When Deb first met with Dr. Harsha about her hip pain, they decided to try a few conservative measures to see how Deb’s hip would respond. After spending time on crutches and using some rehabilitation services, it became clear that greater action was needed. “Right after I saw Deb, I started plugging her into the services I felt were the right fit,” said Dr. Harsha. “She continued to have difficulties, so we moved to some imaging, and found a stress fracture.”
Unfortunately, Deb’s case got more complicated by chronic arthritis, which had caused joint deterioration. “The arthritis was definitely impairing Deb’s quality of life, so we moved forward with the great continuum of care we have here at Hendricks,” said Dr. Harsha.
That meant involving Dr. Brad Prather, an orthopedic surgeon at Hendricks Regional Health, and a specialist at anterior hip replacement. “After Deb came to me from Dr. Harsha, we continued along a conservative course, but for someone who’s very active, that’s tough,” said Dr. Prather. “At a certain point, the x-rays and her ability to function dictated that the right approach was going to be a hip replacement.”
Deb agreed that replacing her hip was the right move. “I grew confident that surgery was the best option,” said Deb. “Dr. Harsha and Dr. Prather were in constant communication about my case. They knew how long I’d been on crutches, that I was trying to coach my team, trying to stay active and that after surgery, I would feel a lot better.
She had anterior hip replacement surgery, a procedure that eliminates the need to cut any major muscles or ligaments. It also has many potential post-operative benefits for patients. “With anterior hip replacement, you can really see the advantageous nature of recovery,” said Dr. Prather. “I’ve noticed that people tend to have a speedier return to normal function, and often experience less pain.”
Deb’s surgery was a complete success. Amazingly, she stood up on the very same day as her procedure. Her husband couldn’t help but notice right away that she looked taller.
Before long, Deb was pain free, and back on the court with her team doing what she loves. “There are plenty of days where I don’t even think about my hip anymore. I’m back to doing everything I want to be doing,” said Deb. “I can’t feel any better about the surgery and the care I received.”