Marc Earnshaw - Bilateral BMHRs (May 2006/Nov 2006)
IT Consultant
IT Consultant Marc Earnshaw from Leeds initially believed his pain and discomfort was due to a lower back problem. He explains, “About eight years leading up to the operation life was quite difficult. I had severe pain in both hips brought on by the diagnosis of Avascular Necrosis [AVN] which we originally thought was a problem with my back. The initial surgeons that I saw gave me the advice I should put off having any procedure until I was old enough to have a total hip replacement.
“I never took a day off work with it but, in terms of my social life and general mood, it had quite an impact. You can get very frustrated with not being able to do seemingly simple things. You want to go out for a walk in the park or go to a football match - you can’t do it.”
Marc had heard about hip resurfacing but was led to believe that his AVN and the subsequent damage to both femoral heads would prevent such a treatment. “At that point I was quite low,” he recalls. “But I thought, because of my age, I would like to hear that from the person who pushed forward the resurfacing technology. That’s why I made the appointment with Mr McMinn.”
Luckily for Marc, Mr McMinn had recently developed a new arthroplasty which was suitable for patients with femoral damage and AVN. The Birmingham Mid Head Resection (BMHR) is a bone-conserving hip arthroplasty which provides all the benefits of a standard hip resurfacing.
“I figured I had nothing to lose,” says Marc. “Even if I had the BMHR, the backup was I could have a total hip replacement anyway. And I was at the point where I was in so much pain and difficulty with my walking that I really had to have something done.
“As soon as the operation was over, everything was very good. I couldn’t believe the amount of pain relief I had!” Marc’s delighted with his bilateral BMHRs and excited about getting back to an active lifestyle.
