Re: 24 yr old Nervous need opinion on Doctor

[Guest guest]

Tho: I believe most of us have been in the same situation re lack of

knowledge, doctor involvement, etc.. Then we came out of the dark and into

the light. Here is some information that I recently posted for another

" newbie " to this site:

I was resurfaced by and highly recommend Dr. s at Good

Samaritan Hospital in Baltimore. I couldn't speak more highly of him, his

responsiveness, his sense of humor, his staff, the hospital and the rehab

center at Good Sam's (internationally renowned and run with s Hopkins).

Dr. s is part of the Corin trial. Contact info is as follows:

Dr. s

Chief of Orthopedic Surgery - TeamOrthopedist - Baltimore Orioles

(I think this might be formerly)

Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery- s Hopkins University

Good Samaritan Hospital

Bldg. - Room 405

5601 Loch Raven Blvd.

Baltimore, MD 21239

Contact: Sharon O'Shaughnessy;

or Shirley Panopoulos, x4767

Good luck,

Maureen

R Hip 10.31.02

[Guest guest]

Tho: I believe most of us have been in the same situation re lack of

knowledge, doctor involvement, etc.. Then we came out of the dark and into

the light. Here is some information that I recently posted for another

" newbie " to this site:

I was resurfaced by and highly recommend Dr. s at Good

Samaritan Hospital in Baltimore. I couldn't speak more highly of him, his

responsiveness, his sense of humor, his staff, the hospital and the rehab

center at Good Sam's (internationally renowned and run with s Hopkins).

Dr. s is part of the Corin trial. Contact info is as follows:

Dr. s

Chief of Orthopedic Surgery - TeamOrthopedist - Baltimore Orioles

(I think this might be formerly)

Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery- s Hopkins University

Good Samaritan Hospital

Bldg. - Room 405

5601 Loch Raven Blvd.

Baltimore, MD 21239

Contact: Sharon O'Shaughnessy;

or Shirley Panopoulos, x4767

Good luck,

Maureen

R Hip 10.31.02

[Guest guest]

Hi Tho!

It is crucial that you feel more comfortable with your surgeon. Have you

told him about your feelings? If not, do so. Regardless fo what you do

(BHR, C++, THR) you have to be able to trust your doctor. This doesn't just

mean that he has a good reputation, but that chatting with him, you have

something unspoken that makes you relax. You will be dealing with him for

many years to come and if you don't trust him, you will regret it, even if

everything goes swimmingly.

That said, from what I have read, Dr. Vail has a fine reputation. If he

feels he can fix your hip, he's telling you the truth.

I went to the UK for mine, because that was the only option that made me

feel ok. It took some convincing, since I *hate* surgery, Here's what I did

so you can try it:

* Get a clear idea of what you want out of this. If you want to just be a

couch potato afterwards (that's fine) you need to have a different set of

priorities than if you want to become a triathlete. (Yes there is at least

one of those on this list and he's a doctor to boot.) In general, the

implants are pretty rugged but their high-end success (e.g. if you can do

that ultra-marathon) comes from the experience and skill of the surgeon.

Placement down to the millimeter is a must for this sort of performance.

* Communicate with the doctor's patients and prospective patients on this

list.

* If possible, ask to speak to some of these people on the phone. (As a

courtesy, use your own dime.)

* Call the doctor's office and ask if they have a list of people who have

had this procedure and who are amenable to chatting with you about it and

its outcome.

* Dont' be coy. No matter what the outcome, it will change your life. If it

fails (and we have to live with this prospect) you _have_ to be able to say

that you made a good decision. Kicking yurself every morning for not having

done your homework after some failure is a punishment in itself, and one

you should not have to bear, Be polite, but if you have an awkward

question, ask it. We've all been down this path so we're probably more on

your wavelength than you think!

One final note about trust. I like to do sports and martial arts. Working

at a high level means that I have to trust my body completely and work

within my limitations. For this, I must rely on the doctor and my own

limitless candor about what I intend to do with this implant if he ok's it.

Having this gnawing feeling that I'm exceeding the specifications of my

hardware would be unacceptable, since I would never really trust my body.

Even if you don't want to operate at this level, this is, I think, what it

boils down to for choosing a doctor. If my doctor tells me I can touch my

toes with impunity, I take it at face value. If you wouldn't buy a used car

from your doctor, are you really going to take to heart what he says about

your hip, with all of the pain and suffereing you've already endured with

it?

Carpe diem!

Jeff

Right BHR Aug. 1, 2001

Mr. McMinn

>I am a 24 year old with a hip that was shattered 2 years ago and was

>rebuilt. After travel to celebrate being alive (car accident injury)

>and working for a year my hip has become the biggest limitation I

>have ever known. I am in a wheelchair currently and although I have

>days when walking is okay...the evenings at the end of those days are

>agonizing and constant. I have met with Dr. Vail at Duke University

>several times. First he arranged for and arthroscopic surgery which

>worked wonders. Before surgery walking had become impossible...now I

>have good days but the overall pain has remained the same. I have

>read the entire site at midmedtec.co.uk and I recommend it heavily to

>anyone who feels like they just dont get the explanations provided

>about Hip Resurfacing. The page I believe is co-written my Dr.

>McMinn who helped develop hip resurfacing. My biggest fear is

>choosing the wrong doctor....unfortunately my finances require that I

>search within the US before looking into europe. My main concerns

>regarding Dr. Vail so far have been how difficult it is to make an

>appointment with him and how long it takes for someone to contact me

>from his office when I call. I will say in his defense that he a

>very busy guy, however, I am nervous that I have a date for

>resurfacing of April 30th and I am not even scheduled to speak with

>him regarding the procedure until April 15th. Almost all knowledge I

>have is internet based. Originally I had gotten the impression

>(maybe not intentionally) that Dr. Vail had pioneered this procedure

>and was the foremost authority on the subject. I received that

>impression mainly due to the lack of any information given to me

>about the procedure from him. I was refered to him by the surgeon

>who rebuilt my leg initially and prior to my visit with Dr. Vail I

>had never heard of resurfacing. I thought my only option was a THR.

>I never fully understood the impact of the bone preservation involved

>in a Resurfacing as opposed to the THR until I read the website

>provided by www.midmedtec.co.uk, also I didn;t fully understand the

>procedure and the differences between THR and Resurfacing until i

>watched the animations on this page

>

>http://www.grossortho.com/education.html

>Click on the links under Patient Education.

>

>I feel pretty helpless considering I have to research all of this

>myself and my doctor seems to be half involved. I made the

>appointment for surgery without ever talking to him. The last two

>times i have been to his office I have been seen by someone other

>than him and when he performed the Arthroscopy I never saw him...Not

>even post surgery. I also am quite aware that he is a highly skilled

>surgeon with a large amount of patients and has a high demand for his

>time. I am having a hard time relaxing and trying to develop trust

>in this man. He may well be the best man for the job, but it just

>doesn't " feel " right. If anyone else has any advice or doctor

>guidance I would appreciate the words.

>

>this was gonna be a quick post.

>

>Thanks

>

>Tho

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Tho!

It is crucial that you feel more comfortable with your surgeon. Have you

told him about your feelings? If not, do so. Regardless fo what you do

(BHR, C++, THR) you have to be able to trust your doctor. This doesn't just

mean that he has a good reputation, but that chatting with him, you have

something unspoken that makes you relax. You will be dealing with him for

many years to come and if you don't trust him, you will regret it, even if

everything goes swimmingly.

That said, from what I have read, Dr. Vail has a fine reputation. If he

feels he can fix your hip, he's telling you the truth.

I went to the UK for mine, because that was the only option that made me

feel ok. It took some convincing, since I *hate* surgery, Here's what I did

so you can try it:

* Get a clear idea of what you want out of this. If you want to just be a

couch potato afterwards (that's fine) you need to have a different set of

priorities than if you want to become a triathlete. (Yes there is at least

one of those on this list and he's a doctor to boot.) In general, the

implants are pretty rugged but their high-end success (e.g. if you can do

that ultra-marathon) comes from the experience and skill of the surgeon.

Placement down to the millimeter is a must for this sort of performance.

* Communicate with the doctor's patients and prospective patients on this

list.

* If possible, ask to speak to some of these people on the phone. (As a

courtesy, use your own dime.)

* Call the doctor's office and ask if they have a list of people who have

had this procedure and who are amenable to chatting with you about it and

its outcome.

* Dont' be coy. No matter what the outcome, it will change your life. If it

fails (and we have to live with this prospect) you _have_ to be able to say

that you made a good decision. Kicking yurself every morning for not having

done your homework after some failure is a punishment in itself, and one

you should not have to bear, Be polite, but if you have an awkward

question, ask it. We've all been down this path so we're probably more on

your wavelength than you think!

One final note about trust. I like to do sports and martial arts. Working

at a high level means that I have to trust my body completely and work

within my limitations. For this, I must rely on the doctor and my own

limitless candor about what I intend to do with this implant if he ok's it.

Having this gnawing feeling that I'm exceeding the specifications of my

hardware would be unacceptable, since I would never really trust my body.

Even if you don't want to operate at this level, this is, I think, what it

boils down to for choosing a doctor. If my doctor tells me I can touch my

toes with impunity, I take it at face value. If you wouldn't buy a used car

from your doctor, are you really going to take to heart what he says about

your hip, with all of the pain and suffereing you've already endured with

it?

Carpe diem!

Jeff

Right BHR Aug. 1, 2001

Mr. McMinn

>I am a 24 year old with a hip that was shattered 2 years ago and was

>rebuilt. After travel to celebrate being alive (car accident injury)

>and working for a year my hip has become the biggest limitation I

>have ever known. I am in a wheelchair currently and although I have

>days when walking is okay...the evenings at the end of those days are

>agonizing and constant. I have met with Dr. Vail at Duke University

>several times. First he arranged for and arthroscopic surgery which

>worked wonders. Before surgery walking had become impossible...now I

>have good days but the overall pain has remained the same. I have

>read the entire site at midmedtec.co.uk and I recommend it heavily to

>anyone who feels like they just dont get the explanations provided

>about Hip Resurfacing. The page I believe is co-written my Dr.

>McMinn who helped develop hip resurfacing. My biggest fear is

>choosing the wrong doctor....unfortunately my finances require that I

>search within the US before looking into europe. My main concerns

>regarding Dr. Vail so far have been how difficult it is to make an

>appointment with him and how long it takes for someone to contact me

>from his office when I call. I will say in his defense that he a

>very busy guy, however, I am nervous that I have a date for

>resurfacing of April 30th and I am not even scheduled to speak with

>him regarding the procedure until April 15th. Almost all knowledge I

>have is internet based. Originally I had gotten the impression

>(maybe not intentionally) that Dr. Vail had pioneered this procedure

>and was the foremost authority on the subject. I received that

>impression mainly due to the lack of any information given to me

>about the procedure from him. I was refered to him by the surgeon

>who rebuilt my leg initially and prior to my visit with Dr. Vail I

>had never heard of resurfacing. I thought my only option was a THR.

>I never fully understood the impact of the bone preservation involved

>in a Resurfacing as opposed to the THR until I read the website

>provided by www.midmedtec.co.uk, also I didn;t fully understand the

>procedure and the differences between THR and Resurfacing until i

>watched the animations on this page

>

>http://www.grossortho.com/education.html

>Click on the links under Patient Education.

>

>I feel pretty helpless considering I have to research all of this

>myself and my doctor seems to be half involved. I made the

>appointment for surgery without ever talking to him. The last two

>times i have been to his office I have been seen by someone other

>than him and when he performed the Arthroscopy I never saw him...Not

>even post surgery. I also am quite aware that he is a highly skilled

>surgeon with a large amount of patients and has a high demand for his

>time. I am having a hard time relaxing and trying to develop trust

>in this man. He may well be the best man for the job, but it just

>doesn't " feel " right. If anyone else has any advice or doctor

>guidance I would appreciate the words.

>

>this was gonna be a quick post.

>

>Thanks

>

>Tho

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Tho!

It is crucial that you feel more comfortable with your surgeon. Have you

told him about your feelings? If not, do so. Regardless fo what you do

(BHR, C++, THR) you have to be able to trust your doctor. This doesn't just

mean that he has a good reputation, but that chatting with him, you have

something unspoken that makes you relax. You will be dealing with him for

many years to come and if you don't trust him, you will regret it, even if

everything goes swimmingly.

That said, from what I have read, Dr. Vail has a fine reputation. If he

feels he can fix your hip, he's telling you the truth.

I went to the UK for mine, because that was the only option that made me

feel ok. It took some convincing, since I *hate* surgery, Here's what I did

so you can try it:

* Get a clear idea of what you want out of this. If you want to just be a

couch potato afterwards (that's fine) you need to have a different set of

priorities than if you want to become a triathlete. (Yes there is at least

one of those on this list and he's a doctor to boot.) In general, the

implants are pretty rugged but their high-end success (e.g. if you can do

that ultra-marathon) comes from the experience and skill of the surgeon.

Placement down to the millimeter is a must for this sort of performance.

* Communicate with the doctor's patients and prospective patients on this

list.

* If possible, ask to speak to some of these people on the phone. (As a

courtesy, use your own dime.)

* Call the doctor's office and ask if they have a list of people who have

had this procedure and who are amenable to chatting with you about it and

its outcome.

* Dont' be coy. No matter what the outcome, it will change your life. If it

fails (and we have to live with this prospect) you _have_ to be able to say

that you made a good decision. Kicking yurself every morning for not having

done your homework after some failure is a punishment in itself, and one

you should not have to bear, Be polite, but if you have an awkward

question, ask it. We've all been down this path so we're probably more on

your wavelength than you think!

One final note about trust. I like to do sports and martial arts. Working

at a high level means that I have to trust my body completely and work

within my limitations. For this, I must rely on the doctor and my own

limitless candor about what I intend to do with this implant if he ok's it.

Having this gnawing feeling that I'm exceeding the specifications of my

hardware would be unacceptable, since I would never really trust my body.

Even if you don't want to operate at this level, this is, I think, what it

boils down to for choosing a doctor. If my doctor tells me I can touch my

toes with impunity, I take it at face value. If you wouldn't buy a used car

from your doctor, are you really going to take to heart what he says about

your hip, with all of the pain and suffereing you've already endured with

it?

Carpe diem!

Jeff

Right BHR Aug. 1, 2001

Mr. McMinn

>I am a 24 year old with a hip that was shattered 2 years ago and was

>rebuilt. After travel to celebrate being alive (car accident injury)

>and working for a year my hip has become the biggest limitation I

>have ever known. I am in a wheelchair currently and although I have

>days when walking is okay...the evenings at the end of those days are

>agonizing and constant. I have met with Dr. Vail at Duke University

>several times. First he arranged for and arthroscopic surgery which

>worked wonders. Before surgery walking had become impossible...now I

>have good days but the overall pain has remained the same. I have

>read the entire site at midmedtec.co.uk and I recommend it heavily to

>anyone who feels like they just dont get the explanations provided

>about Hip Resurfacing. The page I believe is co-written my Dr.

>McMinn who helped develop hip resurfacing. My biggest fear is

>choosing the wrong doctor....unfortunately my finances require that I

>search within the US before looking into europe. My main concerns

>regarding Dr. Vail so far have been how difficult it is to make an

>appointment with him and how long it takes for someone to contact me

>from his office when I call. I will say in his defense that he a

>very busy guy, however, I am nervous that I have a date for

>resurfacing of April 30th and I am not even scheduled to speak with

>him regarding the procedure until April 15th. Almost all knowledge I

>have is internet based. Originally I had gotten the impression

>(maybe not intentionally) that Dr. Vail had pioneered this procedure

>and was the foremost authority on the subject. I received that

>impression mainly due to the lack of any information given to me

>about the procedure from him. I was refered to him by the surgeon

>who rebuilt my leg initially and prior to my visit with Dr. Vail I

>had never heard of resurfacing. I thought my only option was a THR.

>I never fully understood the impact of the bone preservation involved

>in a Resurfacing as opposed to the THR until I read the website

>provided by www.midmedtec.co.uk, also I didn;t fully understand the

>procedure and the differences between THR and Resurfacing until i

>watched the animations on this page

>

>http://www.grossortho.com/education.html

>Click on the links under Patient Education.

>

>I feel pretty helpless considering I have to research all of this

>myself and my doctor seems to be half involved. I made the

>appointment for surgery without ever talking to him. The last two

>times i have been to his office I have been seen by someone other

>than him and when he performed the Arthroscopy I never saw him...Not

>even post surgery. I also am quite aware that he is a highly skilled

>surgeon with a large amount of patients and has a high demand for his

>time. I am having a hard time relaxing and trying to develop trust

>in this man. He may well be the best man for the job, but it just

>doesn't " feel " right. If anyone else has any advice or doctor

>guidance I would appreciate the words.

>

>this was gonna be a quick post.

>

>Thanks

>

>Tho

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I am having a hard time relaxing and trying to develop trust

> in this man. He may well be the best man for the job, but it just

> doesn't " feel " right. If anyone else has any advice or doctor

> guidance I would appreciate the words.

>

> this was gonna be a quick post.

>

Tho,

I take it you are in the southeastern area of the U.S. I don't have

any personal knowledge about Dr. Vail except that I have only read

good things about him as a surgeon. In my quest for insurance

coverage for resurfacing he was one of 7 who did not respond to my

plea for help. Seven of the 14 OS in the country did find the time

to reply. I even received a personal phone call from Dr.

Schalzreid. All these guys are extremely busy. Some simply have

better people skills than others that don't affect their abilities as

surgeons. Any of the resurfacing surgeons in the US would be good in

my opinion. They are select few and at the top of their game.

That said, if you indeed are nervous about having him as your surgeon

I highly suggest you call Dr. Gross's office in SC. His right hand

person, Lee Webb is very personable and knowledgable about

resurfacing and her responses are almost immediate. The two are

joined at the hip (no pun intended) in their work. She handles all

the pre-op stuff except for the initial interview which she does in

tandem with Dr. Gross. These two work so hard that my interview was

by phone on a Friday evening at 8 PM. Lee makes you feel as though

you are their only patient yet Dr. Gross does 400 sugeries/year. He

is up to 140 (give or take a few) resurfacings and is the head OS of

the Corin trial in the US. He does many young people some in their

teens. Most of the people who go for resurfacing already know most

of what has been written on the subject before their interviews. The

interview time is one for fine tuning your individual situation and

getting to know the OS. I didn't meet Dr. Gross personally till

three days before my surgery simply because I live 500 miles away. I

developed a trust in him and all his staff over the 6 month period it

took to win my insurance coverage by communicating by phone, fax and

email. Actually meeting him was just the frosting on the cake. He

has a great manner about him that inspires absolute confidence. A

year after the surgery I am part of their big surfing family. Lee's

the " big mama " and I consider her a friend. I feel free to contact

her at any time. I know anything needing Dr. Gross' attention would

be forwarded immediately and his response would be appropriate to the

situation.

If you are interested in resurfacing history in the US I suggest you

read Dr. Amstutz' report on his work co-authored with Dr. Grigoris.

He is the " father " of resurfacing in the US.

Good luck in your search.

Trudy

bilat Cormet 1/02

[Guest guest]

I am having a hard time relaxing and trying to develop trust

> in this man. He may well be the best man for the job, but it just

> doesn't " feel " right. If anyone else has any advice or doctor

> guidance I would appreciate the words.

>

> this was gonna be a quick post.

>

Tho,

I take it you are in the southeastern area of the U.S. I don't have

any personal knowledge about Dr. Vail except that I have only read

good things about him as a surgeon. In my quest for insurance

coverage for resurfacing he was one of 7 who did not respond to my

plea for help. Seven of the 14 OS in the country did find the time

to reply. I even received a personal phone call from Dr.

Schalzreid. All these guys are extremely busy. Some simply have

better people skills than others that don't affect their abilities as

surgeons. Any of the resurfacing surgeons in the US would be good in

my opinion. They are select few and at the top of their game.

That said, if you indeed are nervous about having him as your surgeon

I highly suggest you call Dr. Gross's office in SC. His right hand

person, Lee Webb is very personable and knowledgable about

resurfacing and her responses are almost immediate. The two are

joined at the hip (no pun intended) in their work. She handles all

the pre-op stuff except for the initial interview which she does in

tandem with Dr. Gross. These two work so hard that my interview was

by phone on a Friday evening at 8 PM. Lee makes you feel as though

you are their only patient yet Dr. Gross does 400 sugeries/year. He

is up to 140 (give or take a few) resurfacings and is the head OS of

the Corin trial in the US. He does many young people some in their

teens. Most of the people who go for resurfacing already know most

of what has been written on the subject before their interviews. The

interview time is one for fine tuning your individual situation and

getting to know the OS. I didn't meet Dr. Gross personally till

three days before my surgery simply because I live 500 miles away. I

developed a trust in him and all his staff over the 6 month period it

took to win my insurance coverage by communicating by phone, fax and

email. Actually meeting him was just the frosting on the cake. He

has a great manner about him that inspires absolute confidence. A

year after the surgery I am part of their big surfing family. Lee's

the " big mama " and I consider her a friend. I feel free to contact

her at any time. I know anything needing Dr. Gross' attention would

be forwarded immediately and his response would be appropriate to the

situation.

If you are interested in resurfacing history in the US I suggest you

read Dr. Amstutz' report on his work co-authored with Dr. Grigoris.

He is the " father " of resurfacing in the US.

Good luck in your search.

Trudy

bilat Cormet 1/02

[Guest guest]

I finally met my surgeon AFTER the surgery I had contacted Dr

Mont & Etienne's office and recieved all my preop info vial mail and

conversations with the assistants. I was aware that Dr Mont was

going to be flying out of town (Baltimore) and that his partner Dr

Etienne would be doing my surgery - at the last minute, there was

an " emergency " patient - so Mont stopped to introduce himself as he

was leaving and I met Dr Etienne in the recovery room.

Heck - I only wanted them for their surgical skills - not their

charm...... even though both are indeed very nice

Deb C+ 5-2-02 Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics; Sinai

Hospital, Baltimore

> I am a 24 year old with a hip that was shattered 2 years ago and

was

> rebuilt. After travel to celebrate being alive (car accident

injury)

> and working for a year my hip has become the biggest limitation I

> have ever known. I am in a wheelchair currently and although I

have

> days when walking is okay...the evenings at the end of those days

are

> agonizing and constant. I have met with Dr. Vail at Duke

University

> several times. First he arranged for and arthroscopic surgery

which

> worked wonders. Before surgery walking had become

impossible...now I

> have good days but the overall pain has remained the same. I have

> read the entire site at midmedtec.co.uk and I recommend it heavily

to

> anyone who feels like they just dont get the explanations provided

> about Hip Resurfacing. The page I believe is co-written my Dr.

> McMinn who helped develop hip resurfacing. My biggest fear is

> choosing the wrong doctor....unfortunately my finances require

that I

> search within the US before looking into europe. My main concerns

> regarding Dr. Vail so far have been how difficult it is to make an

> appointment with him and how long it takes for someone to contact

me

> from his office when I call. I will say in his defense that he a

> very busy guy, however, I am nervous that I have a date for

> resurfacing of April 30th and I am not even scheduled to speak

with

> him regarding the procedure until April 15th. Almost all

knowledge I

> have is internet based. Originally I had gotten the impression

> (maybe not intentionally) that Dr. Vail had pioneered this

procedure

> and was the foremost authority on the subject. I received that

> impression mainly due to the lack of any information given to me

> about the procedure from him. I was refered to him by the surgeon

> who rebuilt my leg initially and prior to my visit with Dr. Vail I

> had never heard of resurfacing. I thought my only option was a

THR.

> I never fully understood the impact of the bone preservation

involved

> in a Resurfacing as opposed to the THR until I read the website

> provided by www.midmedtec.co.uk, also I didn;t fully understand

the

> procedure and the differences between THR and Resurfacing until i

> watched the animations on this page

>

> http://www.grossortho.com/education.html

> Click on the links under Patient Education.

>

> I feel pretty helpless considering I have to research all of this

> myself and my doctor seems to be half involved. I made the

> appointment for surgery without ever talking to him. The last

two

> times i have been to his office I have been seen by someone other

> than him and when he performed the Arthroscopy I never saw

him...Not

> even post surgery. I also am quite aware that he is a highly

skilled

> surgeon with a large amount of patients and has a high demand for

his

> time. I am having a hard time relaxing and trying to develop

trust

> in this man. He may well be the best man for the job, but it just

> doesn't " feel " right. If anyone else has any advice or doctor

> guidance I would appreciate the words.

>

> this was gonna be a quick post.

>

> Thanks

>

> Tho

[Guest guest]

I finally met my surgeon AFTER the surgery I had contacted Dr

Mont & Etienne's office and recieved all my preop info vial mail and

conversations with the assistants. I was aware that Dr Mont was

going to be flying out of town (Baltimore) and that his partner Dr

Etienne would be doing my surgery - at the last minute, there was

an " emergency " patient - so Mont stopped to introduce himself as he

was leaving and I met Dr Etienne in the recovery room.

Heck - I only wanted them for their surgical skills - not their

charm...... even though both are indeed very nice

Deb C+ 5-2-02 Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics; Sinai

Hospital, Baltimore

> I am a 24 year old with a hip that was shattered 2 years ago and

was

> rebuilt. After travel to celebrate being alive (car accident

injury)

> and working for a year my hip has become the biggest limitation I

> have ever known. I am in a wheelchair currently and although I

have

> days when walking is okay...the evenings at the end of those days

are

> agonizing and constant. I have met with Dr. Vail at Duke

University

> several times. First he arranged for and arthroscopic surgery

which

> worked wonders. Before surgery walking had become

impossible...now I

> have good days but the overall pain has remained the same. I have

> read the entire site at midmedtec.co.uk and I recommend it heavily

to

> anyone who feels like they just dont get the explanations provided

> about Hip Resurfacing. The page I believe is co-written my Dr.

> McMinn who helped develop hip resurfacing. My biggest fear is

> choosing the wrong doctor....unfortunately my finances require

that I

> search within the US before looking into europe. My main concerns

> regarding Dr. Vail so far have been how difficult it is to make an

> appointment with him and how long it takes for someone to contact

me

> from his office when I call. I will say in his defense that he a

> very busy guy, however, I am nervous that I have a date for

> resurfacing of April 30th and I am not even scheduled to speak

with

> him regarding the procedure until April 15th. Almost all

knowledge I

> have is internet based. Originally I had gotten the impression

> (maybe not intentionally) that Dr. Vail had pioneered this

procedure

> and was the foremost authority on the subject. I received that

> impression mainly due to the lack of any information given to me

> about the procedure from him. I was refered to him by the surgeon

> who rebuilt my leg initially and prior to my visit with Dr. Vail I

> had never heard of resurfacing. I thought my only option was a

THR.

> I never fully understood the impact of the bone preservation

involved

> in a Resurfacing as opposed to the THR until I read the website

> provided by www.midmedtec.co.uk, also I didn;t fully understand

the

> procedure and the differences between THR and Resurfacing until i

> watched the animations on this page

>

> http://www.grossortho.com/education.html

> Click on the links under Patient Education.

>

> I feel pretty helpless considering I have to research all of this

> myself and my doctor seems to be half involved. I made the

> appointment for surgery without ever talking to him. The last

two

> times i have been to his office I have been seen by someone other

> than him and when he performed the Arthroscopy I never saw

him...Not

> even post surgery. I also am quite aware that he is a highly

skilled

> surgeon with a large amount of patients and has a high demand for

his

> time. I am having a hard time relaxing and trying to develop

trust

> in this man. He may well be the best man for the job, but it just

> doesn't " feel " right. If anyone else has any advice or doctor

> guidance I would appreciate the words.

>

> this was gonna be a quick post.

>

> Thanks

>

> Tho

[Guest guest]

I finally met my surgeon AFTER the surgery I had contacted Dr

Mont & Etienne's office and recieved all my preop info vial mail and

conversations with the assistants. I was aware that Dr Mont was

going to be flying out of town (Baltimore) and that his partner Dr

Etienne would be doing my surgery - at the last minute, there was

an " emergency " patient - so Mont stopped to introduce himself as he

was leaving and I met Dr Etienne in the recovery room.

Heck - I only wanted them for their surgical skills - not their

charm...... even though both are indeed very nice

Deb C+ 5-2-02 Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics; Sinai

Hospital, Baltimore

> I am a 24 year old with a hip that was shattered 2 years ago and

was

> rebuilt. After travel to celebrate being alive (car accident

injury)

> and working for a year my hip has become the biggest limitation I

> have ever known. I am in a wheelchair currently and although I

have

> days when walking is okay...the evenings at the end of those days

are

> agonizing and constant. I have met with Dr. Vail at Duke

University

> several times. First he arranged for and arthroscopic surgery

which

> worked wonders. Before surgery walking had become

impossible...now I

> have good days but the overall pain has remained the same. I have

> read the entire site at midmedtec.co.uk and I recommend it heavily

to

> anyone who feels like they just dont get the explanations provided

> about Hip Resurfacing. The page I believe is co-written my Dr.

> McMinn who helped develop hip resurfacing. My biggest fear is

> choosing the wrong doctor....unfortunately my finances require

that I

> search within the US before looking into europe. My main concerns

> regarding Dr. Vail so far have been how difficult it is to make an

> appointment with him and how long it takes for someone to contact

me

> from his office when I call. I will say in his defense that he a

> very busy guy, however, I am nervous that I have a date for

> resurfacing of April 30th and I am not even scheduled to speak

with

> him regarding the procedure until April 15th. Almost all

knowledge I

> have is internet based. Originally I had gotten the impression

> (maybe not intentionally) that Dr. Vail had pioneered this

procedure

> and was the foremost authority on the subject. I received that

> impression mainly due to the lack of any information given to me

> about the procedure from him. I was refered to him by the surgeon

> who rebuilt my leg initially and prior to my visit with Dr. Vail I

> had never heard of resurfacing. I thought my only option was a

THR.

> I never fully understood the impact of the bone preservation

involved

> in a Resurfacing as opposed to the THR until I read the website

> provided by www.midmedtec.co.uk, also I didn;t fully understand

the

> procedure and the differences between THR and Resurfacing until i

> watched the animations on this page

>

> http://www.grossortho.com/education.html

> Click on the links under Patient Education.

>

> I feel pretty helpless considering I have to research all of this

> myself and my doctor seems to be half involved. I made the

> appointment for surgery without ever talking to him. The last

two

> times i have been to his office I have been seen by someone other

> than him and when he performed the Arthroscopy I never saw

him...Not

> even post surgery. I also am quite aware that he is a highly

skilled

> surgeon with a large amount of patients and has a high demand for

his

> time. I am having a hard time relaxing and trying to develop

trust

> in this man. He may well be the best man for the job, but it just

> doesn't " feel " right. If anyone else has any advice or doctor

> guidance I would appreciate the words.

>

> this was gonna be a quick post.

>

> Thanks

>

> Tho

[Guest guest]

Tho--First off, you are fortunate to have an OS that has a soft spot

for resurfacing. Most discourage patients from persuing it.

When you mention your financial situation, do you mean this will be

a " cash job " ? Because if you aren't insured, you are better off

fiscally to go to Belgium and have it done. I'm not quite sure of the

breakdown, but some others here are. The cost in the US can range

upwards of $ 40,000 but in Belgium, with flight I am guessing $10-

$12,000 will get you resurfed BHR

Worth checking into...

Captain Amaze_O

> I am a 24 year old with a hip that was shattered 2 years ago and

was

> rebuilt. After travel to celebrate being alive (car accident

injury)

> and working for a year my hip has become the biggest limitation I

> have ever known. I am in a wheelchair currently and although I

have

> days when walking is okay...the evenings at the end of those days

are

> agonizing and constant. I have met with Dr. Vail at Duke

University

> several times. First he arranged for and arthroscopic surgery

which

> worked wonders. Before surgery walking had become impossible...now

I

> have good days but the overall pain has remained the same. I have

> read the entire site at midmedtec.co.uk and I recommend it heavily

to

> anyone who feels like they just dont get the explanations provided

> about Hip Resurfacing. The page I believe is co-written my Dr.

> McMinn who helped develop hip resurfacing. My biggest fear is

> choosing the wrong doctor....unfortunately my finances require that

I

> search within the US before looking into europe. My main concerns

> regarding Dr. Vail so far have been how difficult it is to make an

> appointment with him and how long it takes for someone to contact

me

> from his office when I call. I will say in his defense that he a

> very busy guy, however, I am nervous that I have a date for

> resurfacing of April 30th and I am not even scheduled to speak with

> him regarding the procedure until April 15th. Almost all knowledge

I

> have is internet based. Originally I had gotten the impression

> (maybe not intentionally) that Dr. Vail had pioneered this

procedure

> and was the foremost authority on the subject. I received that

> impression mainly due to the lack of any information given to me

> about the procedure from him. I was refered to him by the surgeon

> who rebuilt my leg initially and prior to my visit with Dr. Vail I

> had never heard of resurfacing. I thought my only option was a

THR.

> I never fully understood the impact of the bone preservation

involved

> in a Resurfacing as opposed to the THR until I read the website

> provided by www.midmedtec.co.uk, also I didn;t fully understand the

> procedure and the differences between THR and Resurfacing until i

> watched the animations on this page

>

> http://www.grossortho.com/education.html

> Click on the links under Patient Education.

>

> I feel pretty helpless considering I have to research all of this

> myself and my doctor seems to be half involved. I made the

> appointment for surgery without ever talking to him. The last two

> times i have been to his office I have been seen by someone other

> than him and when he performed the Arthroscopy I never saw

him...Not

> even post surgery. I also am quite aware that he is a highly

skilled

> surgeon with a large amount of patients and has a high demand for

his

> time. I am having a hard time relaxing and trying to develop trust

> in this man. He may well be the best man for the job, but it just

> doesn't " feel " right. If anyone else has any advice or doctor

> guidance I would appreciate the words.

>

> this was gonna be a quick post.

>

> Thanks

>

> Tho