PATH® Technique Patient Testimonials - Evelyn

CONSERVE® Total Hip with BFH® Technology Recipient through the PATH® Minimally-Invasive Surgical Technique
Evelyn is not your typical 50-year-old. A marathon runner and dirt bike rider, Evelyn has raced at major national events and in the Maryland State Championships for motor cross. She spends time pruning trees and gardening on her tree farm and she is also an administrative manager for a commercial real estate office. She runs property assessment tours and investigates tenant programs and engineering-related issues on the properties. Her very active and full life eventually took a dramatic toll on her body. Through the 1990s and into 2000, she began experiencing hip pain that severely limited her abilities to walk, let alone compete in high-impact sporting events. She was told by physicians that the problem was her back, and she couldn’t lift her right leg. She ran her last marathon in 2002 and recalls, “It was just grueling.” From 2002-2006 she would tie a belt around her leg to lift it up and down as she was still determined to ride her dirt bike. Physicians advised back surgery, told her she would never ride her bike again, and that she would have to succumb to a sedentary lifestyle. With all that said, she had a suspicion the problem was not her back. It turns out, she was right – she had severe osteoarthritis in her hip. She did her homework, researched her condition on the Internet, and learned about Jimmy Connors’ total hip replacement. Encouraged by his ability to return to his active lifestyle, she sought out Dr. Randolph Cook in Ashburn, Virginia. Dr. Cook offered Wright’s CONSERVE® Total Hip with BFH® Technology using the PATH® Tissue-Sparing surgical technique – the same total hip replacement Jimmy received. This hip replacement, designed to be more durable than traditional metal-on-plastic (polyethylene) components, reduces the risk of dislocations and allows active adults like Jimmy to return to an active lifestyle with confidence. Combined with the tissue-sparing PATH® surgical technique, patients can recover in just a matter of days to weeks as opposed to weeks to months.

On January 26, 2007, Evelyn received a total hip replacement in her right leg. She recalls weeks after surgery, “a miracle happened.” Eating more protein and participating in physical therapy sessions, she was on her way back to herself. Three months later during her check up, Dr. Cook could not tell her which hip he had replaced without looking at his notes. She took off down the hall on a spirited walk, went through the range of motion tests, and says, “It was amazing.” She started weed whacking, cutting wood and walking five to seven miles on her farm. She returned to the gym with a personal trainer and in May did 200 push ups! Today, she can walk her dog easily. Prior to her surgery, she would wobble down to the park with a cane and felt so much pain that she couldn’t continue with her beloved pet.

“When your choices are taken away, you get grumpy, and there is constant, chronic pain. When I would wake up at night and go to do something simple, my right leg wouldn’t lift. My left knee started to hurt also because I was walking with such a pronounced limp. My left leg ended up taking the brunt of what my right leg couldn’t do anymore. This drove me to eventually stop walking. Today, at the gym, people come up to me and say it’s amazing I am back. Thanks to my hip replacement, I have experienced a phenomenal, profound change. I am so grateful to Wright.”

These results are specific to this individual only. Individual results and activity levels after surgery vary and depend on many factors including age, weight and prior activity level.
There are risks and recovery times associated with surgery and there are certain individuals who should not undergo surgery.
Only a physician can tell you if this product and associated procedure are right for you and your unique circumstances. Please consult with a physician for complete information regarding benefits, risks and possible outcomes.