Total hip replacement permanently removed due to chronic leg infection

@dannyandebbie you are absolutely correct about how we are treated as we age. I have zero health issues and have no RX medication all these years until now. But to have a complex revision surgeon that was actually on my original revision surgery blow me off in less than a 15 minute appointment with the same complications and to be in that same position again with one of the biggest university hospitals in the PNW is incredibly abusive and malicious treatment ignoring my urgent issues in danger of loosing my mobility is unconscionable. No where to turn. It’s the conglomerate health insurance companies that supplies a script for doctors in network to follow . I am out of network …. now waiting to see another surgeon .

@hippylife Getting a doctor for help in the US can be difficult, especially for those living in a medical desert. But even for those living in large urban cities, with lots of hospitals and surgeons, getting a great one can be difficult.

I am an 81 YO reasonably active (I play golf 3 times a week and walk three times a week) male. My prior internist went completely concierge. I already have a bunch of highly skilled specialists so I don't need a great internist so i went to another really good one who is partial concierge -- a yearly fee of

@steveinarizona yes I get it . I’m doing the concierge doc too otherwise I would not be on meds to help with the nerve numbness in my leg -foot drop signs nerve damage - retention with bladder and colon and now take Gabapentin for the pelvic floor compression from the femur 10” revision implant and flowmax. Without flowmax I would be risking kidney damage I could not empty my bladder . If I was not seen by a new concierage -MREGENCE network I would have to wait til December to see a PC , even with my urgent symptoms. Been to ER twice and all tests , X-rays , blood labels and MRI prove all my symptoms are from the failing implant as well as the right hip implant 23 years old also failing too.

@hippylife might want to look up your hip implant for a recall / class action suit?

@dannyandebbie the LEFT HIP implant in 2011 ABGll MOM Stryker was recalled by the FDA & a class action law suit. The LEFT HIP revision in 2017 is now failing in 2026 . The 2017 implant failure . No one in Oregon not even the law firm that represented me in the 2011 class action law suit will take my case. Not enough money for these huge conglomerate in my type of a case these law firms that only works law suits representing hundreds across the country. I am a single party case even though this whole situation started with the primary implant. I intend to call the Oregon board of attorny’s for a referal in my case.

@hippylife best of luck! Hopefully your Cobalt /Chromium levels are in a safe area. My wife’s levels were elevated for several years; god only knows what this toxic chemical does to one’s body and no amount of money can purchase the years lost due to complications from the implant!

@dannyandebbie no heavy metals issues this time . Actually I have a systemic itching from the poly cups leaching tiny particles in my tissue for over 23 years. It’s something no one ever talks about . It’s call periprosthetic Particle Disease. I have been in neve medication for that constant all over body itching. It’s agony. Both cups need replacing. Just one at a time is my motto.

@hippylife I agree, one at a time! I hope you have found a good surgeon to do the job! Dartmouth is a learning hospital; this is where my wife went to have a total bilateral replacement. It was obvious by the bruises all over her body that something went wrong during surgery. Long story short; nine months later she required emergency surgery due to fractured pelvis and loose implant; only after the nerve started to regenerate on her opposite leg! They took Zero responsibility and her primary surgeon says, “ This time I’ll do the surgery “, wife says, “Who in the hell did it the first time”? No reply! Best of luck and be your best advocate to get it done and done right!

@dannyandebbie Ouch! In the US every surgeon writes/dictates a post surgery report and it is made available to the patient. Mine was given to me when I came out of sleep in the recovery room and others are made available through a patient portal. If not, simply call the surgeon's office and ask for the report.

The report should show who did what and what they faced. The answer should be in that report.

BTW...
https://code-medical-ethics.ama-assn.org/ethics-opinions/substitution-surgeon

@steveinarizona one would like to think all observations was noted. There was zero explanation for all the bruises and no mention that the surgeon dictating the procedure was not actually preforming the surgery. However, in her follow up appointment and after viewing that she had a fractured pelvis her surgeon shared that , his exact words, “ this time, I will be the one performing the surgery “. My wife asked, “ Who in the hell did the surgery if you did not and furthermore, did you drop me or something, I ended up with a chipped tooth and broken toe? His response was, “just be assured that you are in good hands”. Well, we did not feel she was in good hands by this point but no other surgeon in the area would have any thing to do with her issue because they did not fully understand what happened to generate the need for a revision so soon. He follow up appointment after the revision, her regular surgeon was gone, left the facility to work elsewhere. We located where he was practicing and she made a follow up appointment to see him. Her visit was short and brief. Despite her experience a lot of pain and discomfort he declined any test and suggested that she wait a year and if no better he would order cobalt / Chroumin levels. Once home I connected with her primary who assisted in getting the two test done; Cobalt was 17.9 and Chroumin was 9.3; both of toxic levels. At this point she rescheduled for a follow up appointment with the new surgeon that took her prior surgeon position. This new surgeon did a great job fixing her hip. I did find that once surgery was out of the way they have little time for you through follow up, instead send in a resident. Kind of got off the point! The operative note was very brief from beginning to end. Never did explain why I was in recovery for better than 9 hours and placed in ICU for 7 days but then again, I guess operative notes are strictly for operations! Glad I as the spouse of the patient that went through this don’t have to go through this again!