Hello, my name is David, I'm 55 and I had my right hip resurfaced at the end of August (2007) by Dr. Kreuzer.

I had an anterior approach and the recovery was really quick. Dr. Kreuzer is pretty incredible--really into the technology of it all.

I knew something was wrong because I was in pain. I'd been a life time runner. The last time I ran was in March of last year. I just couldn't do it any more. The pain kept getting worse 'til I could hardly put on a pair of pants without falling. I'd have to do it sitting down. This is taking me back! I can remember the last run I took and I couldn't finish it. In fact, as I was walking the last bit down a little hill, I just buckled and almost hit the ground.

I knew I had to get something done. I went to my personal physician and he said it looked like arthritis and he referred me to an orthopedic guy who referred me to Dr. Kreuzer because he no longer did hips. He said my hip was pretty deteriorated, especially for a man my age.

I never found out what caused my arthristis - I asked of all 3 doctors. They all said they really don't know what causes the rapid deterioration. It's wear and tear, but it could be genetic or it could be environmental.

I was very fortunate that he (Dr. Kreuzer) was here in this city (Houston). It's my understanding that I was only the 6th person in Houston to get the resurfacing with the anterior approach. I'm not sure they ever told me exactly how many he'd done.  I spoke to him. He showed me the x-rays, the issues, told me the pain medications I could take if I didn't want to have the surgery or the hip resurfacing I could have if I chose to. Those were the options.

There's some deterioration in my other hip, but I don't have any problems with it. I think if I start having any issues with it I'll probably go see a physical therapist and see if they can work with me on it.

That's something I can heartily recommend, after the surgery I almost blew it off. I was thinking I could do it myself just based on the literature that they gave me. But there's a gym right across the street from my office with a PT embedded in it so I just went over there. I lucked out once again. The PT was a wonderful person, very knowledgeable. She was actually from the UK and she had had experience with the procedure there. She communicated with Kreuzer and researched what would be best. She did a lot of hands on work to get rid of scar tissue and she targeted the weak muscles with about 10 or 12 exercises.

It all went very smoothly even though I goofed up, double dosed myself on some pain medicine and got my blood pressure up to the point where they couldn't do the surgery. It was a complication and his staff had to work with me and get me through all the tests that had to get done to be OK'd. They worked very well with me. Nice folks. Dr. Kreuzer is pretty genuine in the way he deals with patients.  He's a little bit on the techy side--working with engineering groups to develop the right drills and that kind of stuff. The bed that they use for the anterior (not anterolateral) approach is pretty amazing. I never really got to see myself booted in--not sure I really wanted to. I've seen the videos of how they do it and it looks painful. I don't remember it.

I went through about a week or two of pain. Didn't know why. Dr. said it all looked good. He took me off some medication and that seemed to help. I wasn't ever in any real pain. I'd never had surgery before so I really had no point of reference. But I was back at work in about 10 days.

They had me up and walking the first night. I was walking around the block on crutches that weekend--went in had the surgery on Wednesday, got out on Friday and I was walking around the block by the end of the weekend. After about 3 weeks I decided to go in and start the physical therapy and that had an immediate effect and started helping me right away. I hadn't been doing enough and I hadn't been doing the right things and some of them incorrectly. By the end of September I was swinging a golf club--right about 5 weeks.

There's no muscles cut. I still have some muscle weakness in the front and some atrophy in the glutes. It isn't anything that can't be worked on, but I'm going to talk to him about it.

The surgeons give the joint a new surface and they're excited about the engineering, but patients interested in playing golf or whatever and after the hip is resurfaced that really is all about PT. I would have to say if there was a failure on their part it was they didn't emphasize the PT portion enough.

As far as activity, exercise, strength, range of motion? I won't go back to running. Just not a good idea. I walk long distance at brisk pace, do stairmaster, elliptical. Put the ipod on and go. I can do 3 miles on stairmaster at the aerobic rate. Flexibility-wise, it's still a stretch to get my sock on. I don't know if that's just the way it is but I'm working on that flexibility. The PT really tried to work on that.

I was lucky to so easily find the best solution for me, but I would recommend people look at all the options.

Definitely the physical therapy thing--stick with it, work at it 7 days a week.

And everyone's situation is different, but in this day and age I would say to them that there is really no reason for anyone to be in a lot of joint pain and just go on tolerating it. I think they've got it down pretty well now.

                                                                                         ---David M.  Houston, Dr. Kreuzter