May 2008

PAMF is one of the few health care providers in the country to offer the Birmingham hip resurfacing procedure, a new alternative to total joint replacement that is less invasive and can get patients back to their normal activities faster. For patients interested in hip resurfacing, PAMF has recently launched a Web site that provides more information about why this procedure is so unique.

“Hip resurfacing is an alternative to hip replacement surgery that has only become available in the United States in the past few years,” said James Hartford, M.D., one of PAMF’s two specially trained orthopedic surgeons who perform the procedure. “Many people with hip-joint disorders have heard of hip replacement surgery, but only a select few have heard of hip resurfacing.”

The hip is a ball and socket joint. In a traditional hip replacement surgery, the ball at the top of the thighbone (femur) is completely removed and replaced with a ball and metal stem that fits into the hip socket in the pelvis. In hip resurfacing surgery, only a few centimeters of bone are removed from the ball at the top of the femur, and a cup-like implant is fitted over the top of the bone.

Because less bone is removed in hip resurfacing surgery, recovery may be faster and patients have a greater chance of being able to return to an active physical lifestyle after surgery. However, the procedure is only appropriate for patients whose bones are strong enough to handle it and who are in overall good health.

“Hip replacement is still an excellent procedure for the majority of patients with a hip disease, but we want the 10 to 15 percent of patients who qualify for hip resurfacing to know that they now have this option,” said John Lannin, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon who, together with Dr. Hartford, has performed nearly 100 hip resurfacing surgeries since late 2006, the year the procedure was approved.

Drs. Hartford and Lannin pre-screen patients interested in the procedure to ensure hip resurfacing is indeed the best option for them. They will review the patient’s medical record, conduct an initial examination and often order a bone density test, which determines how strong the patient’s bones are.

By working together, Drs. Lannin and Hartford offer a unique collaborative approach and extensive experience in hip resurfacing and general orthopedics.

“As far as I know, we are the only surgical team in the country in which both doctors in the operating room have a sub-specialty in hip resurfacing,” said Dr. Lannin.

“By having two surgeons operating at the same time, patients are more likely to have a good surgical outcome,” added Dr. Hartford.

The Hip Resurfacing Program offers patients support both before and after surgery, explained Cynthia Riepling, R.N., the program’s nurse educator and coordinator. Together with Drs. Hartford and Lannin, Riepling leads patients through each step of the process, from orienting them to what will happen during the surgery and visiting them in the hospital as they recover to seeing them at follow-up appointments.

“Our hip resurfacing program is unique in the level of care offered,” said Riepling. “We hope a lot more patients will learn about it through our new Web site.”

To find out more about hip resurfacing at PAMF, visit www.pamf.org/hipresurfacing.