Karl, LINEAGE® Ceramic Hip Recipient
The physical pain and limitations of deteriorating hip joints can also inflict an emotional and psychological cost. Karl, from Connecticut, knows all about it.

The 47-year-old husband and father of two teen-age girls said the osteoarthritis in his hips not only caused him pain and held him back physically, but it brought about a not-so-pleasant personality change.

“I was a grouch all the time,” Karl said. “The constant pain just took me down. It seemed like I lost my sense of humor, and I realize I probably wasn’t much fun to be around.”

He is back to being his normal jovial self, plus pain-free and perfectly mobile, he said, since undergoing bilateral hip replacement with ceramic-on-ceramic joint implants in March 2004.

“I can’t say enough good things about it,” he said.

Physical activity had always been an important part of Karl’s life. He had played basketball, soccer, baseball, and ran track in high school. He played college soccer and ran track in college.

“These are the kind of sports that require a lot of quick pivotal moves, and I think that contributed to the wear and tear on my hips,” he said.

He continued to play basketball into adulthood, but by the time he was 40 his osteoarthritis began to diminish the cartilage in his hips and he could feel trouble coming on. Karl is a pharmaceutical sales representative who is always on the go – “definitely not a desk job,” he said – so the increasing pain and lack of flexibility made it more and more difficult for him to get around on his appointments.

“It got to the point that if I sat on a low couch my right hip would lock up. I started limping quite a bit,” he said. “And doing simple everyday things like getting dressed was very painful. I could feel the bone on bone.”

For a while, his primary physician treated his pain with drugs, but Karl was opposed to continuing that for the long term. He wanted a real solution, and began asking about hip replacement surgery.

He didn’t look forward to it, he said, but he made the decision and chose a surgeon at Waterbury Hospital Health Center in Waterbury, Conn. The surgeon, Kristaps J. Keggi, M.D., performed a minimally invasive surgery and replaced both hip joints in a single procedure.

“My expectations were to be able to live without pain and be able to do my work and live a normal life – oh, and reclaim my sense of humor for my family’s sake,” Karl said. “I’m convinced that it was one of the best decisions of my life.”

Karl stayed in bed at home for about week following surgery. He started physical therapy the second week, and he was walking with the help of walker by the fourth week, he said. He committed to and focused on his rehabilitation therapy and after two months was ready to go back to work.

“I’m pain free. I have great flexibility in the joints, and my hip doesn’t lock up anymore,” he said. “Hip replacement was without a doubt the best thing for me to do, because I knew it wasn’t going to get any better – it was going to get worse.

“It gives me a great sense of appreciation for things I used to take for granted, such as crossing one leg over the other knee while sitting down. I couldn’t do it before. I’m grateful, and my family is grateful that I’m no longer such a grouch.”

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.