Hip Replacements

You usually hear of people in their 60's and 70's needing hip replacements - not 30 somethings......  More »

You usually hear of people in their 60's and 70's needing hip replacements - not 30 somethings... But as Donnell Preskey is finding out first hand there are many improvements to help new hips last longer and patients recover faster... (Donnell Preskey / KX News) As far as North Dakota days in February go this is a pretty good day for a walk... It's what I miss almost every step is painful at 32 I'll be getting a new hip next week... (Dr. Bopp) People will have space between bones - called cartilage space. That's a pretty good looking hip joint.. This hip has some arthritis in it - very subtle - joint space very narrow. When cartilage wears away that's when pain sets in... (Bopp) Normal person is 65-70 years old, usually have had hip pain for several years - walk less than 1/2 mile, maybe even a block or two - pain at night, pain at rest, get up and moving. Bopp does about 100 hip replacements a year most of them last more than 20 years. But a new procedure is getting a lot of attention it's called hip resurfacing... (Bopp) Instead of removing ball - we're resurfacing so it's similar to a dentist putting a cap on a chipped tooth. The hip resurfacing is so new he's only done about 30 of them. He says it's the best option for younger patients who will need another replacement in their lifetime... (Bopp) if you have a young person and you can preserve most of this bone with resurfacing versus replacing the bone right away makes sense, the longevity of hip resurfacing is not known. No matter what procedure Bopp says most people have a hip replacement to relieve their pain. (Bopp) 6,8, 12 weeks after surgery most people say it feels pretty darn close to normal. Meaning patients can return to their favorite activities even the simple ones like a walk on a nice day. Since November Doctor Bopp started doing hip replacements by going in from the front of the hip this is so he doesn't have to cut through muscle. There's less pain for the patient and a faster recovery.  « Less