Re: Who has expertise in post-operative difficulties?

[Guest guest]

wrote:

> Physiotherapists tend to be generalists. GPs are generalists. Ortho

> surgeons are specialists. There isn't any obvious person or discipline

> that looks at the wholeness of a hip resurfacing operation. Why not?

> Too few of us to matter I guess.

>

> It would be good news if there was a physiotherapist or two who had

> had resurfaced hips.

The physiotherapists at the Birmingham Nuffield Hospital work

with at least a dozen resurfacing patients a week (and they keep you

there until day 5 or 6 post-op, usually). They have a printed pamphlet

of exercises to do for the first two months, and lots of other advice

that I wrote down to take home with me. You could try contacting them

at: (0) (ask for Physiotherapy dept.) if you are anywhere

near Birmingham. Of course, if you didn't have your op there, you'd

have to pay, but it might be worth it for one or two sessions at

least. The older ladies I had for physio were really excellent. The

younger ones were a little too gung-ho for me ( " Do these twelve

exercises ten times each, three times per day.. " Yeah, right! ), but

for the gym fanatics they might be just the ticket.

Here in North Vancouver (Canada) there is a physiotherapist who

has had both his hips resurfaced, named Daryl Gjernes. I went to see

him once at about 8 weeks, and he gave me a couple of useful stretches

to do, and said to carry on with most of the Nuffield exercises. He's

rather expensive, also, and has so many patients at the same time that

it's hard to get very much time with him.

At about 12 weeks post-op I went back to my pre-op physio,

McCordic, who's never had a resurf patient before, but now has two of

us, and he's really worked on the atrophied muscles a lot, and gives

me new exercises to match my improved state every couple of weeks. I

highly recommend him.

You are all right about the need for training for

physiotherapists, and national health service coverage for the

(relatively inexpensive) therapy after all the money spent on the

operation. In B.C., people with lower incomes get ten subsidized

visits per year, then I have to pay the rest myself, but I get about

half the cost back from my private extended health insurance, and it's

worth every penny. Although I'm not truly a " turtle " , I'm not a

jackrabbit either... I expect it will be at least two years before I

get my leg and range of motion back to normal, if ever, but I am

walking really fast, and even up hills, for the first time in four

years. I've been told I occasionally still limp when I'm tired, but

most of the time I try to concentrate on walking properly and don't

'waddle'. Past training in Tai Chi helped me learn how to focus on

putting my weight on my foot, and how to go smoothly from heel to toe.

Maybe that's why the karate experts recover so quickly!

Also, it's essential to wear proper shoes that lace up or

buckle. Those clogs and backless shoes that are so popular right now

actually prevent one from walking correctly, as do casual loose

loafers and " flip flop " sandals or slippers, because of the unhealthy

way you have to put your feet down to keep the shoes from falling

off. And I won't even get started on the subject of high heels...

n

rBHR Oct.2003 McMinn