Pottstown, PA – For 50-year-old Paul Frey of Perkiomenville, living with arthritis of the hip was a struggle.  An active person, it was getting harder for him to enjoy daily living.
Frey, like millions of individuals, suffers from hip pain caused by osteoarthritis, a joint disease that affects cartilage. Unfortunately, cortisone injections and painkillers provided only temporary relief of his pain.
He was further discouraged after doctors advised him against having hip replacement surgery because he was still relatively young, and would basically "wear out" the replacement implant much sooner than someone less active. He explored every option but he eventually came to the conclusion that the constant pain would always interfere with his personal and professional life.
"I had a few injections but they didn't help. It was extremely frustrating."  After consulting with Nikos Pavlides, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Pottstown Memorial Medical Center, Frey decided that hip resurfacing was the right option for him.  Frey’s procedure, an innovative alternative to hip replacement, was performed at Pottstown Memorial Medical Center (PMMC) by Dr. Pavlides, one of the first orthopedic surgeons in the country to perform this new, FDA approved, type of hip surgery”. 

An innovative alternative to hip replacement

Hip Resurfacing is a new alternative to total hip replacement if you are a younger, active patient with debilitating hip pain. This innovative and technologically advanced surgical procedure resurfaces rather than replaces the end of the femur (thighbone), saving your natural bone.

"This is a minimally invasive procedure that removes a very small amount of arthritic bone in the hip joint and covers it with a new smooth surface," said Dr. Pavlides.  “Unlike the hip replacement, which removes the hip and completely replaces it, resurfacing allows patients to keep their own hip."
Because of this, patients may participate in more strenuous physical activity, have lower dislocation rates and potentially have a longer-lasting implant than some traditional total-hip replacements. Further benefits are seen if there is the need for future revision surgery. “The bone conserving approach of hip resurfacing allows for revision surgery with shorter recovery time and less pain as opposed to the more complex, traditional total hip replacement revision,” added Dr. Pavlides.

As for Frey, the hip resurfacing surgery couldn't have gone any smoother.  He was up and walking the day following surgery, and was back at home after just two days in the hospital.  He is now following up with a rehabilitation program that he follows at home. "I did not have any pain after surgery. I felt great and received excellent care by all the staff at Pottstown, said Frey.  But the biggest thank you goes to Dr. Pavlides for being such an excellent surgeon and really caring about his patients.”

To reach Dr. Pavlides, please call Brandywine Institute of Orthopaedics at (610) 792-9292.