Sunday, January 4, 2015

Trying to Find the Right FAI Specialist (US) 2013



I contacted Dr. Phillippon in Vail, CO, Dr. Kelly in New York City, and Dr. Nho in Chicago. These doctors are considered some of the top hip scope surgeons in the US and they do free film reviews. I sent all of my chart notes, MRIs and X-rays across the country. Figured none of this would hurt at this point.



Left hip 9 months post op summary

o        Constant pain even with NSAIDs, taking tramadol in the evenings after working or                    doing daily tasks

o        Glute medius, abductors and adductors are very tender

o        Painful popping at times with external rotation, going from sit to stand or extension

o        Cannot walk more than .25-.5 miles without extra pain in the groin and low back

o        Cannot do stairs. A small flight can be done but very slowly and will have increased                  pain

o        Very limited on daily tasks and chores as well as lifting

o        Cannot lay on left side due to outer hip pain. I do not recall this prior to surgery

o        Occasionally get very painful thigh radiating from hip to knee

o        Hurts to sit in chairs or when driving

o        Feel a lot of pinching on both external and internal rotation.

o        Ice often also take hot baths with Epsom salts to help flare ups. Use heating pad when              bath is not an option

o        Tried massage once weekly for a month, but now every other week to once a month                 because it wasn't helping as much as I hoped. Feel same pain within a few hours or                   next day at most

o        Currently trying chiropractor combined with ART

o        Tried several injections post op



Right hip 18 months post op summary

o        Can be achy during or after activity, even more now when sitting

o        When I bend over or lift my right leg that I feel a popping noise. I am not sure if this is catching in the hip joint rather than a muscle or tendon?

o        Right hip is definitely better than prior to surgery in regards to pain. I’m concerned about overall stability in the hip and if it is affecting my left hip

o        Sit bones and abductors are still very sore as well

o        Tried psoas sheath injection post op



Within two weeks I heard back from Dr. Nho. He suspected hip capsule defect causing hip instability but wanted to see me in person in Chicago. 



Dr. Philippon did not provide much feedback and suggested I see a fellow, Dr. Nowak of Everett , WA, who trained under him at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, CO. Then if I still needed his expertise to contact him again. 



Dr. Kelly did not provide much feedback either from a scope perspective however suggested I see Dr. Mayo (near me as well) in Tacoma, WA. His suggestion perplexed me since I knew Dr. Mayo is not a scope surgeon. He only does PAO (Peri-Acetabular Osteotomy) which is a procedure where your pelvis is broken in multiple locations, reoriented and screwed back together. This is usually done for hip dysplasia patients and I wasn't aware that I had hip dysplasia? Now I was born almost 3 months early weighing 3lbs but have never been told I have any lingering issues. I tried to receive clarification from Dr. Kelly via phone and email to no avail. I wasn't sure if the Dr. Mayo suggestion was due to proximity or necessity? There is a very big difference between those two. I tried to reach out to Dr. Mayo’s clinic but it was a little difficult with the pre-screening process and getting a referral to him at that time.

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