Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
Resurfacing an alternative to hip replacement
by Blake Jones - The Garden Island
When Kilauea resident Payton Hough was faced with total hip replacement surgery or continued, “excruciating” pain in his arthritic joint, he opted not to go under the knife.
A surfer for decades, Hough, 46, said the idea of cutting the top of his femur bone and having a metal rod inserted in his leg did not sit well with him.
“I backed out,” Hough said of the replacement surgery.
But the discomfort of regular hip dislocations and bone spurs forced him to seek alternatives.
After learning about the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing System online, Hough visited Wilcox Memorial Hospital to inquire about the option.
Lucky for Hough, Dr. David Rovinsky was preparing to become certified in the method at the University of California, Irvine.
“It was just like an answer to my prayers,” Hough said.
Now, six weeks after undergoing the resurfacing procedure, Hough is swimming and diving, virtually pain-free.
According to Rovinsky, the Birmingham technique is revolutionary because it targets younger patients suffering from arthritis who are not ready to give up an active lifestyle.
Rovinsky — speaking to The Garden Island from Moscow, Russia, while traveling on behalf of Orthopedics Overseas — said the method does not remove muscle or replace bone. Instead, bone on the surface of the joint is shaved and capped with a cobalt chrome implant. The bigger ball and socket allow for more movement, while the metal used in both are longer lasting.
“After a hip resurfacing, you can do anything you want to do,” Rovinsky said, within reason.
A surfer himself, Rovinsky said he is “stoked” to bring this option to Kaua‘i for people with arthritis.
His first two patients — Hough and Jeff Habig, 54, of Wainiha — were walking within hours of the surgery and home the following day.
But the key to the surgery’s success, Rovinsky noted, is picking patients carefully. Unlike a total replacement, the new method does not actually replace bone, so good candidates must have strong bone.
The procedure was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration, allowing doctors to become certified and bring the method to their respective hospitals. Rovinsky was one of about 20 other doctors learning the technique at the first training session at UC, Irvine.
A member of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, Rovinsky said he was selected for the training because of his proficiency in total joint replacement surgeries. The minimum to be considered is 50 total joint replacements a year; Rovinsky averages between 150 and 200 annually.
“It’s not for your casual joint replacement guy,” he said.
As for Hough, he’s not totally back to normal — still refraining from surfing and labor-intensive work with his roofing business — but he’s worlds away from his pre-operation condition.
“I’m ecstatic and thankful,” he said of the results, adding that he is now hopeful for his surfing buddies who are still “hobbling around.”
Rovinsky is currently the only surgeon performing the procedure on Kaua‘i, and one of three in the state. Now in his seventh year at Wilcox, Rovinsky said he is well-supported in staying at the forefront of his field.
“I feel truly blessed,” he said. “A lot of people forget that we are a little island in the middle of the Pacific with a 60-bed hospital.”
Rovinsky is chief of the Bone and Joint Center of Kaua‘i Medical Center and assistant clinical professor at the University of Hawai‘i’s John A. Burns School of Medicine. He also serves on the board of Orthopedics Overseas.
For more information, visit www.wilcoxhealth.org or call 245-1523.
A surfer for decades, Hough, 46, said the idea of cutting the top of his femur bone and having a metal rod inserted in his leg did not sit well with him.
“I backed out,” Hough said of the replacement surgery.
But the discomfort of regular hip dislocations and bone spurs forced him to seek alternatives.
After learning about the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing System online, Hough visited Wilcox Memorial Hospital to inquire about the option.
Lucky for Hough, Dr. David Rovinsky was preparing to become certified in the method at the University of California, Irvine.
“It was just like an answer to my prayers,” Hough said.
Now, six weeks after undergoing the resurfacing procedure, Hough is swimming and diving, virtually pain-free.
According to Rovinsky, the Birmingham technique is revolutionary because it targets younger patients suffering from arthritis who are not ready to give up an active lifestyle.
Rovinsky — speaking to The Garden Island from Moscow, Russia, while traveling on behalf of Orthopedics Overseas — said the method does not remove muscle or replace bone. Instead, bone on the surface of the joint is shaved and capped with a cobalt chrome implant. The bigger ball and socket allow for more movement, while the metal used in both are longer lasting.
“After a hip resurfacing, you can do anything you want to do,” Rovinsky said, within reason.
A surfer himself, Rovinsky said he is “stoked” to bring this option to Kaua‘i for people with arthritis.
His first two patients — Hough and Jeff Habig, 54, of Wainiha — were walking within hours of the surgery and home the following day.
But the key to the surgery’s success, Rovinsky noted, is picking patients carefully. Unlike a total replacement, the new method does not actually replace bone, so good candidates must have strong bone.
The procedure was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration, allowing doctors to become certified and bring the method to their respective hospitals. Rovinsky was one of about 20 other doctors learning the technique at the first training session at UC, Irvine.
A member of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, Rovinsky said he was selected for the training because of his proficiency in total joint replacement surgeries. The minimum to be considered is 50 total joint replacements a year; Rovinsky averages between 150 and 200 annually.
“It’s not for your casual joint replacement guy,” he said.
As for Hough, he’s not totally back to normal — still refraining from surfing and labor-intensive work with his roofing business — but he’s worlds away from his pre-operation condition.
“I’m ecstatic and thankful,” he said of the results, adding that he is now hopeful for his surfing buddies who are still “hobbling around.”
Rovinsky is currently the only surgeon performing the procedure on Kaua‘i, and one of three in the state. Now in his seventh year at Wilcox, Rovinsky said he is well-supported in staying at the forefront of his field.
“I feel truly blessed,” he said. “A lot of people forget that we are a little island in the middle of the Pacific with a 60-bed hospital.”
Rovinsky is chief of the Bone and Joint Center of Kaua‘i Medical Center and assistant clinical professor at the University of Hawai‘i’s John A. Burns School of Medicine. He also serves on the board of Orthopedics Overseas.
For more information, visit www.wilcoxhealth.org or call 245-1523.
 |
 |
|
| The aloha is in the sauce | News & Notes |
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of kauaiworld.com.
You must register with a valid email to post comments. Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here: |
Become a Registered User |
RSS
infomaniac wrote on Nov 13, 2008 5:55 PM: