Hip Resurfacing ceramic on ceramic hip resurfacing (ReCerf)

[Chappy]

My doctor is recommending I take place in the trial of this resurfacing as I am relatively young and female. Has anyone else had this? I know it only started being offered in Sept 2018.

It sounds like a good option to me

 

[Sara61]

@Chappy As I don't have much hip experience I'm sure one of the senior moderators will answer this question for you meanwhile I will leave you with Bonesmarts pre-op guidelines.

HIP
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

 

[Mojo333]

Hi @Chappy and welcome to Bonesmart.
You might be the first Recerf on the forum.
From what I've read, this system is being used to improve and address issues with metal on metal components.
If you and your surgeon have decided resurfacing will provide you with a good outcome, it seems, from what I read, to be a promising improvement for resurfacing.
The biggest thing I have noted with members who have had resurfacing, is they seem surprised and tend to underestimate the recovery time assuming it will be much shorter than a full replacement.
Slow and steady recovery works best for all hip procedures, so best to flex that patience muscle which will be the one you use most.

Look forward to following your recovery journey, and you will find this is an awesome community of great folks who will be here to cheer you on.

 

[Jamie]

You are the first member we've had who will be receiving this resurfacing. Please do let us know all the details of how you're doing with it. It does look like a great innovation for the right patients. While we might not be able to provide a lot of information on the implant itself since it's so new, we can help with any questions or concerns you might have in recovery.

 

[Going4fun]

Well, you're right around my age, and many hip surgeons these days are confident than the standard total hip (often ceramic on cross-linked polyethylene) will allow you to exercise aggressively.

The disadvantage of a trial device is just that: it's a trial device that will have limited data available and won't have had time to develop a long track record. The recent history of hip replacement surgery and hip resurfacing surgery includes many materials and devices that looked promising on paper or via simulations ... only to disappoint when these devices were placed in real patients. And the problems don't always occur immediately ... sometimes they emerge in five years and ten years.

Surgeons have been disappointed so many times by what they hoped were breakthroughs that they are really tentative and hesitant when making predictions for survival rate of various devices. Metal-on-metal hips is one of the most recent examples of a device that seemed like a great idea but which resulted in a lot of problems and is rarely used these days.

Another consideration is that resurfacing is a challenging surgery. Because the surgeon cuts off less bone, the view of the "theater" is more obscured. Many resurfacing specialists will say it took them some time to make the adjustment from total hip surgery to resurfacing. Of course, with practice, surgeons can become good at difficult surgeries. The problem with a trial device is that it's unlikely a surgeon will have had lots of practice.

You might ask your surgeon how many ceramic-on-ceramic resurfacings they have performed. Many top joint replacement surgeons perform 300 hip surgeries a year. Over time, that's a lot of practice.

I might consider consulting another surgeon just to get a different perspective. Find someone who treats a lot of younger patients or athletic patients. The track record of ceramic on cross-linked polyethylene total hip is building. And an increasing number of surgeons literally put no restrictions on activity with these devices. I have no restrictions, and was out running this morning (though my back wishes I were in the gym on the treadmill).

 

[Chappy]

Thanks for your considered response.

The surgeon I am going to only does hips, and has done a lot of metal on metal hip resurfacing (he said it makes up 5% of his practice) so I am fairly confident in his skill set. He said as far as the surgery goes it is not a trial - it just means picking up the ceramic prosthesis rather than the metal one he has used in the past - the surgery is essentially the same. He also said he has used a lot of ceramic on ceramic THR, so the material isn't a trial either. This particular combination is, though, and he was very clear that there are risks in doing something new. He said all things being equal that one should always go with the tried and true. I think, though, that the advantage of being able to have a THR in the future should I need it, and the advantages of a more natural hip that I have read about are probably worth the risk. Philosophically, too, I realise that someone has to be the guinea pig for these procedures - why shouldn't it be me.

I hope that I don't regret it though!

Great to hear how successful your surgery has been. I can't wait for the pain to be gone and to be able to enjoy activity again.

 

[Jamie]

@Chappy, do you happen to know the company that makes the implant your surgeon has chosen?

 

[Celle]

@Chappy, do you happen to know the company that makes the implant your surgeon has chosen?

@Jamie

Manufactured by MatOrtho Limited
19/20 Mole Business Park | Randalls Road | Leatherhead | Surrey | KT22 7BA | UK
T: +44 (0)1372 224 200 | [email protected]
For more information visit: www.MatOrtho.com

 

[Jamie]

Thanks, Celle.