Open FAI Surgery, Torbay Hospital

[PaulB]

Hmm, I posted a reply to this last night but it said it had to be approved by a moderator
I wonder how long that takes?

[Dee34]

usually up to 24 hours I think when you first join the site Paul..

[PaulB]

Thanks Dee. I'll re-write the post if it doesn't appear in a day or so.

Have a good weekend all. This forum has given me real hope and support (albeit virtual) that there's a solution out there.

Paul

[Rayray]

Paul,

Yes there is a solution and there are lots of surgeons that can help.

Have a great weekend.

[Janet]

Ditto what Rayray says - you do not need to put up with being in pain! It's not normal, so please pursue this. Will look out for your thread when it finally appears!

[PaulB]

Thanks Janet and Rayray,

I'm not sure where my other post went so I'll try and remember what I wrote!

Janet, in answer to your question, I've not had a MRI anthrogram. I've had a standard MRI but my doctor informed me that this didn't reveal anything.

I must say, my case doesn't sound anywhere near as severe as what you guys are experiencing. However, it has changed my life a lot, inasmuch as I am no longer able to do all of the active things and sports I used to do. Walking is generally ok for short distances, although stairs give me discomfort or shooting pain. If it's bad, just turning over in bed or turning to walk in a different direction can be very painful.

You guys have been through a lot by the sounds of it. It's great to see that you're still so positive.

Regarding private treatment, unfortunately I'm not in a position to afford this. I'm a small business owner and we have to be so careful with our money in the current climate.

I?ve contacted my GP and I?m waiting for him to call back. FAI and labral tears have never been mentioned by my GP or physio team so hopefully this additional information will help my case to progress. I?m going to discuss Choose and Book and will see if I can get a referral to Mr Ashworth.

I really appreciate the information you?ve provided and I hope you are all well.

Paul

[Rayray]

Hi Paul,

I too had an MRI (in fact several) but with no contrast they showed very little which the x-ray hadn?t already shown up even though my case was pretty bad. Mark Norton said an MRI on the hips without contrast is worthless unless they are looking for growths or other disease which are unlikely with the symptoms ? a waste of time and money. As I said before you can Choose and Book at The Duchy and I know you will be seen faster there. I too run my own business and got into the horrendous situation of things getting so bad I could no longer do any of the day to day physical work. I also found that they are very used to sporty people who have the condition and have so much experience ? it is worth the trip down and I bet you are seen in half the time you would be in Torbay. I think referral to treatment at The Duchy is around 17 weeks and you get the very best as it is a private hospital. I have been to both Torbay and The Duchy and I am sticking to The Duchy whatever.

Mark Norton can also advise on non-operative measures as he may have some ideas and the physio team are very experienced in sports medicine and FAI.

I hope you get some answers soon.

[PaulB]

Thanks Rayray,

So The Duchy looks like a private hospital only... is it possible to get an NHS referral though 'Choose and Book', even though it's private?

Are the doctors at the Duchy specialists in this kind of thing? Do you have any names? You mentioned Mark Norton... This is the specialist from the Cornwall Hip Foundation? This foundation operates from the Duchy hospital?

If I do this choose and book, which certainty seems sensible, I need to decide whether Torbay or Cornwall is best. Is your view the widely accepted view or have others had equally as positive experiences in Torbay?

[Carolan]

Hi Paul,
I can only speak from my experience at Torbay - I had open fai surgery last week - and i have found them great. I hadn't heard of fai or labral tears or anything until i was diagnosed in march this year and since being referred by my gp for an orthopedic appointment in december 08, things have gone reasonably quickly. I know to me it has seemed like i have been waiting ages but i suppose 6 months isn't too long. I think too I was lucky in that dr lofthouse at torbay knew as soon as he saw me and I described my pain what was wrong with me and i had an mri with the dye to confirm.

[Rayray]

Hi Paul,

Yes, the Cornwall Hip Foundation pioneered study and surgery into FAI and labral tears in the UK. The team has operated on more people than the rest of UK surgeons out together so they know their stuff. The Choose and Book option is NHS and I have been referred there on the NHS. I did have surgery one privately but all further treatment is now NHS and you can be referred there from day one. It is a private hospital so that is a real bonus but they see many NHS patients.

The surgeon I met at Torbay Mr Ashworth was wonderful but he seemed as frustrated by the delays and the appointments system as I was. Mr Ashworth (& I am sure Mr Lofthouse) really knows his stuff. I had already experienced massive delays before I got to see Mr Ashworth and then, because I had a problem with both hips, Torbay delayed my first surgery and I knew I was looking at twelve months to get this surgery and I had already been waiting two years as they know little of the condition locally.

I emailed Mark Norton using the contact us selection on The Cornwall Hip Foundation site and he was helpful in discussing my options for treatment and also how to do Choose and Book. You actually do the Choose and Book via your GP, just ask for Hips at The Duchy and it is done. You get a computer reference and can book on line but I then contacted them to make sure I was referred to an appropriate surgeon i.e. one of the three that treats FAI and they switched surgeons for me. This can all happen pretty quickly.

Carolan was very lucky and it looks like her path went smoothly at Torbay and you may be lucky too. Others of us have suffered delays and frustrations in getting appointments due to additional complexities in our hips.

Your decision I am afraid!!