Re: Side effects of metal on the body?

[Guest guest]

Phew! For a moment I thought it was that clinking, clanking sound. Then I

realized it's coming from the tailgate of my Volvo wagon.

Des Tuck

In a message dated 7/1/2004 9:36:10 AM Pacific Standard Time,

morag.mcintosh@... writes:

I was informed by my surgeon pre-op that it has been suggested that

all of the metal ions in your body DO increase the risk of cancer

and lukemia BUT that studies into this have not proven anything.

[Guest guest]

Hiya Sharon and Sonya

You'll probably get some far more educated replies for this than I

can provide however I thought I'd reply anyway as, although I'm not

as young as your daughter, I thought it might be helpful for you to

recieve a reply from someone younger than most people on this board

NO OFFENSE ANYONE SORRY!! (i'm 23)

I was informed by my surgeon pre-op that it has been suggested that

all of the metal ions in your body DO increase the risk of cancer

and lukemia BUT that studies into this have not proven anything. He

also told me not to get pregnant for at least a year or two after my

operation due to the risk that the ions could pose to an unborn

baby. However he did say that many perfectly healthy babies have

been born to patients of his.

I was 18 when I developed Osteo-arthritis in my hip due to

congenital hip dislocation at birth but although I was in a lot of

pain it wasn't picked up until I was 22 by which stage it was very

advanced. I then got some very biased advice from a THR surgeon but

incredibly luckily I found this site a couple of weeks before I was

due to go in for an operation to move me towards getting a THR.

I'm now four weeks and two days post op and I cannot elaborate

enough on how much the resurfacing operation has changed my life

already. I'm on crutches and will be for a while yet as I need to

teach my muscles to walk properly again, but nevertheless from 1

week post op a trip to the shops was far far far less daunting than

it had been pre op. People say that I'm looking younger - probably

cos I'm not screwing up my face in pain all the time! I can sleep

again, I'm fitter, slimmer and so so so much happier!!!

I have got absolutely NO PAIN - and haven't had since about 1 week

post op. I had entirely forgotten what living without being in pain

felt like. I really am getting my life back!!

ANYWAY what I'm trying to say is that the difference to my life that

this operation has made makes the benefits of this operation

outweigh the risks. Of course I have no idea what the future holds

for me health wise but my whole future truly seems a lot more rosy

than it did 5 weeks ago!!

I have absolutely no doubt that I've made the right choice by having

a hip resurfacing.

I hope Sonjas ok - if you want to ask me any more questions just

post them here or you can email me at mmcintosh@ fsmail.net - my

bbc.co.uk address is out of action at the moment as I'm still on

sick leave!

Cheers

Morag

Right BHR 1st June 04 Ronan Treacy

> Hi,

> I am the mom of a 14 year old girl with Legg Perthes Disease

living in

> Canada. My daughter is awaiting a date for hip resurfacing.Our

choices

> have been to fuse her hip permanently(not an option) or hip

> resurfacing. My big concern is about the side effects of the metal

> being in her body over the years. Can anyone tell me if I should

be

> concerned about metal poisoning or cancer because of the metal hip

> resurfacing. I am just a concerned parent hoping to get some

> reassurance that we are not going to cause problems later on down

the

> road for our daughter. Thanks for any comments, I really

appreciate

> them.

> Thanks , Sharon(mom of Sonya)

[Guest guest]

Sharon & Sonya

I couldn't agree more with Morag. I was a young surface hippy (21yrs)

and had very little choice as to what to do - resurfacing was the

only real option and one which I am overjoyed with. There was

nothing known about metal ions when I had my hip done nearly 13 years

ago but to be honest even if there had been I would still have gone

for it. I think the lifetime of pain and disability that would have

followed had I not had it done would far outweigh the unknown risks

of metal ions. I have had 2 children post op (eldest is 11yrs) and

there have been no signs of any adverse affects. I also wonder if I

would have been physically capable of bearing a child if I hadn't had

the op. I think that life is too short to worry about the unknown -

what is known is the constant pain if nothing is done which is far

more frightening in my opinion.

Like Morag I am more than happy to talk though any worries or

questions you & Sonya may have. Wishing you both the best.

L hip - McMinn 1991.

> > Hi,

> > I am the mom of a 14 year old girl with Legg Perthes Disease

> living in

> > Canada. My daughter is awaiting a date for hip resurfacing.Our

> choices

> > have been to fuse her hip permanently(not an option) or hip

> > resurfacing. My big concern is about the side effects of the

metal

> > being in her body over the years. Can anyone tell me if I should

> be

> > concerned about metal poisoning or cancer because of the metal

hip

> > resurfacing. I am just a concerned parent hoping to get some

> > reassurance that we are not going to cause problems later on down

> the

> > road for our daughter. Thanks for any comments, I really

> appreciate

> > them.

> > Thanks , Sharon(mom of Sonya)

[Guest guest]

> Hiya Sharon and Sonya

>

> You'll probably get some far more educated replies for this than I

> can provide however I thought I'd reply anyway as, although I'm not

> as young as your daughter, I thought it might be helpful for you to

> recieve a reply from someone younger than most people on this board

> NO OFFENSE ANYONE SORRY!! (i'm 23)

I'm not young, but I'm really immature. ;-)

As far as the metal ion issue is concerned:

While it's true that metal-on-metal resurfacing has only been done

for a little over 13 years, and therefore there aren't any long-term

clinical studies on MoM resurfacing patients, the alloy used for MoM

resurfacing is exactly the same material (ASTM F75

Cobalt-Chrome-Molybdenum alloy) that was used for Metal on Metal hip

implants in the 1960s and 1970s. Long-term studies *have* been done

on patients who received these devices, and no significant difference

in cancer rates has been found between those patients and patients who

received metal/polyethylene hips. In fact, one such study actually

showed a slightly lower cancer incidence among the recipients of MoM

hips, but the difference was too small to be statistically

significant. No incidence of toxicity has been reported.

Steve (bilat C+ 4/20/04, Amstutz)

[Guest guest]

Hi,

While well out of the age range I did at 18 collect a fused hip and it is of

enormous relief to me that you have decided a fused hip is not an

option........... As my OS said, living with one of those is possibly okay

for a few years but it only buys time and then you are back to the hip

replacement merrygoround and unless you are very lucky that would start with

a THR......... And that is along with the body damage incurred because of

the fused hip which includes badly atrophied leg muscles so the THR would be

unstable............. I was extremely fortunate and found one of the few

surgeons in the world who can convert a fused hip to a

Resurface..........not easy from what I understand.........

As repeated endlessly here, there really isn't any real foundation to the

mythology of metal ions..........despite heaps of speculation............ To

me it is again one of those weighing up things............ when one thinks

of all the other pollutants inhaled, ingested and absorbed via the skin etc

to me the metal ions are the least of my worries.......... and that's

without the mental stresses that bodies get subjected to within a life

time.............. I have just had 2 friends diagonised with cancer, neither

has a hip replacement, so cancer happens with or without metal ions.

And all alternatives via the THR road have their own set of problems, as

again you are putting foreign parts into a body......... The plastics can

never wear as well as the metal ones as they cannot get the plastic as

smooth as yet........... and the debris is there to give

hassles...........the ceramics are still foreign to some extent and have

their hassles ..........and that's without the issues of the bone interface

which simply cannot compete with the Resurface for stress bone keeping

potential...........i.e. the Resurface enables 'normal' like stress to be

felt by the femur and that is necessary to keep the femur bone

density............ When looking at long term options in such a young one

that has to be a very significant consideration.......... and again one

major reason in countries like Australia hip resurface is quickly becoming

the first considered implant for anyone younger than about 65..........

So all the best with your decision............. Your daughter is starting

young with hassles, my best wishes in getting them cleared up to let her

live a happy life...........

Edith LBHR Dr. L Walter Syd Aust 8/02

> I am the mom of a 14 year old girl with Legg Perthes Disease living in

> Canada. My daughter is awaiting a date for hip resurfacing.Our choices

> have been to fuse her hip permanently(not an option) or hip

> resurfacing. My big concern is about the side effects of the metal

> being in her body over the years. Can anyone tell me if I should be

> concerned about metal poisoning or cancer because of the metal hip

> resurfacing. I am just a concerned parent hoping to get some

> reassurance that we are not going to cause problems later on down the

> road for our daughter. Thanks for any comments, I really appreciate

> them.

> Thanks , Sharon(mom of Sonya)

>

>

>

>

>

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