My boyfriend, age 19, has leg-calf perthes disease since he was a child and his hip is severly disinigrated. He has horrible arthritis, and as of now can't walk without a crutch and still has pain then. He's missing a lot of school because he can't sleep at night and is becoming very desperate. He went to Shriners in Erie, PA (where hes gone since he was a child) for a solution. His doctor schedualed a hip fusion. This upsets me a lot becasue i know this is a horrible surgury. I've heard of a new type of hip replacement, ceramic, and other forms that are thought to last 50 years or more. Does anyone know of doctors that perform this? Or do you know if he could have a replacement. He really doesn't want the fusion, it'll be very hard for him, and the replacement would be so much better. His doctor at Shriners doesn't want him to get it, but I think its only because that doctor can't perform it and hes only interested in money, because when my boyfriend so much as mentions it, the doctor immediatly pushes it aside. I'd like to talk to some other doctors and get a few more opinions before he has such a horrible surgury. Please write back or email me as soon as possible, i'm very desperate. Sheena

-- Sheena Marsh (basket_case00@kiwibox.com), December 09, 2003

Answers

I AM 19 YEARS OLD AND CURENTLY HAVE A HIP REPLACMENT. I HAD LEGG PERHTESS. I HAD A HIP FUISON WHEN I WAS 16 DUE TO EXTREME PAIN AND IT DID NOTHING GOOO FOR ME IT ONLY MADE MY PAIN WORSE. THE FUSION NEVER HEELED AND TORE HOLES IN MY BONES. PLUS I HAD TO SPEND 4 MONTHS IN A BODY CAST FOR NOTHING THEN THE DOCTOR WANTTED TO MAKE ME HAVE ANOTHER FUISION AND SPEND ANOTHER 5 MONTHS TO MAKE SURE IT HEALED BUT AFTER GOING TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM IN PAIN AND TOLD THE DOCTOR I HAD A FAILED HIP FUISION HE TOLD ME THAT ONLY HALF ARE SUCCSESFUL, WHATEVER YOU DO DONT GET A HIP FUISION IT TOOK ME A YEAR TO FIND THE RIGHT DOCTOR THAT WOULD HELP AND HE DID MY HIP REPLACEMENT. HUGHSTON SPOTS MEDICIENE HOSPITAL IN COLUMBUS, GEORGIA Dr. Carlton Savory. PLEASE GIVE ME A CALL I WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO YOU AND HELP YOU WITH ANY QUETIONS YOU HAVE. MY NUMBER IS (256)729-8246 OR EMAIL ME

-- Tabitha Franks (www.darkpixiestar@aol.com), December 28, 2003.

Hello. I read your post and have just a few comments. First let it be clear that I have not yet had a THR, but it seems that is what I have in store for my summer break from school. I am 19 years old and was diagnosed with JRA at age 6. As a sophomore in college this year I went home for winter break and had a routine visit to the rheumatologist which turned out to be not so routine. This is when I was told that hip surgery was in order. You stated your boyfriend has always gone to Shriners in PA. I have always gone to University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pittsburgh and I have to say that they don't even consider fusion an option except for very serious cases of hip problems and only in older folks. The first comment the doctor made to me was that anyone who would even suggest a fusion in someone my age would be crazy and needs to look at the advances being made in medicine because they are about 20 years out of the loop. For this reason I can only encourage you to keep on this and do your best to help him avoid the fusion. From what I am told even the ceramic hip won't last 50 years though so don't get your hopes up too high. The studies have only been out for about 11 years on them so as far as that goes all they can really say is that they are easily good for 11 years. Hopes are that they will last 25-30 years without too much wear or breakage, but there is a higher % of chipping with the ceramic hips than the older "models". Still ceramic hips definitely seem to be the wave of the future and hey 25- 30 years before a revision would still put both your boyfriend and I at at least 45 years and as my boyfriend likes to look at it, 'by then it is hard to tell what they will have come up with'. Stay on top of it all. Don't be discouraged. I know what both the arthritis and the sudden need for serious life altering surgery is like. It is scary. I am 19 and in a year I may very well have had to kiss rowing (I rowed for University of Maryland) running, softball, and skiing goodbye. Still, I may be able to bend over and pick up my niece without feeling like I am going to drop to the floor in pain. That means much more. Just remember all that will be possible with the "new parts". Good luck to you and your boyfriend and keep us posted on how the fight for the replacement is going.

-- Jess Dailey (jessdailey@excite.com), January 07, 2004.

So, I had been hit by a drunk driver when I was 13, and I sustained 2 broken arms, broken left knee, and broken left hip. The doctor to rebuild my hip used four screws (2 on either side of the break) and wire to pull it together. One of these lovely screws penetrated into my hip joint. Well, physical therapists didn’t understand why it hurt so bad to rehab, and after several months of crying and complaining of pain, I was sent in for tests. I have developed Aseptic necrosis. My hip joint died. The same doc that did the surgery said that the development of the disease was from trauma, but it took the Shriners in SLC, UT to find that it was the screw causing the mess. The original doc said, "you will not walk till you quit growing and then we can replace your hip". Well, the docs at the Shriners decided to fuse my hip, which happy to say has been great for 12 years, except for the back and knee pain. This Friday the 16th of January 2004 is my hip replacement surgery date. I am scared to death of change, but am welcoming the reduction of pain, post rehab of course...

-- Bill Mead (mwilliam13@comcast.net), January 13, 2004.

WELL, I WAS DIAGNOSED JRA WHEN I WAS 14, NO BIG DEAL UNTIL ONE YEAR AGO WHEN I STARTED HAVING A LOT OF TROUBLE WALKING, DOCTOR SUGGESTED HIP REPLACEMENT I WAITED A LONG TIME BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID FINALLLY ON DECEMBER I HAD IT DONE AND IS THE BEST THING IT COULD EVER HAPPEN TO ME, IM IN RECOVERY NOW BUT I'M DOING GREAT SO I THINK YOUR BOYFRIEND SHOULD GO FOR A HIP REPLACEMENT. GOOD LUCK

-- melissa fernandez (melissaf704@aol.com), January 28, 2004.

Iam 29 and have been told i have no cartlidge around my hips and i require hip replacements and iam so scared of surgey. Please somone tell me some info on the operation.

-- ian rutter (ian.rutter4@ntlworld.com), March 23, 2004.

I was diagnose with AVN at the age of 32. I am writing to you as I sit in a wheel chair recovering from my surgery. I had a hip resurafcing that lasts about 8 to 12 years. THis was done to prolong the process. They are now working on a synthetic diamon hip that will last 100 plus years. Kepp the hope alive.

Gil

-- Gilbert Sanchez (afsfsdf@aol.com), March 30, 2004.

I was diagnosed with hip dysplasia (from birth) when I was 25 years old. I am now 30 and have had both my hips replaced. I had a THR on the right two years ago and am doing very well with that hip. I had the THR on the left about a month ago. The first surgery that I had was the traditional, 12-inch incision. I dislocated the hip two days after getting out of the hospital. That surgery took a good four months to completely heal to where I could walk without assistance of a cane. This second surgery, I had the new MIS 2-incision hip replacement and it has been wonderful. They do this procedure through 2 two-inch incisions (one near the groin and one on the side) and there is no cutting of muscles, tendons, or ligaments. They are able to access the joint by separating the muscles. There has been less pain and a quicker recovery of this recent surgery. There are also less precautions and less chance of dislocation. I was off narcotics and out of bed the day of the surgery! Being a month out from surgery, I can walk on my own around the house and for short distances. I still need the cane for long walks, but I should be off that in a week or so. I would highly recommend researching this procedure for anyone that needs a THR. It has been wonderful. The website to research this or to find a doctor in your area is www.pacewithlife.com.

Good luck!

-- Sonya Luther (sonyal123@hotmail.com), April 13, 2004.

Hi. I was diagnosed with shallow acetabular a couple of years ago. I had done a lot of acrobatics as a child as my joints were supple (obviously)and consequently I now have quite bad arthritis in my left hip. I have been told I will need a hip replacement within the next 15 years (I'm 35 now)or I could have an operation to re-shape the pelvis so that the joint is not so shallow (this sounds extremely painful and a hugely long process and I could be left with a limp). I can't walk very far without pain, on wet days it is worse and I feel a bit of a wet blanket as I have two young children and cannot lift and carry them or run with them due to the pain. I am very frightened of surgery as I have always been a very active person and can't bear the thought of being cut open and having to wait and recover. Also, I heard on the news recently that a cricketer who had not much cartlidge left in his knee had had revolutionary surgery, where new cartlidge had been grown in a lab and then placed into the knee joint, making it possible for him to run again - has anyone heard about this surgery and do you know what it is called and how I can find out about it? I look forward to hearing from someone soon.

Angela Grappy.

-- Angela Grappy (andyandangie@freeuk.com), May 25, 2004.

Isaiah 53. By HIS stripes Sheena's boyfriend is HEALED. I pray right now as I submit this response that our father in heaven is healing his bones and joints. I pray for complete healing in the name of Jesus.

-- Lorenzo R. (dapeps@aol.com), August 08, 2004.

I have been visiting this site for several months know and finally have made the decision to have my left hip replaced at the end of September. I've had JRA since age 2 and my left hip is badly degenerated. I've tried various different things from physical therapy to acupuncture to try and ease the pain. I am going into this surgery confident that I have tried everything and excited for whats to come.

-- Diana (Stanggrl26@aol.com), September 05, 2004.

Sorry, I just re-read my post and realized I wrote that I had been visiting this site for "several months KNOW", should be "several months NOW." Plus I wanted to add that I am 23 years old.

-- Diana (Stanggrl26@aol.com), September 05, 2004.