Tags
Hip Replacement, hip resurfacing, Kansas, Nephew Smith, Physical therapy, Scott Cook, Smith, X-ray computed tomography
I was 46 and diagnosed with severe OA in both hips. I had no previous injury but have been incredibly physically active all of my life until the severe pain was interfering with everyday life.
It’s important to note that I am 5’4 and 102 lbs with a small frame.
I found out about resurfacing mostly through the surface hippy blog and felt that it was a great option for me since I was young and wasn’t presenting with osteoporosis.
I also had talked with a male teacher/coach from our local high school that had it done. My orthopedic surgeon, was McMinn trained and he too thought I was a good candidate.
So I had 2 Smith and Nephew BHRs put in August and December of 2008.
My right hip was first and immediately didn’t feel right but all xrays showed the surgery successful. So I proceeded with the left hip. Within months of healing from the left, I still felt pain in my back and right hip. We tried injections, a CT scan and physical therapy for the back pain but it wouldn’t go away.
I had read about pseudotumors and how fluid can collect so we decided to do an ultrasound which revealed the fluid.
So, after 2+ years of suffering, in November 2010 I had a THR on my right hip.
I was furious that I was on my 3rd surgery and started to research more about other BHR failures.
I found an article that the NYTimes had printed Nov. 7, 2008 entitled Red Flags for Hip Resurfacing in Women and even confronted my surgeon.
He said we turned his world upside down and would no longer be quick to do resurfacing on small women!! I went ahead and let him perform my THR.
I am now 50 and am undergoing blood work every six months to check my chromium and cobalt levels.
The last result showed some decline but I don’t think my doctor is 100 percent happy with the numbers. So I will be tested in February. I have begun to exercise more (elliptical/walking) and am so far doing okay.
I occasionally will have left hip pain and worry when it too will fail me…there continues to be more and more negative information published about metal on metal hip replacements all of the time including my Smith and Nephew. (I have signed up for the Google service which automatically emails me whenever any article is put out about hip resurfacing and that is how I now keep up with what is happening with resurfacing and that is how I found your blog.)
I am interested if in the future Smith and Nephew faces any lawsuits. I feel they were way too eager to put this metal on metal product out before really knowing everything they should about metal ions and the best patient profile. (I have read several articles stating that large men with good bone stock are the best candidates.)
Thanks.
Alison Hershberger
Leawood, Kansas
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- Bryan’s Story – 28 Years Old, Two Hip Replacements – One dud Smith & Nephew BHR (earlsview.com)
- More Hocus Pocus around the Smith & Nephew BHR Metallosis Problems (earlsview.com)
- The Power of the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing – NOT (earlsview.com)
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- Prisoner in own home at 43 – Smith & Nephew BHR disaster – again (UK) (earlsview.com)
- Howard View – on a few things (earlsview.com)
- BHR Metallosis – Trust your Body – it is more sensitive than X-Rays! (earlsview.com)
- More Smith & Nephew BHR Problems – Katie’s Story (USA) (earlsview.com)
- Alison’s story – BHR’s don’t work for petite women – read on… (earlsview.com)
Lisa, I no your pain, frustrations and anything else you have suffered and will continue to go through with your BHR experience.
Keep exercising, the better you condition your body the more it will help you endure what lioes ahead. You will need all your strength, to first get healthy and second if you intend to pursue action against the manufacturer, you may want to contact me, Howard Sadwin ( ) or 941-924-1921. You can find out about me through Earl’s view.
Get well, keep your head up, and your will strong, and contact me.
Respectfully
Howard Sadwin
Hi Alison, My heart goes out to you. Thank you for sharing your story. I too have BHR issues. While not as tiny as you, I am petite (5’5, 130) and hyper-flexible. It seems these are not compatible with the BHR design. My story is on here as well and I hope your connections on this site will help encourage you and affirm that you are not the only one. There is also a great women’s group that I am a part of called “Hip Chicks”. You may wish to check them out; many great gals struggling with all kinds of hip problems. http://hipchicksunite.ning.com/ . Also, you may always contact me if you have questions or if you need someone to listen who has been there. I wish you the best, Katie.
Thanks Katie – how is the recovery going?
Earl
Hi Earl. Its going ok. Its still early and I have good days and bad. I did manage to walk around the block for the first time this morning with just one crutch. It took me 45 minutes but I did it (13 days post-op)! I probably will “pay later” when I try to settle down and go to sleep. The recovery is very different from my resurf. recovery. Overall, it seems to be progressing far quicker with less pain overall. Right now, I am concerned with the use of blood thinners. Specifically lovenox and side-effects. I gave myself my second to last dose this morning and immediately had vomiting, shaking, cold sweats and severe abdominal cramps. It was so strange because I have managed to take it 12 times prior without a reaction. Anyway, I am glad to see that more people are finding your site and have begun to feel comfortable posting their stories. The similarities are not surprising. If nothing else, I hope these stories give people a better, more balanced understanding of resurfacing problems. They are far from perfect and I think very similar to other MoM replacements that have been or should be recalled.
Katie
Pingback: Mark’s Story – another Smith & Nephew BHR disaster – 18 Months « Earl's View
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Hi Katie
you are doing way better than I did!!! Did you have bone grafts? I had to stay on crutches for 2 months. The recovery does seem better than the original hip replacement – not sure why but maybe we are just more experienced?
The blood thinner reaction is weird. I was on Clexane injections for 2 months and they were fine. I hated warfarin which I was on for my first replacement.
There have not been too many bright spots on the blog lately but I suppose that is necessary to bring the pressure to bear on the Orthopaedic companies and Smith & Nephew in particular who have escaped public scrutiny so far.
Keep up the good work – I hope you have some help from the family?
Earl
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Is there a support group on the Northside of Brisbane? I need help and someone who understands to speak with.
Many thanks, Lynn
Hi Lynn
I am not aware of any group on the Northside of Brisbane but there may be?
I am happy to help – I live on the GC and work in Brisbane.
Regards
Earl
thank you earl for your excellent site. and for your reply. i have a sulizer allopro total hip replacement mom, was one ot the first mom hips to be placed here in australia.march 1998 ,. after mva in 1988 had metal plate and pins that failed was refitted with mom, have disslocated on numerous occasions. now have pain high cobalt and gromium levals as high as 95 and 53 only to be rold this is not a problem, now have thyroid problem s now on medications for allso derlin for rapid heart beat, swelling in the hip and feet, ,difficulty walking eye sight getting progressivley worse (,so do excuse error s )The colour of my skin has changed to the point ,for the past 12 months people are asking me about my aboriginality, i have no problem with colour but i am from england originally and was fair skined untill 12 months ago . i have been led to believe it is caused by the thyroid but on some investagation of the periodic table , i have since found that cobalt is used for pigmentation . my weight last jan went as low as 39kg with sickness i was dealing with and have regainrd some weight since starting thyroid meds but still most days have trouble keeping food down,, told this is stress related. , asked doc to refer me to ortho specilist for second opinion ,went along .only to be told not his field of expertise. . my question is -is there any one in australia who dose know what they are talkjng about reguarding mom hips and the toxic results it is having on our bodies? no one told me that i had a cobalt and cromium mom hip replacement , i was told that i would recieve the new steel hip when it was done. no one warned me about toxicty , i am not a well educated woman have only learned how to use a computer and serch a site in the last month trying to find some answers for my self that i came across your site earl , i cryed with relife when i found your site, you validated every thing that i have felt for a long time. i felt i was losing my mind and had given up hope of being taken seriously ,my pain and frustation and depression had got to the point of giving up that i ended up in the mental health unit and was told i have ptsd. as a result of the motor accident which resulted in my injurys and also the death of my husband. the coming fortnight its of f to the ortho specilist again for a review consult at the local hospital but this tine i will go armed with the knowledge i have learned over the past month.thank you earl for conecting me to the information i needed and the stories that have been shared here .there is not one problem there is a big problem with all mom/
hips/
many thanks, LYNN