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The implant has about an inch just below the ball at the top that is not inside the femur like it should be. Both the 2nd and 3rd opinion Dr's say a revision is not an option because the bottom of the implant shaft inside the femur is too close to the inside edge of the femur (near the bottom of the implant shaft) and femur would break if they tried. If the surgeon had tried to get that top part into the femur it would have broken the femur at the bottom tip because of the slight curve in the shaft of the implant.You can see that in the xray.
I'm being told that the only thing that they can do is to do another surgery and put in a dual cup liner (dcl) to help prevent further dislocations. However, they have also, told me that I can expect to have dislocations for the rest of my life. My 3rd opinion Dr said he does not know why the implant is not all of the way inside the femur and why that particular implant was chosen because of that. He is not comfortable with the dcl. He said if that is the decision I make, to let the 2nd opinion Dr do that surgery. He did not offer any further advice.
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@akrobertson Hello and welcome to Mayo Connect. It seems like when hip replacements go well they are wonderful,and when there are issues, suddenly the ortho surgeons all try to send you elsewhere. When my implants were failing 12 years ago, it was a chore to find good advice.
I don't know your age or the reason for the surgery, but looking forward to dealing with this for a lifetime is daunting. Also, with such a discrepancy, I expect you have significantly different leg lengths now, which can lead to gait and back problems.
Have you gotten a report from the original surgeon explaining why the wrong size femur implant was used? These come in many different brands, sizes and shapes, so it is hard to imagine using one that didn't fit. If you don't have them already, please request (or demand) all of your records from the surgeon, hospital and anyone else involved. There should be complete surgical reports in both the hospital's and surgeon's records, and you are entitled to them.
Once you have that in hand, would you consider a consult with Mayo or another highly rated ortho facility near you?
Sue
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4 ReactionsI totally agree with Sue. You need to see a surgeon that practices in one of the best orthopedic hospitals in the country. I cannot imagine what you are going through. Research the best hospitals and then research the best doctors in that hospital.
Google “best hospitals for hip replacement” and see if you are close to any of them. There are many excellent hospitals all over the country. At the very least you need a consultation with a top doctor.