Revision THR Resurfacing problem I have had

[North East Man]

Josephine Thank's Kim & all the other regulars that have commented. I'm so lucky to get a top quality surgeon recommended . You cannot beat recommendations especially from someone like Josephine an experience ex orthopaedic nurse who worked with Mr Nanu.
I'm just hoping I don't have to wait long for the Ultrasound & MRI Scan.
As usual I will keep this thread informed .
I forgot to mention that Mr Nanu looked at the Xrays I'd brought along with me & straight away he said mine's isn't a Birmingham Hip Resurfacing implant. Yesterday I contacted the Hospital where I had the operation in 2009 & was told it was a Finsbury Implant. I think this may complicate the revision surgery when it comes as Finsbury are made by Johnson & Johnson & there have been recalls & big problems with it. YET the Hospital I had the surgery didn't bother to see if my problems were linked to these big problems with the Johnson & Johnson implant.

Back as soon as I hear anything,
NORMAN

 

[Josephine]

it was a Finsbury Implant

What makes you think it will complicate the revision?

 

[North East Man]

Josephine Hello again Josephine,
I thought that if it had been a BHR I was given then the cup that is in my pelvis would just be left in position & Smith & Nephew who make the BHR Implants would then provide the THR to go with it.

The Johnson & Johnson 'Finsbury' has had problems & they were linked with DePuy so the cup in my pelvis will probably have to be removed .

I just thought this would be a problem having to remove it but I'm just guessing Josephine.
Hopefully it wont be.
Thanks again for your excellent help Josephine.

NORMAN

 

[Josephine]

Well, with your history of pain, the most obvious revision is conversion to a total hip. It's rare (as I understand it) for resurfacing to be revised with another resurfacing. Besides which, Nanu doesn't do resurfacing so he would inevitably convert it to a THR anyway.

 

[North East Man]

@Josephine
Hello again Josephine & all you other supporters. I've just been for Ultrasound of the resurfaced hip today at teatime. I asked the man doing the ultrasound if anything obvious has shown up & he said NO. I asked if he could check to see if the Psoas was close to the implant & he said it only shows soft tissue & not metal or bone. I'm disappointed because I thought something obvious would show up. I feel its a nerve or tendon/muscle impinging on the new implant but only when I cough, trip, sneeze or roll over in bed.
The next stage is a Lumbar scan 3rd January & then I get in touch with Mr Nanu. . I wonder if they could numb the psoas & see if that sorts out the pain?
X-Rays show the bone & implant but not the soft tissues.
Ultrasound shows the soft tissues but not the implant or bones.
What else can they do?
NORMAN

 

[Josephine]

Don't worry - Mr Nanu will know

 

[North East Man]

@Josephine
Just to keep you lovely interested people in the picture I have an appointment to see Mr Nanu (who Josephine recommended) on the 26th February. I had an MRI Scan of my lumbar spine two weeks ago so Mr Nanu can make sure my Hip pain doesn't come from there. Strangely my resurfaced hip has got worse & hurts a lot more now & not just when I cough/sneeze/trip so I'm really looking forward to see what he thinks is happening. 'I'll be back' as they say.
Norman

 

[Kim22]

@North East Man Hi Norman, Sorry to hear that you are having more pain Great to hear that you have an appointment next month.I hope you get your hip sorted out very soon.Just to let you know that we have just been out for a meal with an ex colleague of my husband and his wife and it turns out that she had a hip replacement at the Washington Hospital by Mr Nanu and she had nothing but praise for him.Let us know how you get on.

 

[alexthecat]

Norman, Josephine is away from the forum for a few days. I know she'll be interested in your updates though, so do keep us posted.

 

[North East Man]

@Kim22,@alexthecat
Thank you for your involvement. Yes Kim, Mr Nanu seems to have a really good reputation so I'm hoping he can see what the problem is with the resurfaced hip from the tests that were done. Its a shame I have to wait until 26th Feb to see him though. I will let you all know the results. Thanks again,
NORMAN

 

[calikat]

Oh Norman I am so sorry that you are in so much pain. I can empathize from personal experience. It's unfortunate that you have to wait so long, but on the upside to that, the better surgeons have long waiting lists. I know that does not really help your situation, but at least you know that you are getting a top notch doctor. Sending you good thoughts.

 

[North East Man]

@calikat.
Thank you for your post. I need to explain that I don't have a pain all the time so am thankful for that. It only comes on when I cough/sneeze/trip/roll over a certain way in bed. My resurfaced hip is no better than my other hip which is in need of replacing & getting more & more painful. I am going to ask if both can be done at once or is it best to do one at a time.

My other problem is that my Lumbar spine which aches all the time when I'm standing or walking but if I sit down it goes away. Its as if a nerve was being crushed between two vertebrae. So I will have to just wait & see what Mr Nanu says on the 26th.

Even if both my hips get sorted I still might have that Lumbar problem unless something can be done about it. The last scan I had said it was a degenerative lumbar spine at L5/S1.
Many thanks to everyone.
NORMAN

 

[Josephine]

Norman, will you do me a favour? About a week before your appointment, phone Mr Nanu's secretary at the hospital and check with her that Mr Nanu is definitely going to be at that clinic. I suggest this because he has a tendency to get called away on meetings and lectures at short notice. It's always good to check and reschedule if he's not going to be there.

 

[North East Man]

@Josephine
Hello Josephine. Thank you once again for advising me. You are a Star! I rang his Secretary a few days ago to see if the appointment could be brought forward & she told me to ring her every few days to see if there has been any cancellations. So I will do that. She also said at the end of January he's going off to India (To do work I think) and will be there for the first 2 wks of Feb so the 26th is his next Clinic.
Thanks again,
NORMAN

 

[Josephine]

 

[North East Man]

@Josephine
Good morning Josephine & the rest of the lovely people who've been posting & taking such an interest in me.
Here is the latest from me.
I kept ringing Mr Nanu's Secretary & I managed to get an earlier appointment which was this morning at 8-50am.
Unfortunately Mr Nanu can't see anything wrong with the resurfaced hip after viewing the Ultra Sound Scans & X-Rays. He said my spine is '****' (His Words) so he's going to arrange for a Spinal Consultant to investigate & see if the hip pain could be referred pain from my lumbar spine. I told him this Hip pain I get when I cough/sneeze etc was never there previously. I'm pleased he's going to get a Consultant to check my lumbar spine & told him that as soon as I'm upright I get a nagging ache from it constantly. I said it feels like a strand of nerve was getting crushed between two vertebrae & he agreed my idea is possible. I told him my vertebrae must move a bit because some days I'm not too bad & others I'm bent over with pain. He also mentioned that my other Hip needs replacing but I don't want to get it done until the other Hip is diagnosed/sorted out. I'm not in agony with the Hip so can wait until it gets worse. I'm now looking forward to seeing another Consultant to see if anything can be done about my lumbar spine. Mr Nanu will see me in 6 mths.
Thanks everyone.
Norman

 

[Josephine]

Oh he's a good'n alright! And he'll probably refer you to a Mr Roysam who is very similar.

If it is your back, I would suggest you see a chiropractor rather than an ortho surgeon.
Are you able to get to Low Fell in Gateshead? I know a really good one there.

 

[North East Man]

@Josephine.
Hi Josephine,
I knew my lumbar spine was pretty bad and have had the problem for years & years but its obviously getting worse as I age. I have degenerative lumbar spine and multiple disc disease. I've seen numerous Physio's & Chiropractors over the years to no avail. I'm hoping Mr Roysam or whoever he recommends me to see can help somehow. I have a feeling it is to numb the spine & see if that fixes the hip pain. If it turns out to be the hip then Mr Nanu said we can take out the implant & do a THR. I'll keep you all informed.
Thanks Josephine,
NORMAN

 

[Josephine]

Oh, that's more like it! I thought he'd offer that option.

 

[mrsmigginspieshop]

Hope you get everything sorted out soon Norman, I've been going through similar with my BHR.

I do have a question for @Josephine though - do you really believe the prostheses don't fail, only the way they are implanted fails?

I am interested to see you're also a fan of Bruce McMinn - personally I think the man is deluded & needs to face up to the fact that his beloved BHR CAN and DOES wreck lives.

I'm a 36 year old female & 3 weeks ago I had my 2009 left BHR revised to a THR. I've had problems pretty much ever since I had the damn thing implanted & it was getting rapidly worse. I was having to use a crutch to walk around prior to the revision. Of course, all tests, scans, blood tests were normal but I knew this thing was damaging me. Lo and behold, the surgeons told me that yes, the BHR had damaged tissue & bone, discovered when they removed it. I don't know the full extent of this but I know they had to implant some artificial bone around the THR. I expect I will find out more when I go to see my surgeon in 3 weeks at the 6 week check up. However, nobody will know how the bone/tissue damage caused by the BHR device will affect me in the future.

I have been in contact with people who even a few years post revision, are still in pain & still on a plethora of painkillers due to the damage done by a BHR device. I have spent all of my 30s so far (& the end of my 20s) lame, with major mobility problems & in a lot of pain. All I want is to be able to get back to a life without pain, without painkillers & without major physical restrictions. I am unable now to do things I wanted to do.

A month before my first arthroscopy in 2008 I spent a lot of money qualifying for my amateur license to ride in races, that will now never happen. I will probably have to sell one of my mares whom I've had since she was an unbroken 3 year old, simply as she can be sharp & now I have a THR I can't risk riding sharp animals. It has taken over my life entirely.

I just wish that the UK government & the BMA would recognise the damage these devices are doing and ban their use. Mind you, from what I've been told by medical professionals, most health authorities won't allow them to be implanted now either, but that won't stop some being used & possibly destroying more lives.

Sorry to hijack your thread Norman but I also thought you may be interested to hear my story as it is so similar to yours - granted I'm young, female & petite so in the highest risk category but still, the risk is there.