As the senior partner in an orthopedic surgery group, John is usually on the preferred end of hip replacement surgery – standing over the operating table, not lying on it. So when he had his own left hip surgically replaced in August 2005, he chalked it up as good professional experience – learning first-hand exactly how the patient feels.
But first he had to figure out that his problem was, in fact, his hip.
“I know this sounds funny with all my experience, but I thought it was my back causing me the problem,” John, 63, said. “I was feeling more and more pain, and I was beginning to look for parking spaces closer to the office, and friends said I was limping. But I thought it was my back.”
His friend, Doug Morrison, M.D., ordered an X-ray, and the result showed a hip joint worn out from osteoarthritis and, most likely, a lot of hard mileage. John is an avid outdoorsman who for years has hunted, hiked, bicycled, rafted, ridden horses and snow skied back-country style.
“Human hip joints weren’t made to last for as long as we now live, especially if we’re very active,” John said. “I think my case is pretty typical.”
And being quite knowledgeable about joint replacement, John knew what he wanted: a Wright Medical A-CLASS™ metal-on-metal joint with Big Femoral Head (BFH® Technology). He said it featured a very stable construct with virtually no risk of displacement, plus it had a very good range of motion and great longevity.
Dr. Morrison performed the surgery August 4, and John started his physical rehabilitation almost immediately. By his fourth week, he said, he could have returned to work but he first wanted to participate in an annual bow hunt for elk that he does every year at Hell’s Canyon in Northeast Oregon.
“That was six weeks after surgery,” he said. “Hell’s Canyon was covered in snow, and it has some very challenging terrain. I didn’t get an elk, but I was doing well to walk the canyon, which is the deepest canyon in North America. The hip didn’t hold me back.”
He described a style of walking used in hunting that he called the “weasel walk,” meant to put down the feet very slowly and noiselessly. “It takes command of all the lower body muscles, so it is a very good work out,” he said. “I used it for therapy after my surgery.”
At seven weeks he was able to mount a horse and ride, and returned to road biking, which he said is terrific physical therapy.
John tells his patients that if their worn joints are not affecting their lifestyle, and not holding them back in some way, then maybe they don’t need the surgery.
“But if you’re very active, you are likely going to outlive your hip and knee joints,” he said. “I couldn’t see myself giving up the things I love to do. So hip surgery was the right answer, and there was no reason to wait.”
These results are specific to this individual only. Individual results and activity levels after surgery vary and depend on many factors including age, weight and prior activity level.
There are risks and recovery times associated with surgery and there are certain individuals who should not undergo surgery.
Only a physician can tell you if this product and associated procedure are right for you and your unique circumstances. Please consult with a physician for complete information regarding benefits, risks and possible outcomes.
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His friend, Doug Morrison, M.D., ordered an X-ray, and the result showed a hip joint worn out from osteoarthritis and, most likely, a lot of hard mileage. John is an avid outdoorsman who for years has hunted, hiked, bicycled, rafted, ridden horses and snow skied back-country style.
And being quite knowledgeable about joint replacement, John knew what he wanted: a Wright Medical A-CLASS™ metal-on-metal joint with Big Femoral Head (BFH® Technology). He said it featured a very stable construct with virtually no risk of displacement, plus it had a very good range of motion and great longevity.
He described a style of walking used in hunting that he called the “weasel walk,” meant to put down the feet very slowly and noiselessly. “It takes command of all the lower body muscles, so it is a very good work out,” he said. “I used it for therapy after my surgery.”
