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Hip Arthroscopy Where to go now?

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Well I am sorry to post that I didn't get too far today with the new surgeon. I will have a cortisone shot in the capsule in a few days and then I wait to see how it goes. He said joint space is actually pretty good though there is early arthritis in the acetabula and grade 4 on the neck. He said scopes he's seen make things worse a lot. He also suggested I get tested for lymes disease. Whoah!
He spent about three minutes with me and no exam. I guess I'll just wait wand see what happens next.
Sorry we are in this together but glad to have found you!
 
sorry it hasn't gone great. From the intensive research i've done on medical journals etc I've found a lot of people who have scopes and experience pain go back to their consultants to find arthritis has suddenly appeared and has gone a bit wild.

Did you have the cortisone shot before you had your scope too? I did and it worked a little bit for about 8 hours. But at least it's 8 hours fairly pain free. Can i ask how he knew that the joint space was pretty good? have you had a scan or xray since your scope?

At least you're further forward than I am hun. And you can fill me full of hope! lol
Please keep in touch and let me know what happens xxx
 
I have not had an injection yet. I had one when a back surgeon thought I had bursitis but not in the capsule. I had novacaine with my MRA. It did feel good for a couple of hours so I hope this injection lasts a while! Could you point me in the direction of your research on post scope OA?
I will keep posting and will also anxiously await your progress report! I am grateful to have a healing buddy!
 
most of my research was done using google and typing in key phrases like "failed hip arthroscopy" or "pain after hip arthroscopy" and trawling through the results. I should have bookmarked them, but stupidly i didn't.

Good luck with the injection hun, hopefully it will at least dull the pain for a while. Have they said anything about long term? Do you know which grading scale the doc was using? There are a couple of different scales which level 4 means different things.

Keep me posted with you, and I'll keep you posted this end. It will be interesting to compare British knowledge with American too. lol
 
Hello again. I wanted to let you know that Jo is right again! I saw my GP this morning and she does not want me to do the cortisone shot. She said the new guy isn't the one who has been in my hip and since the one who has wants to wait, she agrees.
Our new plan: going to Mayo Clinic in late November. Will start seeing a pain/rehab doctor. Start pool therapy.
Was a littl sad to lose hopes of a cortisone shot working but I will get over it. At least I have a plan of sorts. End of November feels very far away....
 
Update time!!!!

Saw my new consultant yesterday, who turns out to be a knee specialist!!! lol So he's referring me to a professor at Newcastle. He sent me immediately for plain film x-rays and is arranging another arthrogram. It is so refreshing for doctors to be helpful. The attitude was "something is definitely not right, so lets get it sorted" WOW such a difference to the other consultant.

The plain x-rays showed no obvious signs of osteoarthritis. However, the doc was very confused by the lack of "plastic plugs" that should show clearly in the hip socket if he has repaired my labrum properly. So chances are, he's used normal sutures, which have ripped or torn the labrum more. Hopefully that is all the problem is.

So just waiting for the arthrogram and an appointment with the professor, and I should be getting some answers! Yippee!!!!
 
That's awful. So delighted you finally found some chaps who know what they are doing!
 
I feel more positive now that i feel that someone is taking me seriously and not just fobbing me off. Fingers crossed i get some answers. And i doubt i will have to wait 6-8 weeks for an arthrogram either!
 
Hi all

It's been a long time since i last posted, and unfortunately things haven't improved, they have only got worse. Just to recap, I was diagnosed with FAI - Pincer impingement - and a labral tear and had surgery for that in May 2012. When they operated they found my hip was in a mess. there was cartilage delamination, they recessed the rim, removed the impingment, fixed the labrum back on (bone anchor) and glued the torn cartilage back together and took biospies of soft tissues that were torn and bleeding. Within weeks of the surgery, as i started to mobilise, i realised there was something very wrong. I told my consultant who didn't take me seriously. so i got referred to another hospital.

The new hospital and professor, have done a few xrays and another arthrogram. He has mentioned protruisio aceabuli to me also. The problem is, he doesn't want to operate on me as i was another surgeons patient, and won't even give me any information on what the latest arthrogram has shown. So he's basically going to be referring me back to where i had a terrible experience. He has told me that the problems within my hip are right at the limitations of what they can and can't fix and the other consultant would be best to speak to.

My pain is so bad, i'm on huge doses of morphine (slow release and liquid), I can't walk without crutches and even then can only walk 100m or less. I can't sleep, I have no quality of life what-so-ever. The Territorial Army have medically discharged me and now my civilian job (i'm a health care assistant in the NHS) are threatening to end my employment if there is no diagnosis/treatment plan in place within a month. So i'm now at risk of losing my job, my house, and everything that i have worked for years for.

I really am at the end of my tether. I feel like someone should be helping me, and yet no-one is. I'm trying to sort out which consultant i will be seeing, and then I think i'm going to be pushing for a hip replacement/re-surfacement. I have done lots of reading medical journals, and i fit every single criteria for a hip replacement. If they can't think of something else to do to fix my hip, surely they should also be considering a replacement, right? From what i have been told by others, there is absolutely no way, at 30years old, that they will even consider me for a replacement, not until i'm 50+. But i refuse to live my life like this for another year, let alone 20!

Can anyone give me some advice or help? Has anyone else been in the same situation?

Please please help me, and i'm sorry for the long post.

Tracy
 
Tracy, I'm tagging Josephine for you. We are seeing so many twenty-somethings now. There has to be a doctor who will help you.

Sharon
 
Hi, Tracy. Nice to see you again though not in these circumstances! If I recall correctly you had your op at the QE, yes? Who/where was the professor you went to see and when? I assume your surgeon at the QE referred you? The trouble with that is that he has been asked his opinion by another doctor and therefore answers to him and would not assume to be taking over your treatment. What you can next do is largely dependent upon the date you saw this person.

It goes like this - after 12 months of no contact, your case with the QE surgeon would be closed so you would be free to go elsewhere. However, you could still ask your GP to refer you to another hospital and hopefully that might work. I would strongly suggest that you get yourself referred to Mr Nanu at Sunderland Royal Hospital who is a very good hip surgeon. Of course it depends how accommodating your GP is but you could try pushing on your 'right to choose'. There would be no real issue regarding funding between QE and SRH.

Do let me know how you get on.
 
Hi Josephine,

Yes, I had my arthroscopy (26th May 2012) at the QE under a Mr Loughead. 3 post op visits and i only ever saw a clinical physio who was giving me medical details, so i asked to see Mr Loughead and was told he'd be too busy (even though it was his clinic!) I eventually saw him, and he didn't take me seriously that something was wrong and said he wouldn't even do a plain film xray for a year post op. So I went to my GP and after a bit of a battle, got referred to Prof McCaskie at the Freeman. So the surgeon didn't really refer me, I ask to be referred, because I knew something was still wrong and didn't want to wait a year, however, that year is now up and i'm no further forward.

My GP thinks it's a disgrace that I have been put through this nonsense for the last 3 years and is very understanding.

Not sure if I explained properly, sorry. prof McCaskie hasn't explained the results of the last scans to me, and he "Strongly recommends" that I go back to Mr Loughead, as he was the initial surgeon who knows my hip better and is the "best" (ha) when it comes to arthroscopy. When I explained that i really didn't want to and the reasons why, he said that "he was sure that if Mr Loughead knew the situation and how i am after a year, he would certainly be interested" SO, Prof McCaskie is supposed to be calling Mr Loughead (this was 7weeks ago and still hasn't done it) to be discussing my case with him. And if Mr Loughead decides i'm better off seeing him, that's whats happening. So much for NHS choices, because apparently I have no choice in this matter.
 
Oh but you do, my dear! It's your right under the Patient's Charter. And if your GP is disgusted, then surely he will be prepared to refer you somewhere else? Have you asked him? Sometimes you have to really fight for these rights.

NHS choice: Patient's Charter and your right to choose

"You may wish to get a second opinion after seeing a consultant, either as an out-patient or an in-patient. You will need to request this from the consultant, who may arrange for you to see someone else. If the consultant does not agree, you could ask your GP to help."
 
Oh my I am so sorry to hear about all of this. :shocked: Sometime in life we do get lot of stuff to handle. I am a Cancer survior and I too must say there were times I felt if one more thing came my way I was going to sceam. By the way I did scream. It did feel better afterwards. I was taught that there was nothing that you could handle, so far its been true but it sure has been ruff. :beg: Being in pain for a long time is so trying to say the least and I found coming here and posting help so much. People listened and I needed that so bad. Even though they had never been though what I had experence they gave me hugs through the internet and I needed them so badly. I also found out that when I think everthing was crashing down around me that I could still hold my head up here and be safe. I do hope and pray that you can get a doctor to help you and that you get out of pain. As you know we are here all the time so please come and visit and most important let us know how you are doing it must be a very scarier time for you. Please take care. It is also ok to cry when you need it. I have some hugs for you and there are more when you need it. :console2: :console2: :console2: :flwrysmile: :puppysmooze: Tashia
 
Thanks Tashia, i just don't know what i'm going to do. losing one part time job is bad enough, but to lose my full time employment as well? I don't have any family, and without my house i have nothing. I just wish that the medical professionals had got this op right the first time. And now for them to hum and ha about IF they are able to do something, without giving me the slightest glimmer of hope, it's so disheartening. I've tried chasing the docs up (they were meant to speak to each other weeks ago) and have spoken to his secretary who told me it's in his big pile of things to do. I tried explaining that I work for the same NHS trust and that i'm going to end up losing my job and she did say she'd try to chase him up, but unless i have a diagnosis/treatment plan by 25th June, when i see my occupational health department, then I'm going to end up jobless with a mortgage and bills to pay. I'd honestly jump for joy if they offered me a replacement/re-surfacement (well, maybe not jump). I'm 30, i should be out there living my life, not house bound and miserable.
 
Tracy, did you read my post about being referred elsewhere? Don't let this lot rule your life. You have rights.
 
I did Josephine. I'm going to see what the outcome of this "conversation" is, and see if i can persuade them just to replace the hip. If they are still going to hum and ha as to what they can do, or suggest another arthroscopy, I'll ask to be referred. I'm going to be calling the Prof's secretary again on monday to chase them up again. I need a treatment plan by the end of the month.
 
Hi all,

Hope you are all ok, it's been a while since I checked in. Looking for some help/advice.

If you remember in May 2012 I had a hip arthroscopy (pincer impingement, labral debridement) that actually made me worse. I lost most of my mobility and my consultant fobbed me off. Well long story short, a different consultant did a re-do arthroscopy on 18th December.

He was working off an AR Arthrogram which was a year old, and he decided that he could only see a small cam impingement, so would go in and take that off. Been to see the surgeon today 8 weeks post op and found out all the details of what happened since I wasn't told straight after surgery. The surgeon said that he was unable to dislocate my hip so could only work at the posterior bit. He took off the cam impingement and shaved the head of the femur to ensure no further impingement.

He said that my labrum was damaged and completely missing in places but there was nothing he could do about it. I explained that the pain has always been worse in the groin, the bit he couldn't get to, and what was the next plan. He said nothing and although he couldn't get to it, is "confident" nothing is wrong there. I asked why he couldn't dislocate my hip when the first surgeon had no problem, as this makes me think there is something wrong, stopping it moving. He said it's normal and it's tight muscles, ligaments and a very tight hip capsule. But normal. Is it normal to be unable to dislocate the hip?

In shaving the head of my femur, he has removed the articular cartilage that covers it so that will lead to further problems won't it?

If I'm right, the labrum is one of the most important parts of the hip. I've read that without the labrum, the articular cartilage has 96% more stress on it and therefore damages very quickly. What happens when the labrum has gone and the articular cartilage is breaking down? Apart from being in more pain.

Also, he said nothing else can be done. Anyone know of anything that can be done? They refuse a hip replacement because at 30, too young and according to them, I have to wait 20 years then they would consider it. I am unable to work, walk or really leave the house due to the pain. I feel like I am now under a life sentence of pain, never to get any better, only worse, and it's depressing. Can anyone give me a glimmer of hope????

Tracy
xxx
 
Oh dear...I'm so sorry you are going through this. I'm tagging @Josephine, perhaps she can help.
 
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