Why settle for the doctors mistake

I guess from your mail that you are from the USA. and I am horrified when I sometimes read leg length differences of up 1.5 inches - that's 40 mm. After my THR I feel that my leg length is spot on, though my physio suggests there may be a difference of 2 mm, but I don't notice it. Is my experience fairly normal in europe - what do others say. Do we have equally wrong leg lengths or does it just seem to be in the US ??

I'm 100% with you! i had no choice but to have hip replacement also, after choosing a highly referred surgeon & doing my homework on him, i had the Thr, 3 days later (still in the hospital) i start running a fever, the nurses, Pt & myself notify the surgeon know asap & he pops in my room to release me to go home & inform me "I'm too good at this surgery for you to have an infection" wow what??? so 2 wks later the excruciating pain starts & i still have a limp! took me 10 months to find a surgeon that wouldn't protect the original surgeon & that cares about his patients, I'm told i have two infections in my hip. this is after many extreme blood tests & an a aspiration! so now 3 surgeries later, iv therapy, bed ridden for 19 wks, I'm told its in my pelvis & on top of that-I've got to do all if this over again & i could lose my leg! i live in a state that caters to quack doctors & it's next to impossible to sue them!

I'm 100% with you! i had no choice but to have hip replacement also, after choosing a highly referred surgeon & doing my homework on him, i had the Thr, 3 days later (still in the hospital) i start running a fever, the nurses, Pt & myself notify the surgeon know asap & he pops in my room to release me to go home & inform me "I'm too good at this surgery for you to have an infection" wow what??? so 2 wks later the excruciating pain starts & i still have a limp! took me 10 months to find a surgeon that wouldn't protect the original surgeon & that cares about his patients, I'm told i have two infections in my hip. this is after many extreme blood tests & an a aspiration! so now 3 surgeries later, iv therapy, bed ridden for 19 wks, I'm told its in my pelvis & on top of that-I've got to do all if this over again & i could lose my leg! i live in a state that caters to quack doctors & it's next to impossible to sue them!

Certainly there are doctors out there who should never touch a scalpel again and there are those who have no bedside manner or patience with patients once they are awake. Having worked in medical my whole life I am saddened and horrified that any medical professional would treat their patients this way. But it happens.

I'm in no way excusing bad medical behavior or ad technique, and surely there are outcomes that need further medical treatment that happen for many different reason. My experience with my surgeon in Florida was very different and very good, although I, too, have a leg length difference of about .75". I'm sure others out there have had a good medical outcomes, relief from pain, movement issues, just plain misery, but not necessarily what they expected. So some come out of surgery with a problem that was not expected or wanted.

In my case my hip was bone on bone and he used the smallest prosthesis he could, but it still made the space bigger in y operated hip than the space in my other arthritic hip. So the new hip is higher. I get this. But he took lots of time to explain in detail why this is, with drawings, reviewing my xrays, and how it was unavoidable and often happens when people have arthritis in both hips. The current fix for me is use a shoe insert and wait till I do the other hip. Not what i wanted to hear, but I understand now why this is so.

If i could make a point, it is this. When you choose a surgeon remember you are interviewing him or her as well as getting their medical opinion about your condition and the fix. Research the problem on the internet. Go to the appointment with a friend and your notes. ask i formed questions. Ask how many of these particular surgeries he does a month or year. What are his outcome record. What are the most common problems encountered. Can you talk with this person and do they help you understand what is going to happen. Do you trust that you can talk with them about you. And write his answers on your notes in a red pen so when you're home you have the question and the answer. Don't trust your memory. Sorry for the long post but this is very important, especially since some of you are facing further surgeries to solve problems you did not expect to have. Know exactly who you are dealing with and trusting to solve your issue as best they can.

well said! i did my homework on this one, i had a botched fusion & revision, but apparently I'm just unlucky!

Thank you to everyone. I am uber frustrated and want answers. I did book a second opinion as now my left hip is acting up from therapy. I still can't believe lifts are an answer, when you trust surgeon to do their job. I won't take no for answer. In my opinion, I paid you to fix me, FIX ME! plain and simple in my book.