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SuperPath Hip Replacement?

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calikat, I just checked mileage, and San Diego is a two-hour drive from Los Angeles. Should be doable!
 
sissy46, I agree with you about the need to have a good OS close to home. The OS who referred me to Dr. Grandic is sort of my general purpose OS. He helped me with Achilles tendinosis and shots for my knee. He has helped my husband with myriad things. He always has been able to squeeze us in on a same-day basis if something was really wrong. Last year, I saw him on New Year's Eve because my knees were so painful. I had to wait, and I was his last patient of the day, but he stayed to help me, gave me cortisone shots in both knees, and I was so grateful to him for his help. He is a foot specialist -- treats ballerinas, among others -- and does various things, but not hip replacements, so he needed to refer me to someone else for my hips.
 
Thank you BeckyR. San Diego is more like a 3 - 4 hour drive regardless of mileage...LA traffic and all. I would just think there must be more than the 11 doctors listed who use this approach? Not that I don't appreciate your efforts. :dancy: The distance would not go over well with my DH unfortunately.
 
calikat, There are only 10-11 doctors listed as SuperPATH surgeons in the United States, on the Wright Medical website. Wright manufacturers the instrumentation used in the surgery. I don't know of any other listing of SuperPATH surgeons, and I don't know how surgeons qualify for listing on the Wright website. Not all of them consult for Wright, so that isn't the reason. I would drive 3-4 hours for the right surgeon for something like this, but that's an individual choice. One of my BoneSmart "surgery buddies" who had surgery the same day I did drove from Northern California to Stanford for his hip replacement. He and his wife stayed in a hotel the night before surgery and I think a day or two afterward, and then drove home, making plenty of stops along the way. It's not the kind of surgery where you need to see the doctor on a continuous basis...there are only a limited number of follow-up visits needed.

You are the one who needs to be comfortable with your choice, of course, and you may be able to find someone closer to home who you trust.
 
calikat, I just re-read one of your recent posts, and it really sounds as though you have had a remarkably smooth and rapid recovery, though I know it doesn't feel that way to you! You were driving after two weeks, and were walking without crutches or a walker very quickly. SuperPATH isn't magic, and you would still have a recovery process after SuperPATH. I don't know if it would be any faster than what you experienced with the anterior approach. It sounds as though your recovery was more rapid than mine, by many measurements.

You did have trouble with pain control, and maybe you needed a different pain cocktail. But anyone who has THR is going to have stiffness, awkwardness, weakness, and fatigue during the recovery process. It is major surgery, no matter what approach is used.

What helped me was that I was willing to go with the flow, and look for small -- even tiny -- gains and celebrate them. When I could walk to the mailbox, I called it "going to Paris." At first, just going to the bathroom was significant exercise. Day by day, I could see small gains. After three weeks, there was a leap in progress, then after six 1/2 weeks I could go back to work. But I was still walking at about half my normal speed.

The anterior approach is much less invasive than the traditional posterior approach, and it sounds as though you reaped many of the benefits. The complications I would be afraid of (nerve damage and fractures) didn't happen to you. By definition, most people don't get the "complications" of any approach, but the rate of these complications is higher for anterior than for other approaches, which is a risk I didn't want to take. That's my choice -- everybody makes their own. The main point here is that you did NOT have any of those complications!

I think that after a little more time goes by, and you feel better, you will recognize that you had a really good THR and you will reap the benefits for the rest of your life. Some of the stories make it sound like "Chariots of Fire" -- where you are soaring slowly through the air, your hair flying in the breeze -- with music rising to a grand crescendo. It isn't like that. You are recovering from a massive surgical process. Your body has been assaulted, and it takes time to heal. Sounds as though you are progressing beautifully, but still not comfortable. That's just par for the course.
 
BeckyR Thank you for your encouragement. I guess my frustration is that I still have significant pain. Yes I can function, but I have pain on a constant daily basis and I am always uncomfortable. I still have to take pain medication daily (celebrex and Ultracet). Even with the medication my hip and leg ache. It is not like before, where the pain was so sharp my leg could not take my full weight making it difficult to walk, but it still significantly impacts my life. Pain is exhausting as I am sure many people here understand. I was hoping that I would be able to stop taking pain medication, but unfortunately that is far from my reality. For the most part I try to hide this from those around me and carry on, but here at BS I try to be honest about my situation.
 
BeckyR said:
You are recovering from a massive surgical process. Your body has been assaulted
Click to expand...

You are right. I try to remember this. But my continued need for pain medication is a concern.

I want to dance with my walker like the youtube video. LOL
 
calikat, I'd love to dance like the video, too. Unfortunately, I never could dance. Have you spoken to your surgeon about your ongoing pain? You are about 9 or 10 weeks out from surgery, aren't you? I don't know how quickly the recovery should go, given the problems you had before surgery. My surgeon told me that quite a few of his patients were still taking pain meds at three months. Have you been able to taper off the Ultracet, or do you still need it all day long? I can't go by my own experience, because I've developed trouble with my left hip, and I need hydrocodone at night, although I don't take anything other than an NSAID during the day.

I had to stop the NSAIDs for a week because I had a melanoma surgery on my leg 1 1/2 weeks ago -- requiring a skin graft -- and I really felt the difference when I went off the NSAIDS. Much more pain than with them. I never realize how much they are helping until I stop. (The melanoma surgery was completely successful -- it was a Stage zero -- and the path report came back clear, so I'm considered 100% cured, though the stitches won't be out until Tuesday.)

If I were troubled, as you are, about continuing pain, I'd make an appointment to see my doctor, to talk it over with him and get a better sense of what to expect. Here on Bonesmart we get many wonderful tips, but nobody understands your specific case as well as your surgeon does. It may be that you are still within the normal range for the healing process. I do hope that is so, and that you will feel much better soon, and the pain will subside.
 
calikat, Are you receiving any physical therapy? I had a really good therapist who massaged my leg (actually, both legs) every time I went for PT. There was a tremendous amount of muscle tension that was greatly relieved by the massage. I wonder whether some of your pain may be caused by muscle tension rather than the THR itself. I still think that talking to your doctor would be the best next step.
 
BeckyR said:
(The melanoma surgery was completely successful -- it was a Stage zero -- and the path report came back clear, so I'm considered 100% cured, though the stitches won't be out until Tuesday.)
Click to expand...

Yay! That is great news!

I did not mean to hijack your thread. I am scheduled to see my OS on the 17th. He is presently out of the country. I have been having a bit of a pity party for myself the past few days. :boohoo: :cry: I feel a bit discouraged because I have seen little if any improvement the past few weeks. I clearly improved bit by bit the first 7 - 8 weeks so it was easy to stay positive in spite of continued pain. Now things seem to have come to a standstill. Boo. I have not been to pt this week because I returned to work. I may try to get in again next week. I just need to get over myself. Things could be worse.:thud:

Thank you for your encouragement.

ETA:heehee: I take a celebrex 1 x day and ultracet in the morning and before bed.
 
BeckyR said:
It's not the kind of surgery where you need to see the doctor on a continuous basis...there are only a limited number of follow-up visits needed.
Click to expand...
calikat....what BeckyR has said is true of any hip surgery approach. There are not a lot of doctor visits needed after surgery....UNLESS.....you experience a problem. Surgery is surgery and it is possible to have complications with any procedure, even SuperPATH. So, as you consider what works best for you, please do at least think about how you would be able to quickly get assistance if you developed problems during recovery. Most surgeons have plans for such things, and if you decided to meet with a doctor out of your area, it should be a topic for discussion.
 
calikat, Jamie, If you just returned to work, that might explain why you are having more pain and not seeing the progress you did before. Based on what I've read on this site, MANY people find it takes months -- up to a year -- for everything to really settle down. Even with SuperPATH, there is sometimes continued pain as muscles and tissues adjust to all the changes that take place when a new hip is installed. sandybeach can tell you more about that. Based on everything you've written, it doesn't sound as though anything went wrong with your surgery. It sounds as though you are healing more slowly than the whiz kids who dance with walkers and play golf on day 3, and as though going to work has added a new level of stress (which is normal). My money is on you. Glad you are seeing your OS soon. He may turn out to be the best person to do your other hip, building on his experience with you first time around. If so, be sure to let him know that the pain meds didn't really handle the pain with the first surgery. Keep us posted!
 
Thank you for the encouragement. I have decided to stop feeling sorry for myself. I was having a moment.
 
calikat I've had sooo many moments when I've felt sorry for myself too. Hey, why shouldn't we..we are human after all!! Our bodies have had quite an assault, and our mental state too....both from the pain /decisions/ worry both before and after surgery......I've decided I'm going to wallow in it when I need too....come wallow with me...do hope your pain diminishes soon...please take care...love Chrissie xxxx


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Jamie I hear what you are saying. There is a plethora of top notch surgeons in the Los Angeles area. My husband would probably disown me if I told him I wanted to go to San Diego. He even has a problem with Santa Monica which is only about 15 miles away. It is just that anything 14 miles or more pretty much takes an hour of driving to get there at any time during the day. The LA traffic can be daunting.
 
My husband and I (and my dog Molly) are driving from Tampa to Boynton Beach for a consult, staying in a hotel, and then meeting with Dr. Grandic. I hope they gave me extra time with him...I have so many questions and I know this is my one and only chance to ask questions. If I am convinced to move forward, I'll have the superpath surgery in February. Wish me luck!
I hope they give me something that tells me what to expect week by week when recovering. But because everyone is so different, I would guess this isn't something they offer. I think I am going to try to take off 4 weeks from work (I work from home at a desk, but there is a bit a constant mental pressure in my job), and I hope that taking the time away from work will allow me to concentrate on recovery. Anyone know if this seems reasonable when I work from home at a desk?
FLgirlie
 
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FLgirlie, You won't feel rushed with Dr. Grandic. He'll take the time needed to answer your questions, and will probably give you his cellphone number in case you have more questions, as he did with me. I called him only once, with a list of questions that came to me after we first met. If you work at home from a desk, you'll probably be comfortable working in stints after 4 weeks, with time to rest while your energy returns. Ask Dr. Grandic about this. Also, based on what Jamie pointed out, ask him what to do if there are complications or questions when you are at home in Tampa after the surgery, since it's a distance. Also, ask him about how you'll get prescriptions for your pain-killers. Some of them require a paper prescription -- hard to get if you are in Tampa. Maybe he'll give you a couple in advance. I don't know. He was able to phone in my prescriptions for Hydrocodone, and I don't know when the law is changing for that. I'm sure he'll find a way to work things out so that you are totally cared for, if you decide to go with him.
 
I agree that you might be able to do some work from home at 4 weeks. But....have a Plan B. Because it is also possible that you won't! You may still be exhausted. Or on pain meds that keep things a little foggy. You need to plan for all the possibilities. That's why we normally tell people to plan for 10-12 weeks. Not one boss ever complained about an employee who was doing so well in recovery that they came back to work sooner than planned. But they sure can get grumpy if you find you need a bit more time than you originally planned for!
 
Thank for the info on leave from work. That gives me a good idea to start with and I will talk to Dr. Grandic specifically about that. I would agree that my employer would rather see me come back early, rather than need additional time. So I will get a guide from Dr. Grandic, and go with that. My husband will be there too, so anything I don't remember or write down, hopefully he will catch.
 
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