MADISON, Wis. -- Meriter Hospital is paving new roads for hip patients in the Midwest.

Hip Resurfacing Could Be A Better Alternative

Last week, Dr. John Rogerson, an orthopedic surgeon, became the second surgeon in the nation to perform a hip resurfacing.

The procedure has been around for nearly 10 years in Europe, but wasn't approved by the Food and Drug Administration until late May.

Rogerson believed in the procedure wholeheartedly and in recent years sent nearly 50 patients to Dr. Koen DeSmet in Belgium. DeSmet is one of the procedure's pioneers.

Now, Rogerson himself is pioneering the surgery right here in the United States.

His first patient, Victoria Kassner, had a hip resurfacing performed on Tuesday and was walking around at the Farmer's Market by Saturday.

"To really see the patients is more exciting," said Rogerson. "They are just taking off at a functional level at a week that usually takes a total hip patient six to eight weeks to get to."

Chiropractor Dan Soderholm was Rogerson's second patient. He was amazed that his 10-year-old hip pain was immediately gone when he woke up in recovery.

"You're better so much quicker," said Soderholm. "Plus, you have your own bone so you're so much stronger and you can do so many more things, play tennis, ride horses, snow ski, things you couldn't do with a standard hip replacement."

Soderholm had surgery on Friday. He was walking by Saturday and doing rehab at Meriter Heights warm water pool by Monday.

Soderholm said physical therapists and doctors have been amazed all week at his mobility.

"The mobility seems to be back to normal," said Dr. Rogerson. "There are people with these that are back out doing marathons, jujitsu, winning masters. The activity level can be much greater with this because you don't have the plastic to wear out and it won't dislocate."

The hip resurfacing differs from a total hip replacement because the head and neck of the femur are left in tact and fitted into a larger chrome ball and socket joint. So the patient keeps more of their own bone.

A total hip replacement requires surgeons to cut off the head and neck of the femur and drive a metal stake down the femur to attach it to a ball and socket joint.

Rogerson said a total hip replacement tends to involve more recovery pain for patients. He said he's pleased to note that resurfacing patients don’t seem to have as much post-operative pain.

"These don't tend to dislocate," said Rogerson as he demonstrated the Birmingham ball joint. "They don't have a reamed shaft. The bone stays stronger because you have a stress shield. It basically gives a young, active patient kind of a free total hip."

Fewer than a dozen doctors across the country are currently trained to do hip resurfacing, which makes Meriter unique.

"The surgery is essentially the same no matter where you get it," said Rogerson. "It's our after-care that makes us stand out."

The after-care is a full-fledged rehab program that has patients in the hospital for three days, then moves them to Meriter Heights for ground and aquatic rehab for an additional four days.

Meriter is the only hospital in the world to offer such a comprehensive program.

"Typically if they were to receive this service in any other city in the United States, they would be receiving this on an outpatient basis," said Meriter Heights Rehab & Wellness Director Nancy Ahmann. "But because we have this facility, we can offer the level of rehab that combines aquatic and combines a higher level of rehab so they can recover sooner with a better outcome."

Although it's too early to have cost details, Rogerson said the cost difference between a hip resurfacing and total hip replacement appears to be minimal.

It costs much less than the $18,000 patients were paying out-of-pocket for the procedure in Europe. That cost didn’t include airfare or the week-long hotel stay for recovery.

More than 300,000 Americans had a hip replacement or revision in 2003, that's a 20 percent increase from 1998.

Experts predict an 80 percent increase in hip replacement procedures by 2030.

Rogerson explained that more people are participating in extreme sports at younger ages and putting their joints through extra strain.

"It used to be enough to run a marathon, now people are running the Iron Man," said Rogerson.

That repeated extra strain and the growing number of baby boomers hitting 60 are all reasons the number of hip replacements is expected to grow.

Soderholm said he's glad he took care of the problem now.

He said he has big plans for his new hip this winter. He plans to take it back on the slope. A place he had to avoid the past few winters.

"I'm not good at it but I like doing it," said Soderholm.