The Harmonious Hip: March 2012

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Just an old sweet song....

Georgia on my mind....

Trip to Atlanta to meet my new (and hopefully FINAL!) hip surgeon was a smashing success. Dr. Tim Schrader is a wonderful, very sweet and very thorough doctor and I am absolutely elated to get to work with him and his entire delightful staff! My white knight.... *sigh*

Snap! Back to reality! So, now that I'm back in the Houston area, Dr. S wants me to get another set of MRI/Arthrograms and a hip CT before surgery with him. He says I am a perfect candidate for a reverse PAO (see definitions for acronym discernment) and gave me the highlights of my pre/post op instructions. Stop NSAIDS 2 weeks prior to surgery. Arrive in Atlanta about 2-3 days prior to surgery for labwork and to donate blood for cell saver, should they need to give me a transfusion during surgery (apparently there can be significant blood loss with a PAO). I should be in the hospital for about 3 days post-op, with drains from the operative site (yay....not!) and a foley (double yay...NOT!). After he removes all that mess and discharges me from the hospital, he wants me to stay in town a few days before hopping back on a plane. Recovery at home will include TED compression stockings for 4 weeks, daily baby Aspirin for 4 weeks (no Lovenox shots...yay!!!) and crutches with very light toe-touches for 6-8 weeks. Then progressing to only one crutch for a month, and then a cane should I feel the need for support on long distances. Yes, yes...let the jokes commence...Amy is getting screwed! There will be 3-5 large screws in place in the greater trochanter (that's the "elephant ear" looking part of your hip, y'all) that he says will be quite painful. After the bones fully fuse and heal, should they remain painful, he says he can later remove the screws. So, basically we're looking at a 3-4 month full recovery, Lord-willing. THEN we'll start talking about the OTHER hip....
Sweet! Sign me up! When do we start??? :-D

No surgery date set quite yet....working through all the insurance hoops and shenanigans, but I promise y'all will be the first to know! In all probability we're looking at May/June...woohoo! Just in time for those yummy GEORGIA PEACHES!

What is Hip Dysplasia?

You may hear about babies or pets with hip dysplasia, but it can affect adults, especially young women. Hip dysplasia is an abnormal condition affecting the hip socket, oracetabulum, and the thighbone, or femur. In someone with hip dysplasia, the hip socket is too shallow, or the femur is in the wrong place. Doctors check for hip dysplasia in babies before sending them home from the hospital -- it's an easily treatable condition in newborns. But if hip dysplasia isn't detected and corrected at an early age, the health of the hip will deteriorate over time because of its misalignment. Depending on the severity of the situation, this could result in pain, osteoarthritis, difficulty walking or an inability to walk. It can also contribute to a marked deterioration in a person's basic quality of life. It's not just dogs and babies, y'all!

Periacetabular Osteotomy (or PAO)

PAO: The Mother of All Hip Surgeries... A procedure that cuts the hip socket out of the pelvis to allow the socket to be repositioned and then screwed back into place. This allows the ball & socket to move fluidly, preventing further cartilage damage and preserving the joint in patients with faulty hips. The PAO preserves and enhances the patient's own hip, NOT replacing it with artificial parts like a hip replacement. The hip may still develop arthritis over time, even when the operation is successful. However, PAO is still the preferred treatment in young adults to postpone the need for hip replacement as long as possible.

The Harmonious Hip

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

For grins and giggles....

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Just an old sweet song....