Have you ever stood in a museum and marveled at the beauty of a masterfully rendered sculpture? There’s no question it’s art.
The same can be said for the intricacies of the work orthopedic surgeons do to replace and repair joints that cause pain, stiffness, and movement problems due to repetitive motions, wear and tear, and aging.
Dr. Vasilios Mathews is just such an artist when it comes to restoring his patients’ joint health, allowing them to live active, pain-free lives again. His expertise and skills are particularly well-suited when he performs an alternative to hip replacement — hip resurfacing. As with all the surgical procedures he executes, Dr. Mathews is dedicated to partnering with you before, during, and after your surgery.
Whether you’re unfamiliar with hip resurfacing or have been curious about it for yourself or someone you love, we’ve put together a helpful Q&A that answers the most common questions about the procedure.
A: Hip resurfacing is a surgical procedure that repairs damage inside the hip joint, and a key feature is that your orthopedic surgeon needs only to replace part of your hip joint, as opposed to the whole thing (hip arthroplasty).
The specific procedure Dr. Mathews performs is called the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing System (BHR), which has two components: the femoral head, or ball, and the socket (acetabulum).
With hip resurfacing, Dr. Mathews replaces just your hip socket with a prosthetic and then he reshapes the top portion of your femur (thigh bone), so your femoral head and femoral neck are preserved. He only needs to trim and refashion several centimeters of bone before it’s able to fit snugly in the new socket, so the procedure is considered bone-conserving.
It’s essential that Dr. Mathews thoroughly prepares the socket for the metal cup that will be inserted into it. He presses this cup into your socket while he uses cement to place the femoral component over the femoral head that he readies.
A: Hip resurfacing is a good solution for relieving hip pain that stems from:
The challenging symptoms that accompany these conditions include pain, stiffness, swelling, reduced range of movement, and instability, as well as limited mobility.
A: Fairly active Men and below the age of 60 are excellent candidates for hip resurfacing surgery.
To ensure that resurfacing is right for you, Dr. Mathews thoroughly evaluates you, including assessing how resistant to stress and fracture your bones are, and he analyzes your femoral head’s size.
The femoral head prosthetic used in BHR surgery is larger than the ones used in total hip replacements. This is to discourage implant dislocation after your surgery.
This type of hip resurfacing offers patients significant benefits, including:
BHR surgery has proven to be the ideal solution for many, thanks to its numerous advantages.
A: Absolutely. The BHR received its CE mark in 1997, indicating that it was deemed safe for use in the European Union. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved it nearly two decades ago, in 2006.
In men under 65 years of age, BHR is equally as good — and frequently, superior to — total hip replacement after a decade of use.
A: Patients can expect to recover from hip resurfacing after several months, and Dr. Mathews encourages you to move around ASAP after surgery. You’ll likely use a medical device to help you walk after surgery, like crutches or a walker.
About six weeks after your surgery, you can return to your routine activities. However, please consult with Dr. Mathews to determine when you can resume exercising and engaging in more vigorous activities, as every patient is unique.
Dr. Mathews counsels you about how to manage your post-surgery pain as well. He typically recommends a combination of over-the-counter and prescription pain medications.
If you think you may be a candidate for BHR surgery, we’re here to help. Dr. Mathews is committed to explaining the procedure to you and addressing all your questions and concerns.
Contact our Houston office at 713-794-3548 to schedule an appointment, or book one online with us.
