For two-and –a-half years, Kurt Bourhenne was in pain. He couldn’t sleep. He had to use a cane to walk up the stairs. The osteoarthritis in his left hip had taken its toll.

“The x-rays showed bone-on –bone, there was no cartilage left,” Bourhenne said. “I couldn’t stand it anymore. I told the doctor, “either cut me or kill me.”

Fortunately, Redondo Beach Orthopaedic Surgeon Albert Reff, M.D., decided surgery was the best option. Bourhenne was scheduled for a minimally-invasive hip replacement in January 2005 at Little Company of Mary-Torrance.

The surgery, which is virtually identical to a regular hip replacement, is performed through one or two smaller incisions instead of the traditional 10 to 12-inch incision. In Bourhenne’s case, Dr. Reff used one four-inch incision.

After the incision is made, muscles and tendons are split or detached, but to a lesser extent than in the traditional hip replacement operation. Then, the hip is dislocated and the head of the femur is removed. The hip socket is prepared by removing any remaining cartilage and some of the surrounding bone. The cup implant is pressed into the bone of the socket and may be secured and some of the surrounding bone. The cup implants is pressed into the bone of the socket and may be secured with screws. A bearing surface is inserted into the socket.

Next, the femur is prepared by removing some bone from the inside of the thighbone. A metal stem is placed six inches into the thighbone. The stem implant is either fixed with bone cement or is implanted without cement. Cementless implants have a rough, porous surface, which allows bone to adhere to the implant and hold it in place. A ball is then place on top of the stem. The ball-and-socket joint is recreated. And since there is less damage to muscle and other soft tissue, hospital stays and recovery times are generally shortened by about half.

For Bourhenne, an active 67-year old businessman who splits his time between residences in the South Bay and Seal Beach, the surgery was the answer to his prayers.

“It was a three-and-a-half hour surgery and I have an epidural drip for pain relief, which was great. I was in the hospital three-and-a-half days,” Bourhenne said.

“I was up with a walker the day after my surgery, but the following two weeks were really rough. I had physical therapy every other day and in between I had exercises to do on my own. At two weeks, I was on my stationary bicycle for two minutes. Every day after those first two weeks I had worked up to 15 minutes on the bike. Now, here I am, less than six months after the surgery and I can do everything I could do as a kid. After two-and-a-half years of atrophy, my legs are nearly the same size and have the same strength again. It’s like I never had a problem. It’s like new life.”

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, as the population ages over the next decade, this procedure is expected to become more common. Patients who undergo hip replacement are typically 60 to 75 years old. Osteoarthritis of the hip, caused by wear and tear, is the most common diagnosis leading to hip replacement. More than 90 percent of hip replacements last for 10 years or more. Pain and mobility improve after hip replacements, allowing patients to maintain their independence and quality of life.

This is good news for Bourhenne, who is excited to get back to his successful manufacturing business- and the golf course.

“I was golfing after four weeks,” Bourhenne said. “It’s a little par-three course, so I carried just one club-my Senator chipper. I used it as a cane and I was careful not to bend or twist too much. But I was out there and it felt great.”

Bourhenne also has some advice for people considering a hip replacement.

“Don’t listen to people who tell you not to do it. If I had done that, I never would have had the surgery.” Bourhenne said.
“Talk with your doctor and make the right decision for you. I did and I am absolutely thrilled.”