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Thanks, I will keep that in mind. I wonder why the doctor didn't tell my husband that the hip is healed enough to have pin removed.
Hard to say. Did he do any scans before suggesting the pin(s) be removed? Maybe he didn't think telling your husband this was necessary. He wouldn't suggest removing them if the bone hadn't healed enough.
Last edited by Parnassia; 10-07-2019 at 12:56 AM..
I’ve had pins in both hips for over 30 years now. I had SCFE as a teenager which required pinning of both hips. The hardware was left in. I now need a right hip replacement and the pins will be removed when the surgeon removed the femoral head in preparation for implanting the prosthesis.
Hard to say. Did he do any scans before suggesting the pin(s) be removed? Maybe he didn't think telling your husband this was necessary. He wouldn't suggest removing them if the bone hadn't healed enough.
I guess. I'll have to write the questions down so I don't get sidetracked when I'm there with my husband. Good question though.
I would get a second opinion about the cause of the pain. Removing pins sounds like a shot in the dark.
After I speak to the surgeon again that did the surgery, I will probably go to another surgeon. Anyway. Maybe. But now I am finding that different docs use different screws and cement for the same type of surgery, so I can only guess the initial doc who put the screws and pins in knows what he did. What a mess sometimes with the medical profession.
So my husband's doctor offered 3 possible treatments for the hip pain he is experiencing after more than a year from hip surgery. He had a pin (or more, not sure) placed in his hip and is not recovering well due to pain. One possibility is removal of the pin. He would still limp, according to dr., but would not have the pain. Is this true? Further, what happens if the pin(s) is removed?? I mean it sounds incredible. So I'm curious as to what happens to hip if pin(s) is removed...if he has no pain but would still limp, what good is the pin in the first place??
Generalities aren't that useful.
Hardware can be either permanent or temporary. Sounds like permanent was the intent. Sometimes permanent hardware is just left in even though it's no longer necessary because there's no reason to remove it. Sometimes in those cases the hardware causes pain and it does get removed. Other times the hardware is structurally necessary. Sounds like that's the case so the hip joint will be compromised by the removal and they don't expect it to ever heal and function fully. That might be preferable than pain though.
The doctor should document the surgery they did. Of course surgeons are notorious for sloppy records although in general medical reporting today is far, far better than it was in the past.
Hardware can be either permanent or temporary. Sounds like permanent was the intent. Sometimes permanent hardware is just left in even though it's no longer necessary because there's no reason to remove it. Sometimes in those cases the hardware causes pain and it does get removed. Other times the hardware is structurally necessary. Sounds like that's the case so the hip joint will be compromised by the removal and they don't expect it to ever heal and function fully. That might be preferable than pain though.
The doctor should document the surgery they did. Of course surgeons are notorious for sloppy records although in general medical reporting today is far, far better than it was in the past.
The surgeon is a bit inaccessible in personality, makes me feel stupid. (Maybe I am...BUT... I'd still like to know why, if the surgery was a success, he is in such pain. Two years later. And I really don't want to hear, "Well, sometimes it happens..." The question is Why.
The surgeon is a bit inaccessible in personality, makes me feel stupid. (Maybe I am...BUT... I'd still like to know why, if the surgery was a success, he is in such pain. Two years later. And I really don't want to hear, "Well, sometimes it happens..." The question is Why.
Cindi, "they" don't know why, I'm in a lot of pain 9 yrs later from hip job. I don't have pins but have a metal part and plastic part and just suck it up, some days worse than others. Thank goodness no infection NOW, I hope.
Why not see another surgeon who does the surgery he had done.
So sorry for all this pain and misery, I can relate. Those who have had good surgeries are very fortunate.
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