Re: BHR vs. C+ / Question for the group and Jude Toelle

May 20, 2004

Hi Pamela,

Thank you very much for your response. I am sorry it took so long to thank you.

I was out of town.

I am scheduled with Dr De Smet for the first week of September. The information

you provided me is more than 90% of my doubts about going through this.

Again, thank you for taking the time. I will keep you posted of any feedback

from Dr. De Smet.

Sincerely,

Mark

Pamela Jansen icedancer@...> wrote:

Hi Mark: Just chiming in because Cliff (my husband) and I both went

to Koen for hips in October of 2002. He got a right and I got left.

Initially we looked for a doctor outside Canada because we couldn't

get resurfacing here for 2 years and I was already unable to to do

anything, including sleep. Also, I was not sure I would still be a

candidate after that long a wait. We settled on Koen after talking

to some of his patients and hearing his answers to our many questions.

We would not be happier with our hips - I was back to skating (we

are ice dancers) six weeks to the day after surgery (my friends were

worried by I wasn't) and I now skate 5-6 days a week and ballroom

dance 3-4 times a week.

As far as no muscle cutting, you will get many different reports on

that, but I think that the way Koen does it there is very little

cutting and never across a muscle... I believe he does have to detach

a muscle sometimes, but if you want the definitive answer simply ask

him in an email - you will have your answer in the morning!! I can

tell you that I had no pain and once I got over the fear of walking

without a crutch (that was fear due to the pain pre-op) I was walking

without aids completely by 2 weeks (Judy was even faster -

uncontrollable woman that she is!).

Our incisions are about 11 inches long - across the butt and down the

thigh and hardly visible at all anymore.

We asked what he would use for a thr if he had to do one and he said a

large ball ceramic on ceramic, but wondered why we worried about it -

he knew that we would both wake up with a BHR.

Koen is one of the most accessible doctors I have ever met - he never

made us feel that we were asking too many questions either before we

arrived or after. He took as much time as we needed and answered

everything with as much detail (and humour I might add) as we wanted.

Not sure when your surgery is, but you are in good hands.

It is important for everyone here to know that each one of us thinks

that the doctor who gave us our lives back is a demi-god. I think it

is safe to say that all of the doctors involved in the trials in

Canada (assuming you can actually get to talk to one of them) and in

the States are good. So what each of us must do is research and

find the doctor and device that we are comfortable with. Cliff and I

knew that we wanted the Birmingham for many of Judy's reasons (small

frame and some dysplasia for me) and others (Cliff became quite the

technical expert on these things).

If we can be of any assistance just ask. I can just tell you that you

are on your way back to a wonderful life.

Pamela

LBHR De Smet Oct/02

>

> " My orthopaedic surgeon, Koen De Smet told me that I would

> be better off with my BHR and he was right. I have hip dysplasia

and like many females with this disorder danced classical ballet for

many years. "

>

> Can you share with me any other comments made by Dr De Smet about

the BHR? Would you happen to know if BHRs are only used in patients

with advanced hip dysplasia? Also, did he ever mention how he fixed

the acetabular cup (cement, screws, or biological fixation)?

>

> I know I may be getting into too much of surgical details, but the

reason I am asking is I qualified for a BHR with him and I also

qualified for Conserve Plus here at home.

>

> I am just trying to figure out what would be the best choice in

terms of product. Does it Matter???

>

> Mark

>

> ---------------------------------

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May 20, 2004