Patient Testimonials

Mike, CONSERVE® Total Hip with BFH® Technology Recipient
Mike’s clinical diagnosis was osteoarthritis in both hips but it could have been that he simply wore out the joints through rigorous use.

A former University of Wisconsin football player who went semi-pro, and later a top-level racquetball competitor, Mike, now 56, also drove race cars professionally. Whatever the culprit, his hips were shot by the time he was 54 and he was out of all games.

“It became very difficult just to walk any distance because of the pain and lack of flexibility,” Mike said. “It was bone on bone. I could almost hear the grinding.”

But thanks to his February 2004 bilateral hip replacement surgery using the Big Femoral Head (BFH® Technology), he is once again physically active without pain or difficulties.

Bilateral hip-replacement surgery is somewhat unusual because it limits the patient’s mobility during the recovery and rehabilitation phase. But Mike said it was the smartest move he ever made.

“I was always an athlete and I kept myself in good shape, so I knew I could do the rehab,” he said. “I wanted both hips at once so that I could get it over with; one trip to the surgery unit, one recovery, one rehab period. But I know it wouldn’t be right for everyone.”

He said the pain and constricted range of motion that his disease created had robbed him of the things he loved to do. His quality of life had declined, and he was in a hurry to get it back, once he knew about the BFH technology.

“There’s nothing else on the market like the Big Femoral Head,” said Mike’s surgeon, Gregory Van Winkle, M.D. “It has a cobalt/chrome alloy metal-on-metal bearing that provides long-life wear and a very good range of motion. It’s perfect for someone like Mike. He’s a guy on the go. We heard he was playing touch football about six months after his surgery.”

Mike said the worst part of the surgery for him was the anxiety leading up to it, “but I am so glad that I did it.” After surgery he remained in the hospital for three days then went home to recover for a week before putting any pressure on his new hips. He was getting around on crutches within weeks, and after just four weeks he was walking unassisted and could feel his strength and confidence steadily increasing. He was diligent about his physical therapy and now swims 25 pool laps each morning and each evening, and rides a stationary bicycle about 15 miles a day.

“I don’t even think about my hips anymore,” he said. “They are a non-issue. They feel as good as they did before I ever started having problems.” He is close to getting back on the racquetball court in a competitive league, and back into the driver’s seat of a prototype race car.

Mike said he has talked with many people who are candidates for similar surgery, and he always recommends it.

“With this new technology there’s just no reason for people to deal with the pain and have to give up their active lifestyles,” he said.

Individual results may vary. Consult your physician for complete information regarding this product.