get paralyzed and hopeless when we have multiple ailment, which become more common as we age. But yes, getting started on treating one of the ailments is THE WAY to go.

Once you get your hip done and go through that recovery, dealing with the remaining ailments will seem like less of a huge unclimbable mountain.
 
Ok, I have chosen my surgeon and have my surgical date - 11/19!!
I saw one more doctor (3 in total) and decided on the surgeon who does the SuperPath approach. (Not why I chose him but I had spoken to several of his patients)
I then found out the first doctor I saw who was anterior at the time (3 weeks ago) is now doing SuperPath as well. Just thought it was odd as he never mentioned it and told me he only does anterior.
Anyway I am very happy that I have a date. Apprehensive about the same things as everyone-infection, dislocation and pain.
But in addition I have a nickel allergy. One of the docs seemed concerned about what kind of implant is used. The other 2 (including my surgeon) said it is not a concern with hips, only with knees.
I trust my surgeon completely but now it is stuck in my mind. Does anyone know anything about this or had any experience with it?
Thanks for all the help!
 
The other 2 (including my surgeon) said it is not a concern with hips, only with knees.
Not the case at all! I suggest you have a good discussion with your surgeon of choice. He is going to have to use an implant that addresses your allergy. If he has no experience with this please find another surgeon. You certainly don't want to be dealing with any allergic reaction post op.
 
Thanks for the answer. I will ask again why he feels there is not a problem. I have a dental appt tomorrow and am going to ask if my dental implants contain nickel. I have had them for 10 years with no problem.
I have reaction to metals (even hooks on bras and bathing suits) but I have never had a formal diagnosis. Dermatologist just said that's probably what it was and gave me cortisone cream. But I need to know.
 

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