Patient Testimonials
Steve M. enjoying work after
having a hip resurfacing procedure.
Steve M. (Hip Resurfacing)
Hartford resident and business owner Steve began noticing problems with his right hip around eight years ago. “I was only in my 30s when I had signs of arthritis,” says Steve, president of M. Home Improvement. “I’ve always worked in construction – a lot of roofing, heavy lifting, climbing ladders – so I figured it just came with the territory.” Two years ago, however, the pain in his hip started worsening to the point of being almost unbearable.
“The pain kept me from sleeping, and when I was awake, it was always there,” said Steve. “I could never get away from it. I’d grab handfuls of ibuprofen (an over-the-counter painkiller) to get through each day.”
At 42 years old, Steve was considered too young for traditional total hip replacement surgery. Last year, however, when his arthritic hip started severely affecting his ability to work, he knew something had to be done. “I was beginning to feel like an old man,” said Steve. “By 2006, I had a hard time working even four hours a day. I would get to lunchtime and barely be able to pull myself into my pickup truck to go home. Then I’d have to grab on to every handrail just to get into the house, and once I was in, that was it. I couldn’t do anything more the rest of the day.” Once an avid hunter and fisherman, Steve’s quality of life was going downhill…until he met Joel Wallskog, MD at the Aurora Health Center in Hartford.
A fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Wallskog is an expert in joint replacement procedures, and he has a particular interest in hip surgeries from his involvement in clinical trials for emerging new technology in Cleveland six years ago. Dr. Wallskog felt that Steve was an excellent candidate for “hip resurfacing,” an alternative to total hip replacement that’s specifically for young, physically active patients. The advantage of hip resurfacing over traditional surgery is that it involves far less bone removal, allowing for a quicker recovery, and ultimately, greater range of motion and higher level of function. In 2001, while undergoing his fellowship at Case Western Reserve University, Dr. Wallskog was one of several physicians involved in testing the breakthrough procedure.
“I was excited about hip resurfacing then, but even more so now because I can offer it to my patients here,” said Dr. Wallskog, who practices at the Aurora Health Centers in Hartford and West Bend. The procedure was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in May 2006 and Dr. Wallskog is one of a few select physicians in Wisconsin certified to perform it. “I saw back then how well patients did after resurfacing,” said Dr. Wallskog. “I knew this technique was going to help a lot of patients like Steve.”
During traditional total hip replacement surgery, the surgeon makes an incision over the side of the hip through the muscles and removes the diseased bone tissue and cartilage from the hip joint while leaving the healthy parts of the joint intact. Then the surgeon replaces the head of the femur (thigh bone) and acetabulum (hip socket) with new, artificial parts.
During hip resurfacing, a modified version of total hip replacement with the same goals, the femoral head is not removed. Instead, the damaged surface is reshaped and capped with a durable metal shield, and the corresponding hip socket is resurfaced with a thin metal lining. The resulting metal on metal surfaces of the joint allow for a smooth gliding motion – welcome relief from the painful bone on bone grinding endured by patients prior to surgery.
Dr. Wallskog performed the hip resurfacing procedure on Steve in late February at the Aurora Medical Center in Hartford. Like all of his joint replacement surgeries, his standard approach is minimally invasive, involving a smaller incision resulting in less pain and quicker recovery.
“The nurses actually had me up and taking steps just a few hours after surgery,” said Steve. “I was amazed by the lack of pain. I used very little medication. The pain I experienced after surgery was nothing compared to the pain I had before surgery.”
Three days after his operation, Steve left the hospital on crutches, which he used at home for several weeks. Eight weeks post surgery, he returned to work full time on his own two feet. “I was very diligent in my physical therapy at the Aurora Health Center in Hartford,” said Steve. “The therapists there are amazing. It was challenging, to be sure, but worth it. My first day back at work, I remember walking around for eight hours without being sore at all. I could even go home after a full day on the job and do a little yard work…things I hadn’t been able to do in a long, long time. Today, we’re putting in some long days. Business is good, but at the end of the day, my hip feels great.”
In early May, Steve and his friends took off for a few days of turkey hunting and fishing, his first such trip without pain in years. “I got a 22-pound Tom and carried it over my back for two miles across a farm field,” said Steve. “I never limped, never stumbled. I didn’t miss a beat. It was fantastic!
My way of life as I knew it has come back 100 percent. I feel like I did 15 years ago.”
Bob D. of
Hubertus, Wisconsin
Bob D. (Total Hip Replacement)
“I suffered terribly for at least three and a half years. Every six weeks I was going in for a cortisone shot in my hip so I could just get by.” Then in late 2003, Bob decided to move forward with hip replacement surgery. “I was extremely fortunate to have such a phenomenal doctor. He was very detailed with me in explaining how the surgery works and made sure I knew all of the ramifications.” Bob received a ceramic-on-ceramic hip replacement, a technology Dr. Wallskog utilizes on his younger, more active patients.
Karen K. (Bilateral Total Knee Replacement)
“I feel better than ever. I used to take pain medication every few hours. Now I can’t even remember the last time I needed it.
Karen K. enjoys life with her
grandchildren after knee replacement
surgery.
From Dr. Wallskog to the wonderful hospital nurses and rehabilitation staff, I really can’t begin to express my thanks for the orthopedic team we have here in Washington County. When I began considering surgery, people suggested I go to Milwaukee or Waukesha. But we’re lucky… the best actually comes right here to us.”
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