Hip Hip But Not Hooray!

[Theland]

Must me having a moan again.
I have six children, five boys and one girl.
One of my sons got Perthes Disease in his left hip when only aged ten.
He had several operations over the next seven years, all unsuccessful.
Then aged almost eighteen, he had a total hip replacement.
Sadly, he continued to have problems, mainly with nerve damage.
Now aged thirty, he lives in constant pain, and although was working as a carer, and hopes to again soon, his difficulties remain.

Then my daughter when she was about thirty, developed the same problem, but in her right hip.
She too had a total hip replacement, but the surgeon severed some nerves and did other damage, and this has left her seriously disabled, and unable to continue working as a nurse.
She cannot walk without the aid of crutches and lives in constant pain, controlled by really strong drugs. She is only thirty eight and has six children.

Life is so unfair isn't it?
A thread on here earlier today concerned conjoined twins, so compared to their parents I am really not in a position to complain, but I wish I could take the pain for my kids.
One of the reasons I get so down at times.
But, as the saying goes, there is always somebody worse off.

[jno]

if medical science can't help, you can only follow the example of Job and hope that God rewards your patience.

[Atheist]

Sorry, T, but do you sometimes wonder what God has got against you?

[pixie374]

There is... but that doesn't help those suffering at the time. I hadn't heard of Perthes disease, but it seems very rare. Is that what both children have?
Conjoined twins is entirely different and not compatible with what your family is dealing with .

[Peter Pedant]

I am very sorry to hear this TheLand

They thought I had Perthes when I was 12 - fat little git with a painless limp - but it got better ( observation hip) .
reading the above - thank God. But I have had two hips replaced, unrelated said the orthopod.

[pixie374]

Comparable...

[Theland]

jno - Quite right. Aren't I blessed to be so tested?

[alavahalf]

Theland .. can they not now perform an arthrodesis on the hip. This would give a slight loss in mobility and as there has already been an attempt at hip replacement, it would also mean wearing a shoe raise.
But at least the pain would be gone and life would carry on, aithough with slight adjustment

[Theland]

Apparently the same disease is given different names dependent on the age of the child. Only the older children and adults is it called Perthes.
In young children, say, aged four, the same disease in sometimes self correcting.

[Peter Pedant]

perthes here
https://www.ouh.nhs.uk/paediatricorthopaedics/information/conditions/perthes-disease.aspx

Mine was 1962 and only x rays - and you can imagine without imaging and ultrasound scans, in 1962 you identify a different smaller set of kids ( boys usually ) than you do now.

I am sorry your family scored a 'double'

[Sqad]

Alavalaf......you cannot convert a hip replacement to an arthrodesis as there is nothing to arthrodese.

[pixie374]

Thank you theland and pp xx is there any way of helping the pain or mobility?

[alavahalf]

As a rule Sqad I would never beg to differ .. but I know for a fact that many years ago when I had smashed my pelvis. A Prof. John Charnley at Writington Hip Centre gave me the choice. (40 years ago).
He said .. I can replace your hip and without a doubt it will come loose again. What I will do after that is cut some more off your femur and then fix it straight onto your pelvis. But I would need to have a 4" shoe raise.
Or the other option is I perform an arthrodesis now and you wont need a shoe raise, but you wont have any pain.
While I was in Wrightington he performed many
Fusions on failed hip replacements.

[Sqad]

Theland.....your story, if as you say is correct, then the hips of both children have been c,ocked up.
Seek legal advice and sue the surgeon.
Seek a second opinion, but this time at a reputable Orthopaedic Unit..e,g Wrightington Unit for Hip and Knee Surgery, Wigan

https://www.wrightingtonhospital.org.uk/

[Theland]

Alavahalf - I'm seeing my daughter tomorrow. Will ask her.

[Sqad]

Alavalaf.......I know the hospital well....both of my hips were done there 35 years ago.
If that is what you were told, then that is what you were told.
50 yes ago hip arthrodesis was common for the treatment of O A hip and then John Charney developed the LFA Low Friction Arthroplasty (total hip replacement) and failed Arthrodesis were converted into a Charney Hip replacement.
He operated in the next theatre to me.
However, my ageing brain probably needs retuning lol

[Theland]

Squad - My sons problems were at first dealt with by physiotherapy and only bit by bit was it apparent that there was a problem, but nothing to suggest a fault on the part of the surgeon.
Then after three years, by law, no litigation is allowed. But even if it was, there is nothing to suggest malpractice, at least no evidence we could identify.
With my daughter, the surgeon actually told her that she had cut too deep, so my daughter was able to sue the NHS and settled out of court.
She managed to buy a more suitable house out of her money, better suited to her disability.

[Sqad]

Mmmmm! Sounds a right c.ock up.

[Theland]

My sons surgeon was Mr Starmer, Arrowe Park Hospital.
Daughter also operated on there, don't know her surgeon.

[Sqad]

Don't know him, that would be Liverpool and Wirral.

[alavahalf]

Sqad .. I spent six weeks in there in 74. Having been in horrendous pain for a couple of years
I didn't sleep much. At night John Charnley would walk the ward looking for someone to play Crib with, when he found me awake, he asked me if I could play Crib.. no was the answer. After a few hands he had taught me how. Every night after that our card game was an appointment.