Hip Talk at Surface Hippy

I have the same question as mattlorig. I have confirmation through my insurance company (UHC) that a procedure with Dr. De Smet would be covered and treated out of network.

In my case all costs beyond $6k out-of-pocket max would be covered "up to the allowable amount" but have been unable to pin down what an allowable amount looks like.

Can anyone provide insight into what their insurer deemed to be an "allowable amount" in Belgium?

Thanks!

I am glad the website was helpful to you.  Wow, 24 years of use and still working well.  My BHR is only 20 years old and still working well.  When you are a good candidate and use an experience surgeon, the outcomes are usually fantastic as they are for both of us.  I wish you the very best.   Pat

I think you are spot on here. I remember when i was first diagnosed. Doctors wanted to do things that if they suggested it for my dog, i would have put it down. The first orthopedic guy i saw wanted to do an acetabular osteotomy. When i told him that i was thinking about mom resurfacing he berated me. Told me i would be back begging him for a total hip. So i saved every penny i could to make plans to go to belgium for the procedure. I think it was with dr deschmet. $17000 round trip including the flight.
The surgery is an art form. Most surgeons are incredibly arrogant, and i get it, but you have to have something to back it up. Thank goodness i found dr boyd. An artist. Still arrogant, but he had the chops. My hip has been in for 24 years. Sure there are muscular issues, but no debilitating, and none that renewed passion for physical therapy couldnt deal with. I work in the motion picture business as a union guy. My job is physical with lots of lifting and carrying under load. My shoulders have been more of a problem than my hips.
I will be forever grateful i found this site and chose the path i did

hello all
I had my conserve plus prosthetic put in august 2002 by dr boyd in salem oregon. I am part of the fda test that gained approval for the implants in the US. My decision to do so was in no small part influenced by this site some 24 years ago. I am forever grateful. I live in Los Angeles and have been going to dr schmalzried for years after the implant for regular check ups and blood work as was required by the study. In January 2020 dr schmalzried closed up shop at jri. Recently i had an accident. I want to compare my current x rays of my implant with those dr schmalzried took over the years. I googled and chatgpted the dr, and bird dogged all of the leads to no avail. Is there anyone here that knows how to contact the good dr?

Rylowe24

Thanks for sharing your story.  Very inspirational.  I shared your story on the main website so more people can read it under Dr. Su Stories   https://surfacehippy.info/rylowe24s-bilateral-hip-resurfacing-with-dr-su-2023/    

If you every have updates or photos, I will be happy to add them.

Thanks again for sharing.

I wish you the very best!

Pat
 

First post here. I had both hips resurfaced at 31 and wanted to share what recovery actually looked like for someone trying to stay athletic, plus the gear that made the biggest difference.

Background

I had bilateral resurfacing with Dr. Edwin Su. He wouldn't do both at once, so my first hip was done in August 2023 and the second in December. I was 31.

I chose resurfacing because of my age. It solves a lot of the same problems a THR does, but it's less disruptive to your whole leg and your gait, and it let me stay athletic. Today I cycle, lift, hike, and play some pickleball, padel and tennis, with the focus on low impact and building muscle for longevity.

Short version: I recommend it.

The timeline, honestly

Driving: after about a week
Off crutches: 3 weeks
Back on the bike: 2 months
Back to sport: 6 months
Actually feeling normal: about 18 months

The gap between 6 and 18 months is the main thing I want young, active people to hear. You'll be back doing your sport well before your body feels fully normal. Plan for the long game.

Setbacks

My recurring setback was straining my hip flexors, over and over. The cause was that I was under-using my glutes, so my hip flexors were doing work they shouldn't have been doing. If you take one thing from this post: train your glutes, and keep training them after formal PT ends.

The gear

Early recovery:

Raised toilet seat: https://link.amazon/B0is22Y71. Not glamorous, completely necessary. Getting up and down from a standard-height toilet is tough in the first few weeks, especially if your surgeon gives you hip precautions. Get one with handles and set it up before surgery.

Rebuilding (where my setbacks came from):

Glute bands (https://link.amazon/A0iK29qtE). Mini loop bands for clamshells, bridges, lateral walks, whatever your PT assigns. This is the root-cause tool for the hip flexor problem above. They're cheap, and they travel.
Hip flexor release tool. There are two options: the Aletha Hip Hook (I would get the offbrand version and save $100+ (https://link.amazon/B0coM2zpb) or Psoas Release Tool (https://link.amazon/B0cD0CSlr). Both can be helpful. One is good for psoas release and the other (Hip Hook) is good to just release your hip flexors and let your hip "relax". Both let you put sustained pressure into the hip flexors when they lock up. Ask your PT before you start using one, and go easy, because it's deep pressure into the front of the hip.
Yoga Stretching band for hamstring (lying on back) and hip flexor (lying on stomach) (https://link.amazon/B07m5Ewfw). For hip flexor, quad and hamstring stretches. It pairs with the glute work: strengthen the back of the hip, keep the front from getting tight.

Other stuff worth having:

Ice or a cold therapy machine. Follow the time limits and keep a layer between the pad and your skin.
A shower chair and a non-slip mat.
A pillow between your knees for sleeping.
A firm chair with arms. Skip deep, soft couches early on.
Slip-on shoes.
A foam roller. Stay off the incision until you're cleared.

What I'd tell anyone young considering it

Pick the surgeon first and the device second. Look for someone who does a high volume of resurfacings. The surgeon list on the Surface Hippy site is a good place to start.
If you need both hips, talk to your surgeon about staging them. Mine wouldn't do both at once.
Your surgeon's protocol beats anything you read online, this post included.
Return to sport isn't the finish line. I was back to sport at 6 months and didn't feel normal until 18.
Glutes, glutes, glutes.
Long term, low impact and building muscle is the play.

Happy to answer questions here or by PM, especially from anyone young and active weighing resurfacing vs. a THR, or anyone facing both hips. And thanks to Pat for keeping this place running for 20+ years.

I've had 2 resurfacings BHR 20 yrs ago and CoC H1 last year. I had first at 37 years 2nd at 57.
The  hips move naturally I forget I have implants. What could cause your blocking? What did the Surgeon say.

27 is really young to be having such surgery could you try to make the hip last longer - maybe reduce the running? Physio or other treatments.
At your age I would be thinking of revision. Say the implant lasts 20-25 years that means you'll be 47 or 52. I know it doesn't sound like it but that is still young for hip surgery.  Revisions last less than the original ops and people tend to be less happy with the outcomes of revisions.
The great thing about Resurfacing is you keep most of the femur so if it has to be revised to a THR it's like having it for the first time. Unlike a revision of femur in THR.
However Ceramic is Stiffer than Co-Cr (BHR resurfacing) which in turn is stiffer than Titanium, used in most THRs. Ceramic flexes less, transferring less load to the bone so over time the bone behind the Cup wastes away. Happens in all implants but may be worse with Ceramic. However the ceramic cup is smaller than BHR which is smaller than THR. So you're losing less pelvic bone in the first place with a CoC resurfacing. I hope this pushes it to my advantage

I think THR cups have fixing holes, these can be used to inject bone growth/graft  at revision. Resurfacing cups don't have these holes makes getting bone material behind cup very difficult.
So pros and cons to all of them.

I hope to get my BHR, when time comes revised  to a dual mobility THR, i.e. I can keep the existing cup.

If you do get a resurfacing you need an experienced surgeon.

Hi everyone,

I'm 27 and would really value the collective experience here before I go further with my surgeon. I've attached my X-rays (standing pelvis + right hip).

My situation, short version:

- Right hip: The main thing I feel is a sense of *blockage* — like the ball doesn't always rotate cleanly in the socket. It's stiffness and a mechanical "catching" feeling more than pain; actual pain is rare. It's been there for about 6 - 8 years and has clearly gotten worse over the last 5. Oddly, my internal rotation feels fine but external rotation on the right is noticeably limited.

- Lower back: This is where I actually get daily discomfort, and real pain after sport. Never in the hip itself.

- Knee (same leg): I've had ACL and meniscus reconstruction. At rest I can't fully straighten it, but under load / when I push, it does straighten.

- What I want: to stay active — mainly running, cycling and swimming.

My surgeon has advised a ceramic hip resurfacing (the newer Re-Cerf).

My two real questions:

1. The "blocking" feeling.

Does anyone recognize this — a hip that feels like it doesn't turn freely in the socket, with limited external rotation but little pain? What did it turn out to be for you, and did resurfacing actually resolve that mechanical feeling?

2. The knee connection
Does anyone here have experience with a knee that no longer bends/straightens fully and naturally, *combined* with a hip replacement or resurfacing? My worry: if my leg doesn't move through a normal range because of the knee, does that altered gait put extra load on a new hip and shorten its lifespan? Has anyone been told anything about this by their surgeon, or lived it? At my age I'm very conscious that this hip has to last a ling time.

Any knowledge, stories, or "here's what I wish I'd asked" would mean a lot. Thanks in advance.

I wrote an article, with AIs help, answering the age old question - Why Don't More Orthopedic Surgeons Recommend Hip Resurfacing? It took my knowledge and some stats and info from AI, but I think it is a really good article that answers that question. So many people searching for information and surgeons always ask Why aren't there are more hip resurfacing surgeons? Here is the answer: https://surfacehippy.info/why-dont-more-orthopedic-surgeons-recommend-hip-resurfacing-2026/

I received an email from one of the top experienced hip resurfacing surgeons telling me about another ceramic on ceramic hip resurfacing device being developed.  This is always great news since we, as a hip resurfacing community,  want as many options as possible and want  to see growth in hip resurfacing.

A New Ceramic Hip Resurfacing Device from JRI: What We Know So Far 

Hip resurfacing keeps evolving, and another well-established orthopedic company appears to be entering the field. JRI Orthopaedics, based in Sheffield, UK, is reported to be developing a new ceramic-on-ceramic (CoC) hip resurfacing system. The device isn't available yet, and JRI hasn't made a formal announcement with full technical details. But early reports give us a reasonable picture of what to expect — and it's an interesting one, especially given JRI's long history with ceramic implants.https://surfacehippy.info/new-hip-resurfacing-device-from-jri-in-development/