The "Polar Vortex Continues". Pittsburgh, and much of the country remains under the frosty veil of the Polar Vortex. Upon waking the temperature read -8 F. with a wind chill of -21 F. Today was supposed to be the "warmer day". HA! I don't think the day really got above 14 degrees on the actual temperature and the wind chill might have made it to zero degrees Farenheit.
As time is ticking away and tomorrow is my last day at work people are coming up to me and wishing me well. In addition to this, many of those same people asked me about the surgery. Was I getting a hip replacement? Aren't you too young for that?
The short answer to the second to the second question- YES In most cases hip replacement is NOT done in someone of my age group because they are not known to last that long. Especially in an already active person, the replacement would have to be replaced at least twice within my lifetime. I would actually end up wearing them out. Hip relpacement requires full joint replacement and there for the ball and socket is replaced and the femur is also cut and the surgeons use implants. The fact that my acetabulum (the socket itself) is so shallow would never change.
My hip dysplasia is bilateral and congenital. Meaning is is on both sides and I was born with it. My hip sockets are too shallow and therefore do not properly cushion and protect the ball in the ball and socket part of the hip joint. This causes a few different issues besides just pain. It causes tears in the spongy tissue called labrum, instability, uneven distribution of weight and shock when walking and doing other activities, and can also cause back problems because the rest of your body will try to overcompensate to make up for the underachieving parts.
After seeing a few doctors, my most recent was Dr. John Christoforetti. He is a known hip specialist. he actually referred me to my current surgeon and told me to explore a newer surgery that was just for patients like me. Patients with my type of dysplasia, my age group, and it was very effective and it was called PAO.
At least I felt like I had hope. I wasn't leaving the doctor's office after being told that I had to wait until I was older to get a hip replacement. I have already spent years doing several rounds of physical therapy, cortisone shots, and anti-inflammatory treatments. While most of the time I know I just live with my situation, make my modifications and go forward and be as active as I can, I wouldn't be human if I didn't have days thinking that there has to be a solution, that all of these futile attempts really aren't changing the core issue. So I decided that i am going to go for it and look into PAO.
I called immediately, and amazingly was able to get an appointment the next week! NOT what I had expected. In that week in between, I did my research. I am very thankful to live in the time of the internet. The information and blogs of past patients was so helpful. I took all of this into consideration and took it home and discussed it with David. Even he had been noticing that there were just some evenings and days that I avoided stairs, seemed too sore to do anything and was resting more than I was doing. He also noticed that I was even having problems being on my feet while in stores shopping. I was using carts for stability and not just to hold my purchases.
PAO SURGERY
Periacetabular Osteotomy (PAO) is a surgical treatment for acetabular dysplasia that preserves and enhances the patient's own hip joint rather than replacing it with an artificial part. The goal is to alleviate the patient's pain, restore function, and maximize the functional life of their dysplastic hip. PAO is a procedure that was developed and first performed in 1984 in Bern, Switzerland by Professor Reinhold Ganz with the assistance of Jeffrey Mast, M.D. (an American surgeon from Sparks, Nevada who was spending a year's sabbatical leave with Prof. Ganz).
This surgery involves cutting the pelvis around the hip joint and shifting it into a better position to support the stresses of walking. After the hip is re-positioned, it is held in place with screws until the bone heals. After the bone heals, the screws can be removed, but this is not usually necessary. http://hipdysplasia.org
This surgery is considered hip preservation as it involves using the patient's native hip.As you might imagine, this operation is complex and is usually performed in specialized centers that do this procedure on a frequent basis. After the operation, patients should not put full weight on their leg for up to three months, so crutches or walkers are often recommended along with a wheel chair for longer distances until the bone has healed in its new position. - See more at: http://hipdysplasia.org
My appointment as we know, from this blog, was a success, and I will be having PAO surgery on my left hip. It is the more pronounces of the bilateral dysplastic hips. I will be having the labrum repaired as well. It will only be after i have fully recovered on the left that assessment and a treatment plan for the right can commence.
Getting ready for surgery is never easy-I am quite the veteran of medical issues and doctors have never been a big deal for me. It has been a while since I have gone in for such a complex surgery. The Silver Lining to all of this is that it is to make me better-It is to correct an anatomical issue and not a disease or ailment that is going to come back. Any pain I shall experience going forward will all be in the name of healing and on the road to recovery.
~DRIVE SLOW~
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