Keeping it in the family.

On the 17th of October 2013 my husband Sam and I were blessed with a gorgeous little girl who we named Willow Maree. As for most children born in Australia Willow's hips were tested soon after birth for the presence of clicking which could indicate possible developmental hip problems. The paediatrician who tested Willow's hips explained that they felt fine however due to my history of a missed hip dysplasia and the fact that the condition is congenital (an abnormality which is present from birth or hereditary) she would refer her to have an ultrasound done on her hips. Having gone through a lot of drama with my hips both Sam and I decided to play it safe rather than risk letting a problem go undetected and we took Willow for her ultrasound at 6 weeks of age. The imaging procedure was very gentle and Willow tolerated it with nothing more than a slight grizzle when I unwrapped the blanket and woke her from her sleepy state. Willow was positioned on her back with one side of her nappy undone and the ultrasound probe placed on the outside of her hip. The radiographer was fantastic with Willow and made every effort to keep her comfortable - she even made sure that the ultrasound gel was warmed slightly and not freezing like when I had ultrasounds on my growing belly during pregnancy. The whole process for both sides took a total of 30mins, with the only pitfall being the cost of the ultrasound being a few hundred dollars - but I think this is not much to pay for peace of mind! At the paediatrician review we were told that the ultrasound showed that Willow's hips are just within the normal range and there shouldn't be anything to worry about. I had my surgeon Jit Balakumar also look at her scans and he also completed a few tests on her hips. He agreed that they looked and felt good but he has asked that she have one more ultrasound at 12 weeks to ensure that development continues on track.

 

Speaking about family; my dad has recently undergone a total hip replacement after a sudden onset of hip and groin pain. Dad reports not experiencing any previous hip or groin pain. He has however a long history of lower back pain which referred down into his leg, but this was much reduced after back surgery over 20 years ago. Dad's hip and groin pain worsened quickly causing him to limp, so he was referred for an Xray and then an MRI. These images showed that he had severe osteo-arthritis and would need a total hip replacement. Unfortunately the timing of this news was not ideal as my dad was planning on walking my sister down the aisle at her wedding that was only a couple weeks away. Dad went to see the same surgeon who completed my PAO surgery. To help dad get through he underwent an arthroscopic clean out of his left hip to help reduce the debris in the joint cavity and was prescribed medication for his pain. During the arthroscopy Jit was able to get a closer look at the integrity of dad's hip joint and he was surprised by the amount damage that was present especially considering that pain had only recently commenced.

While waiting for his total hip replacement surgery Dad completed a gentle exercise program which I like to call a "pre-hab" or "pre-habilitation" (rehabilitation before the surgery takes place). It allowed for reduced muscle atrophy (wasting due to disuse) and also gave him an idea of what to expect following the surgery.

 

Dad underwent a total hip replacement at the Austin Hospital on the 5th of December. Jit completed the surgery via an anterior approach meaning that he entered the hip through the front rather than cutting through the muscles behind the hip joint. Dad is progressing well following the surgery and is due to see his surgeon again in a fortnight.