resurfacing of the joint, over where you are?

There was this article here on our Health News forum:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...ad.php?t=12254

Perhaps you will find it interesting?

Continued steroid injections into the same location, are problematic.
It used to be two/12 mos was the recommended maximum.

Yes Mrs D, they do the Birmingham hip resurfacing here, its still a total hip replacement but the only diferance is they preserve more of the femur bone head, actually one of the orthopedic surgeons i seen at the hospital did mention that, but after a few ortho's had a bit of a conferance about it, they decided it wouldn't be appropiate in my case, for fear of a very possible bone fracture as i am a big bloke [not fat] and there's a lot of pressure on that bone and through past experience they have fractured on heavy people, then they said i would have to go through the whole operation again to fix it.
They said they have had a lot of success long term with Total Hip replacements using metal on metal [ stainless steel acetabulam with a stainless steel protheses], but thanks for the good suggestion anyway.

Brian I can't believe how long you are waiting for that hip surgery. If that's what happens with a single payor system, I'm withdrawing my support for it.

I think if steroids help you, and there is an end in sight with surgery, that you ought to let yourself go with it. You can ask the orthopod or whoever does the injection what and how much he injects, if that's a concern.

I had 3 epidurals before my spinal surgery, and they really got me through that awful waiting period. I had a facet injection in December, which helped tremendously, but now I'm waivering over getting another.

I know the facet block was "generous", and he injected two facets and a joint space, which could have been a lot of steroid. And I want to stay away from steroids to maximize my chance of healing, as it seems I have not fused at all.

But if the injection could hold you over til the surgery, and the doctors aren't worried about it, I think it's a good practical choice. Let's say, worst case scenario, you became a bit more bone thinned because of it? You could deal with that after the surgery is done and past with the osteoporosis meds. They do help rebuild.

It's hard to know what to do when one is in great pain, and I have a lot of sympathy with being practical about getting out of pain.

You've been waiting just so so long.

Liza, it seems like i may have got the ball rolling this morning, the surgeon said he will definatly look into it, which does sound very promising coming from this bloke as i know he's got a lot of power in that hospital, he got me into the orthopedic department in the first place and saved me nearly a 2 year wait.

I can well understand your concerns with steriods, they can give fantastic relief, but the sides affects are worrying to say the least, even with the new hip protheses the bone has to grow in and around it to make it strong, so to max my healing, i do want to stay away from the steriods if i can, as i been told that even though they are suppose to stay were there put, they can a do leak out a bit.

Thanks for your thoughts, much appreciated
Brian

I have health cover and it's not all it's cracked up to be either. I have to pay through the nose for scripts, have to pay for specialists, can't go to emergency in any private hosptal as I have to pay around $300+ for emergency room visits.

And worst of all is these huge gap payments that always occur where if I had just gone to my local public hospital it wouldn't of cost a thing.

This luxury insurance costs me about $200 a month, and I still can't make heads or tails of what I am actually insured for?

Yeah i know excactly what its like Aussie, i was insured for many years until i stopped work, the insurance companies get stuck right into you, the bills just keep on coming and comimg.
I decided to drop out because if its real serious they will do it straight away in most cases anyway, but ailments like hip, knee etc, problems, are not life threating so they only class it as elective surgery, non urgent, no matter how painfull & disabling it is, they don't care.
Brian