We live in NE Arkansas. My 38 year old son had a T2 to L3 back reconstruction at UAMS in 2016 due to
Scheuermann's kyphosis.. He was diagnosed with AS in 2017. Part of the fusion failed in 2019 so another back surgery to correct at UAMS. In 2017 they started him on methotrexate for about 6 months and due to adverse reactions switched him to humira. This last year he has had extreme hip pain and falls due to the leg collapsing. Finally in May of this year, one surgeon ordered an MRI with contrast of his hips(he had had all kinds of X-rays, MRI's that showed nothing, yet he was having severe pain. But the MRI with contrast showed AVN in both hips and he was having more pain in the left hip. So they Finally got his hip replacement scheduled for July 27 at UAMS. He went into an inpatient PT facility for three weeks prior to his hip surgery to try to build up his upper body strength because he is 6' 4" and weighs 330. So he is a big guy and we knew I wouldn't be much help. I picked him up from the rehab facility here in our home town, we drove to Little Rock that same day, stayed overnight in a hotel (LR is 2.5 hours away). We went to UAMS early the next morning for the left hip replacement. The surgery took less than 2 hours, but he was in recovery for over five hours. After his surgery, they could not keep his pain controlled. We were there for five days. They sent him home to an appointment with his pain management Dr in two days. He told me that it felt like something had been done to his shoulder during surgery because it really hurt. He had a dislocation on his other shoulder at 17 and knew what that felt like so he kept comparing it to that. In the meantime, we got home on Tues night after an agonizing 3+ hour ride home trying to make stops so he could get out and stretch. His surgeon said the hip had totally collapsed. I will attach picture. I took him to his pain management doctor on Thursday at noon 1.5 days after getting home from UAMS and due to his low oxygen and BP, they called an ambulance to take him straight to ER here in our hometown. He had PE's in his lungs and was very weak. They admitted him to hospital for four days on blood thinners. Then sent him home on Eliquis for 6 months. We went to follow up with surgeon at three weeks and he had started swelling in both legs from hips through feet. His PCP had him on 40 mgs lassix a day, but this was not helping with the swelling. At the three week follow up with surgeon, my son ask the surgeon where they placed his arm during surgery because he was having pain in his shoulder. The surgeon just brushed it off and said they had put his arm on pillows. His incision is on the back of his hip. The surgeon had no idea about the swelling but upped the lassix to 60 mgs and didn't refer him to anyone to have his shoulder checked or tests on the swelling. This past Fri, Oct 13, my son had an RA appt because they had tried to add a med to the humira that he had a reaction to. So we went the 2.5 drive to UAMS for the RA appt. They are changing him to enbrell. But the RA dr saw his red, hot to touch shoulder and told him to go to ER for an X-ray. He went. Not only is his shoulder broken, but he has severe AVN in this left shoulder! They kept him over weekend and did an MRI. He also has a crack in his right foot. Right now, he has not recovered from left hip replacement, needs right hip and left shoulder replaced due to severe AVN. They started calling Monday morning to schedule left shoulder replacement. He has not been released from the surgeon that replaced the left hip and that we believe. His shoulder was broken during this surgery! That appointment for hip is next week! He is afraid to use UAMS for this shoulder replacement- and I understand. This is physically and mentally taking its toll on him. Does anyone have any experience using the Mayo Clinic? We are in desperate need of help. The pic is his left hip joint.