11 years post op
posted on April 27, 2009

This alum is saying his annual hello after celebrating my eleven year anniversary. A former runner, I had been crippled with OA for over a decade. In early 1998 there were fewer than 40 resurfacings in the U.S. and of course no surfacehippy group or knowledge base. I placed a lot of trust in Dr. Amstutz and it sure paid off. I was skydiving 7 weeks post-op (not doctor approved). I moved to the Palm Springs area 3 years ago and took up competitive tennis, often playing guys half my age and younger. I'm 61 now but my hips feel like they're 18. A couple of days ago I played 8 competitive sets in one day, 5 doubles and 3 singles.

In the senior tennis circuit I run into a lot of folks with joint problems.  Virtually everyone with hip resurfacings has superior results to those with total replacements -- the same is true of the golfers in the area -- yet I'm still amazed resurfacing hasn't received the universal recognition and acceptance it deserves as the gold standard for treating diseased hips. My thanks to Keith, all you posters, and the others who are trying to spread the word.

Dave
C+, Dr. Amstutz, L 3/24/1998, R 2/12/2004

10 years post op
Mar 19, 2008

I'm saying hello on the eve of my ten year anniversary. In early 1998 there were fewer than 40 resurfacings in the U.S. and of course no surfacehippy group or knowledge base. My thanks to Keith and all you posters.

My story
A former runner, I had been crippled with OA for a decade and needed crutches just to stand more than 2 minutes. Dr. Amstutz said he'd only seen one or two more diseased hips in his career. I placed a lot of trust in him and it sure paid off. I was riding the life cycle 5 days post-op and skydiving 7 weeks post-op (not doctor approved). My other hip was resurfaced by the good doctor early in 2004. I moved to the Palm Springs area 19 months ago and took up competitive tennis, both singles and doubles and have won a couple of local tournaments. Other than airport security delays, I couldn't be happier.

Dave
C+, Dr. Amstutz, L 3/24/1998, R 2/12/2004

9 years and goin' strong
May 9, 2007

Recently had my 9 year anniversary and can't say enough about how great it is to regain full activity after so many years of being a crippled former runner. I was one of the first 50 to get the C+, long before there was a surfacehippy forum, long before there was any track record with this implant. I'm happy to report a very active and pain-free lifestyle; I'm currently playing lots of tennis but also work out at the gym, run, cycle, and ski. How fortunate I was to come across resurfacing back in 1997.

The access to all the great information on this site is very heartening.

Wishing all of you the best,
Dave
C+, Dr. Amstutz, L 3/24/1998, R 2/12/2004

Approaching my 8 year anniversary
Thu Feb 9, 2006

I thought I'd check in on the eve of my anniversaries and say hi. 8 years since my left C+ and 2 for my right. I was one of the first 50 to get the C+, long before there was a surfacehippy forum, long before there was any track record with this implant. I'm happy to report I enjoy a very active and pain-free lifestyle; I work out and participate in a host of sports including tennis, trail running, cycling, and skiing. How fortunate I was to come across resurfacing back in 1997.

The access to all the great information on this site is very heartening, but the slow pace of the device's universal acceptance is frustrating.

Wishing all of you the best,
Dave
C+, Dr. Amstutz, L 3/24/1998, R 2/12/2004

7th anniversary post
Mar 21, 2005

Hi all. I thought I'd check in this week on the 7th anniversary of my left C+ (and the 13th plus month on my right C+). I was one of the first 50 to get the C+, long before there was a surfacehippy forum, long before there was any track record with this implant.

I'm happy to report I enjoy a very active pain-free lifestyle; I have zero restrictions due to my hips. X-rays from my recent check-up show continued bone growth around the implants, indicating they're stronger than ever.

Both my recoveries were very fast; I resumed skydiving less than 8 weeks after my first resurfacing and ran 6 miles only 8 weeks after my second resurfacing. I continue to test Dr. Amstutz's handiwork with 10-12 hours of strenuous exercise a week. My running addiction, the cause of my OA, is now under control, limited to a couple of hours of trail running per week.

In addition to recreation, my personal and professional lives also benefit from my freedom from debilitating hip pain — I'm a better father, husband, neighbor and employee. I enter my eighth year on my first C+ with these random opinions and observations:

• The access to all the great information on this site and the growth of our membership is very heartening, but the continued reluctance of the general medical and insurance communities to treat resurfacing as a poor stepchild is very disheartening.
• I see how my brother in law struggles with his total hip replacement. He becomes more limited with each revision. I feel very fortunate for my discovery of resurfacing and have tremendous sympathy for anyone in pain, especially hip pain. I have contempt for any individual or group that attempts to diminish the benefits of resurfacing or deny it to anyone in need.
• I believe there needs to be a few stories in the national U.S. media exposing the barrier to this enlightened procedure (resurfacing) created by (a) the self-serving factions of the U.S. medical community, (b) the FDA approval delay, and (c) the insurance carriers taking advantage of both (a) and (b) to deny coverage. Perhaps it will take a congressman with hip OA to champion our cause.
• In the six years between my first and second resurfacings, there have been technical advances in the device, in the surgical instrument set, and in the surgical procedure itself. The early case studies under review by the FDA, (which include my first), are out of date technically.
• Taking ownership of one's own healthcare is paramount. As an example, not all resurfacing surgeons are equal. I don't want to bash anyone's doctor here, but prospective patients should do as much homework as possible in their surgeon selection to make sure they're using the latest techniques and instrument sets, or more correctly, to make sure they're not using the techniques and instruments sets associated with higher failure rates.
• Pre-op strength and fitness pay big dividends post-op. If you want a faster recovery and resumption of normal activities, work on your strength and cardio fitness prior to surgery.

Wishing all of you the best,
Dave
C+, Dr. Amstutz, L 3/24/1998, R 2/12/2004

Life expectation of resurface
May 21, 2004

Your question assumes resurfacing has a limited life expectancy in which higher impact sports shorten its life even more. That thinking has been historically associated with traditional THRs, which are known to wear out, but large head MoM resurfacing is setting much higher expectations. Both the resurfacing surgical community and its patient community are hopeful it will be a once-in-a-lifetime procedure, but there's only a handful of these large head MoM
resurfacing implants over 10 years old. There have been a few resurfacing revisions, and you need to ask about them, but the bottom line is until more long-term data is available, any projection can only be a best guess. Even then, you have to factor in the relatively recent improvements in both the implants and surgical techniques and their impact on longevity.

Questions about post-resurfacing activity levels are fairly frequent on this site, as are the answers. You'll find many of us surfacehippies have resumed our reasonably high pre-op activity levels, including virtually all the high-impact sports, including the ones you enjoy. I'm in my 7th year on one resurfacing implant and 4th month on the other. I've beat on my original C+s with zero problems, leading me to conclude that if you choose the right surgeon and are willing to work at rehab, there's an excellent chance you can resume all your activities to your pre-op level, if not better. As far as for how long, that's an open question. I, for one, feel other parts of my body will wear out before my new hips.

Dave

Fear...and waiting...
Mar 19, 2004

Chris,

I'm 5 weeks post op from having my 2nd hip resurfaced C+ at JRI by Dr. Amstutz. I'm walking without cane or crutches with no pain. You won't like life for 3 weeks or so after surgery, but then it's all good - you’ll steadily get your life back free of pain and restrictions.

I was one of the 1st 50 to have the C+ in March of 1998 on my 1st hip - absolutely the best decision I could have made. I was skydiving less than 7 weeks post op and have no restrictions in activity and zero pain. In 2 – 3 months I was running, biking, golf, and tennis without restriction. And Dr. Amstutz said I had two of the worse hips he’d ever seen.

For bilateral-to-be Steve, you'll have a much more challenging recovery and rehab. You'll need a lot more patience and support, and a significantly longer rehab period. My hat’s off to you for getting both done at once – something I would not want to do as I relied so much initially on my other leg. It will be tough for a couple of months so hang in there. I have can give you the email of another bilateral patient 6 months post op if you’re interested.

Tip 1
One thing that made my hospital stay more tolerable was my CD player with/AM/FM and a noise-canceling headset. Most patients bring books but find I found it hard to read for any extended period. Hospitals are noisy and invasive – every couple of hours round the clock for checking vitals and blood tests. The CD/radio is calming, whether you listen to tunes or talk radio.

Tip 2
Buy a pair of Ted hose at a local pharmacy prior to the op. Or ask the nursing staff for a second pair to take home. You’ll be wearing them full time for 3 weeks, then at night for another 3 weeks. Multiple pairs are more convenient considering the washing/drying.

Tip 3
You’ll need to sleep on your back for several weeks – not easy to learn for a side sleeper like me. So I rolled a couple of heavy blankets together, tying them into a 2 foot wide roll that I placed between my legs just so I could temporally roll on my non-operated side. If you have a suitable recliner you’ll probably give it a good workout for a couple of weeks.

Tip 4
If you can tolerate the pain with meds, try to strengthening your leg prior to the operation with weight resistance machines – the stronger your leg going in, the faster you’ll regain full use. Leg extension, leg curls, abductors, kick-backs and leg presses are good. Your butt muscles get trashed during the surgery. And any pre-op cardio training will make recovery faster.

Make no mistake, this surgery is major and waking up with all the tubes, wires, and catheter is not pleasant and there is pain - my thanks to the inventor of morphine. It’s also a bit of an emotionally roller coaster. But it is just temporary and more than worth it to get back your quality of life. I’m convinced the C+ from Dr. Amstutz is the gold standard for hip resurfacing/hip replacement. You can’t make a better decision. Hang tough for a couple of weeks following the op and then when you see your progress and are free of pain, any doubts will fade away.

Let me know if you're interested in my recovery/rehab advice.

Dave G.
C+ left 3/98, right 2/04. JRI, Dr. Amstutz

If you would like to contact Dave, He gave me permission to post his email address. It is dm_griggzy@ hotmail.com, just delete the space so he does not get a ton of spam.