I had a total hip replacement done by Dr Crosby and I am very happy with the results. He uses the traditional lateral approach, which does require a substantial amount of time to heal from, but the advantage is the implant is extremely secure and perfectly aligned. This method is the least likely to loosen or move within the femur over time and gives me the best chances to never need revision surgery. If you want a replacement that will last, Dr Crosby is your guy! I had mine done just over 10 weeks ago and am able to walk with almost no limp, and can climb and descend stairs with each leg now and am also virtually pain-free
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Update: at week 12 I had a nasty fall, hitting my new hip squarely on the pavement, with enough force to re-tear my abductors and also dislocate my shoulder. X-rays showed the implant had not moved one bit! That is amazing. Quality work more so than luck.
Last word: I've hit the 4.5 month mark now and feel amazing! I can't say enough how much of a difference the surgery made in my everyday life. I'm not quite at 100 percent yet but very close, the last bit of strength to catch up with the good leg takes a lot of time and effort but my range of motion is about 120 percent of what it was and my pain level is about 1 percent of presurgery. There is no doubt my leg will feel as good as new once I'm 100 percent healed. There are two big points though I'd like to make about a hip replacement: firstly, you cannot expect to make a complete recovery without diligently doing the rehabilitation exercises. They are absolutely crucial. As uncomfortable as they are, if you buckle down and stay committed you will notice rapid improvement. Plus the better shape you're in beforehand, the quicker and easier your recovery will be. Second point: no matter how great and effective as a hip replacement may be, one thing that isn't so desirable is the grand irony of it all: finally you're pain free enough to hike and do all those activities you used to do, but always in the back of your mind you're worried about wearing it out, so you hesitate about being super active. Because as successful as this surgery was, Id rather not have to do it again. But that's an issue that one must accept and be thankful for the lifestyle you can enjoy now! So to anyone who's hesitant about the surgery: id say by all means do it, you won't regret it!