"I may have qualified for two or three in my lifetime with the materials that are available, but basically, by my mid-sixties, I would have been in a wheelchair and that wasn't an option for me, either," Mayer told Ivanhoe.
Surgeons are now using a technique to allow younger patients to hold on to their original joints. At Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, doctors perform what's called a pelvic osteotomy.
"We would make controlled cuts around the pelvis and we move it around and make the socket deeper," Javad Parvizi, M.D., an orthopaedic surgeon at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, explained to Ivanhoe.
By reshaping the hip socket, doctors provide a new area of cartilage for the joint. The arthritis and pain start to go away and the range of motion improves drastically.
Doctors say rehabilitation can last up to six months, but once a patient recovers they have no restrictions.
"I can pretty much do whatever I set my mind to doing," Mayer said.
There's no stopping Mayer, who hopes it's smooth sailing from now on.
It's been five years since Mayer had the surgery. Dr. Parvizi says her preserved hip joint will last years and maybe even her lifetime, reducing the likelihood she will ever need a hip replacement.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
1-800-JEFF-NOW
www.jeffersonhospital.org
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
abc30 News Links:
Links to other news sections on our website.
- HomePage
- Fresno Local News
- State News
- National/World News
- Entertainment News
- Business News
- Politics News
- Sports News
- Health Watch
- Consumer Watch
- Mr. Food
Breaking News Alerts:
Click Here to Sign-Up for Breaking News E-Mail Alerts
Receive Breaking News alerts in your email inbox.
Click Here to Sign-Up for Text Message Alerts
Receive Breaking News alerts right on your cell phone.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
