Hip Labral Tear Surgery

Finally, after two years of hip & groin pain, my daughter was diagnosed as having a hip labral tear.  She is a collegiate athlete as a pole vaulter and is concerned about the long recovery of having the tear repaired surgically.  Has anyone recently had this surgery that can relay their recovery experience?  As an athlete, she is in excellent physical shape...but is worried about muscle atrophy and being able to be back to a competitive level in 3 months.

[dr_simran]

Hello dbvf,

The other name is Acetabular Labral Tear. Labral tears frequently take place in the front and top segments of the labrum. Hip labral (labrum) tear is a medical condition within the hip where a sort of cartilage takes place.
Injury is a damage caused by an outsidepressure/factor/source to a specific body part.  All do all otherinjuries, hip labral tear injury causes a mild to severe pain withinthe hip area.
Hip labral tear (acetabular labral tear ) are more common among women.  However the people with hip structure abnormalities may develop hip labral tear more frequently.


Refer: http://hiplabraltear.com/nm-Hip_Labral_Tear_Overview_Acetabular_Labral_Tear-cp-2

Best

[mom0987]

who is the BEST doctor to perform the hip labral tear arthoscopy surgery....son is water polo player in college, 19 years old....will go any where--need doctor with TONS of experience

[Brenlou74]

For the Acetabluar Labral Tear, how long is the recovery time after the surgery?  My physical therapist, chiropractor and my PCP all believe that this is what I have ( I am currently waiting for the MRI results)  I am trying to prepare my family and work for the worst case scenerio.

Thanks!!

[JAD07]

According to the research I've done and my doctor, there are only about 7-10 places that perform this surgery in the nation. My doctor, Dr. Robert Thornberry, is in Tallahassee, FL and seems to have done a great job. You can find out more about him and his practice at www.tlhoc.com. Because the procedure is new compared to other types of surgeries, I'm not sure that there's really anyone that could be recommended as having tons of experience. I'm only two months post-op but I'm healing and slowly feeling better.

Hope this helps!  

[JAD07]

It took about five months of my being mostly bed-ridden before doctors figured out I had a labral tear in my left hip. I'm two months post-op and am SLOWLY recovering. My physical therapist told me that it would be AT LEAST six to eight weeks from the time I started therapy to even begin doing small things like standing long enough to cook a meal. She also told me that she doesn't expect me to FULLY recover my strength and range of motion for about a year. My doctor told me that I should avoid doing any high-impact exercises like running, jumping, etc. because my hip is now more prone to injury. He also told me that about 1/3 of people with labral tears end up needing hip replacements within five years from the time they had the tear repaired.

Although I was in good shape before this happened, my experience may differ greatly from others' because my muscles became really weak during the time I couldn't function. But one of the biggest things I've learned during this experience is that doctors aren't really sure how long it takes patients to recover from this particular surgery. My doctor told me that if I had had the same surgery in my knee or shoulder, he could tell me exactly how long it would take to heal but that he had no idea how long it might take since this was done in my hip. This procedure just hasn't been around long enough for them to know.

[K70]

I was diagnosed with a hip labral tear, but it has felt better recently and I am even able to run on it. I qualified for the Boston marathon and would like to run it, but I don't want to do anything crazy. If it doesn't hurt now, is there anything wrong with continuing to run on it?

[dnh]

I was diagnosed with a hip labral tear a few years ago but did not need surgery at the time.   The best Doctor is Bryan Kelly at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC.  He recently repaired Chase Utley's tear as well as other top athletes.  

[redohip]

I am 3 wks post-op after living w/a severe tear and Synovial damage.  I felt relieve the next day as far as the improved ability to sleep! 2 ½ wks on crutches; pool therapy now for a month. It looked very chewed up from the scope; couldn't have repaired on it's own. Just would have been much worse!

[BRS22]

You have to take into account not every one is the same. It depend on the degree of the tear and your pain tollerance before and after the surgery. The best case scenario is 8 to 12 weeks of crutches and then moving on from there. I have been dealing with with a larbrum tear for the last year and a half. I had been misdiagnosed until Sept 26, 2009. My tear is due to strenuous activity and heavy lifting from the military. I have always been and active person. My pain was at a 10 nearly everyday but i couldn't afford to be bed ridden. I gradually got used to the pain and now its an annoyance. But I am happy to finally be fixing the problem.

Everybody should remember they are different. We all heal at different rates, and how well your doc opperates make a difference as well.

[Jaime1223]

Today I was notified that I have a labral tear on the anterior side of the superiour and inferiour aspects of the labral/hip joint. I've had this discomfort for the last 39 years and in the last ten years it has been very irritating especially during the sleeping hours. What do I need to prepare for? What do I need to expect? my email is ***@**** . thank you
Sincerely,

Jaime

[karisma7281]

I was diagnosed with a hip labral tear in November. I had been living with the excruciating hip pain for about two years before finally deciding to do something about it. After being diagnosed and told I would need surgery to repair the tear, I started to research the procedure. I read all of the horrible recovery comments on these message boards and, even though my surgeon told me the recovery would be only mildly painful and require no physical therapy, I was thoroughly terrified going into surgery last Monday. I am ecstatic to report that I woke up from the procedure absolutely pain free and only experienced mild discomfort in the first 48 hours. I have been walking since immediately post op (got off the stretcher and walked to the bathroom with no assistance) and only require the use of crutches at the end of the day if my leg is really tired. I am now beginning to wonder if some of the people who posted awful recoveries on here did their research on finding a knowledgeable hip surgeon before having this procedure done. I know that everyone heals differently and that you have to take into account the severity of the tear, but I had a pretty severe tear and, although I am active, I am by no means in great shape. I felt the need to post this comment so that others might not be frightened of this surgery. It was the best decision I could have made and if I had to do it all over again I would do it in a second! If you live in the Tri-State Area and are looking for a surgeon, I used Dr. John S. McCallum of Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists. He has been performing this procedure for over 10 years and does 2-3 hip labral repairs a week.

The contact info is: [phone]
Their website is: www.ct-ortho.com

[Ang82]

I had the hip arthoscopy on my right hip over 2 years ago, i am still in as much pain as i was when i woke up from the surgery 2 years ago, the symptoms have changed from before the surgery, i am not getting the sharp pain i was, but now it seems the Dr who performed the surgery pulled my leg out too much and has caused sever nerve injury, all the MRI's i have had since the surgery have come up with no problems showing, i can only walk for a few minutes a day and have alot of trouble sitting upright in a chair, i can only really get comfortable if i am lying down with a pillow under my leg, i am 28 years old now, the injury was caused by a heavy platform hitting my thigh and twisting my hip out of place. Has anyone else experianced similar pain after surgery?

Angelo

[sme120]

Hi - I posted this on a different forum and got one good response and one not so good one so looking to get a bit more info if possible before I see the Doc. I have had hip pain for some time and so my Dr. asked for me to get a a Hip MRI. Below are the findings. I have been asking around and it sounds like torn labrums are very common and really range in the degree of. Can you let me know if you feel this is a bad tear or not so bad? Also, regarding number 2 and 3, I read they are related to the tear. Any further info you may have is greatly appreciated.
1. Tear of the entire superior labrum extending anterior to posterior with small associated paralabral cyst formation and focal detachment of the anterior/superior labrum.
2. Mild trochanteric bursitis (small amount of edema and inflammtory change).
3. Mild iliopsoas bursitis (small amount of fluid with the bursa).
THX

[Schmendy]

I was injured in a car wreck and it took a year to diagnose my problem.  I lived in FL at the time and the docs there could not even do the arthroscopic repair.  I sent my info to Dr. Byrd in Nashville (he has done this for countless athletes and regular folks as well) and he reviewed my files and thought a visit to his office would be a good idea.  In 2005, I had the repair of my torn labrum (which never showed up on an MRI by the way - Dr. Byrd knew by my symptoms) and an iliosoas release (pardon the spelling).  I flew home the day after the surgery and I thought the recovery was absolutely fine.  I've since had major foot reconstruction and the arthroscopic hip procedure and recovery was cake compared to that.  I have the iliosoas problem in my other hip but the labrum is fine so I chose not to have any surgery on it.  It really doesn't bother me, other than occasional clicking.  I thought Dr. Byrd was the finest physician I've ever had and if you are suffering, get it fixed!  The physical therapy is a hassle but is no matter what the situation.

[angiehip]

does anyone know wat decompression is
im having llabral tear repair and decompression

[adwatlanta]

Has anyone had a successful labral tear repair in the Atlanta area.  I am currently evaluating surgeons and Dr. Byrd (comes highly recommended) is on my list but want to get 2nd opinion.

Also looking to see if anyone has had both hips repaired at the same time.
Thank you in advance.

[berryemm0]

I had a labral tear surgery done by Dr. Byrd this past November and he was absolutely wonderful. I am 16 years old and training to be a professional ballet dancer. Most doctors are nervous when it comes to telling dancers the risks of surgery but he was very frank and upfront about it. Based on the location of my tear, there was a big possibility that the surgery would not completely fix the problem (it didn't by the way but it made a HUGE difference). I highly recommend Dr. Byrd. He was very helpful, encouraging and really seemed to know what he was doing. Although both of my hips are injured, I only got surgery on one of them because one surgery renders you pretty immobile and Dr. Byrd wanted to see how I recovered from the first one. I hope all of this information was helpful. :)

[msme72]

Thank you so much for posting your experience!  after doing so much research I started to get anxiety.  I was getting flashbacks of my nightmare from 17 yrs ago.  My doctor hasn't yet diagnosed me with a labral tear yet but I know he will on my next appt on Monday.  Just knowing that you're doing great brings me so much relief.  

Below is my story.  I hope anyone that has issues with their hip/hips  should post their experience to help others.  I'm so happy I found this site!



When I was 21 yrs old I was involved in a car accident (drunk driver hit us and I was a back seat passenger) and my injuires were right acetabular hip fracture (7 pins to repair-and 2 doctors) and left ankle had 3 fractures (casted for 3 months).  That was such a horrible recovery.  I lived at Kessler Rehab in NJ for over 6 months and was in a wheel chair for approx 8 months.  When I left Kessler I used forearm crutches and wheelchair as needed.  I started on straight cane for another 3 or so months.  After 2 yrs of PT I heeled perfect.  I started working out 3 to 5x a week.  I did step aerobics you name it.  I was in the BEST shape.  They said that my leg would be approx 3 inches shorter and its not.  My doctor was shocked on how well I recovered.

Well its now 17 yrs later and I'm still in great shape (not like in my 20's) and was involved in another car accident.  This time I was the driver and was stopped in traffic and was rear ended by a SUV and dragged into another one.  I was in a small sports car.  My car was a total loss but I walked into the ambulance just to get checked out.  I went to a couple of doctors since I had back pain etc did PT and 2 months later my hip is in so much pain.  It started after my PT stretched me.  I came home and my groin was throbbing.  I went to 3 drs they all said its a nerve in your back lets inject it.  I was hesitant so I didn't. I decided to go back to dr that did hip surgery and he said you're right its a hip strain.  I did 2400 mg of Ibuprofen for 35 days now I'm on Meloxicam 7.5 mg for 2 weeks and I feel like I'm so weak and almost passing out. Going to dr on Monday and he wants to do an injection in hip.  He said stop all meds.  

I'll post again after appt.  

[khhipers]

im 26, i had hip labral  tear repair surgery and a lot of cleaning up inside my hip, i was in constant pain for about 1 1/2 years i am an aerobics instructor and i did not want to go through the recovery and process of this surgery i was VERY scared and nervous. i highly recommend to get this surgery done, i promise that you will be in pain forever and always if you dont get it fixed. believe it or not it was not bad at all, they did a nerve block before surgery(i dont even remember it cause they give u this medicine in your IV so u dont remember it the nerve block) make sure u ask your surgeon that u want one. u will also have a catheter.   i had a couple days of pain, pain meds took care of that!!!! no therapy i struggle from time to time but one little problem....i tore the other side now!!!! so in my near future i will be getting my other side done. Do your research write down questions for your doctor. GET THE SURGERY, you will have instant relief. its amazing . ITS WORTH IT!!! I PROMISE, CROSS MY HEART.....

[boneshurtn27]

im a 37 yr old female going to see a surgion in charolett nc for a tear ive seen my drs in new york and had mris and ex rays and they didnt find anything until i moved to nc and seen an orthopedic in mooresville who did an mri with contrast and found the tear ive been in pain since last yr i hope it ends soooooooooon... mary in nc

[pmracc33186]

Is true the improvement is immediate, I had a set back exactly 3 weeks post op, while getting out of the bike I slipped or put to much weight on the operated side, felt a popping sensation. And now I feel like i was pre op....have to see the doc on monday,,,,not to mention that now its been 2 days in pain med. I was taking only naproxen after surgery. Now its been 2 days in perc...yikes!!!! Im afraid is messed up....any way here is the reason of all!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8AM3u7Cr9I

Regards

[vicki61109]

I have had a labral tear in my right hip joint about 2 years ago. The doctor said that if you are not careful, it could tear again. So i went through the sugery, and guess what....possible tear again.  So confused and hurting again. My doctor was Dr. Michael Terry out of the Univ Of Chicago. He was a wonderful surgeon but has left of Univ of Chicago.  don't think it can't happen again....just to let you know.

[Red2011]

I'm a 31 yr old active healthy female.  I had a laboral tear in my left hip joint.  I don't even know how I got it.  The pain in my groin area gradually got worse over the past four years.  So much to the point that I wasn't sleeping.  The MRI showed nothing and the pain felt worse after Physical Therapy.  Pain meds provided no relief.  The surgery was performed by Dr. Stocks at the Texas Orthopedic Hospital 3 weeks ago today (superb doc and staff).  I was only on crutches for a week.  The tear was only 5/8 of an inch but he fixed it.  And I am slowly feeling a little better each day.  First sign of improvement was in my sleep.  My left glute cramps and needs a stretch or massage.  But doc says it's probably because I changed my posture to compensate for the pain for so long (which is true).  Now I'm going to see a therapist to work on my cramp in the left glute.  I would definitely recommend this procedure.  I love my sleep and am a happier person because of that alone!

[Skikuu]

I put up with the tear for a year slowly reducing the amount of sport I was playing to put off surgery until I could not sit walk run etc, the tear does get worse I had surgery was told recovery would be weeks I was walking that night with a limp and running with in days Jason, Perth, Australia

[msme72]

I had every test done Bone Scan, Cat Scan with contrast, MRI, etc.  It wasn't my hip!  they found 2 large fibroids in my uterus that were pressing on a nerve and causing all this pain.  My uterus was so enlarged and it was casuing all my organs to shift.  I had surgery on 8/10/2010 and I'm doing great!  

I'm still in shock that it took 9 months for them to find them.  I went to 5 Orthopedics and it took my OBGYN to figure it out in 1 visit.  What I find disturbing is that my back surgeon had a MRI from 2 yrs ago showing these tumors and he failed to advise me.  I knew something was wrong when he was selling me injections like I was buying a new car.  Thank goodness I left his practice after I felt like I was his meal ticket!  

I wish you ALL the best and please get 3rd, 4th and 5th opinions before you decide on surgery.  Also, do a background check on your doctors.  Crazy what information you can find out about them.  in NJ you can go to http://12.150.185.184/dca/index.jsp or go to your states attorney general website and research them!

Best wishes to you ALL!

[dzsis]

Who are the best doctors in MI to do labral tear of the hip surgery??

[gmoney1000]

any  good orthopedic  surg  for labral  tears in the   St louis  area

[gavs]

Dr. Michael Terry in Chicago has advised that I have arthtoscopic surgery to repair a hip labrum tear.  Any thoughts on (i) Dr. Terry, (ii) the recovery (I am told that I will have to wear a brace for six weeks), or (iii) whether or not to do the procedure.  Thanks, folks!

[rBKhockey]

Recently diagnosed with a complete labral tear, osacetabular tear and the icing on that cake being a cyst in the damaged joint of my right hip. I'm curious to know the number of people who may of had continuous clicking/grinding in the damaged region and, what could be worst possible case if something like this were left untreated.

[deepec64]

This is who did my hip labrum surgery. He comes highly recommended and trains other surgeons in the procedure. My surgery was a success and he was very easy to talk to and understand . I could not be more pleased!
http://www.arsportsmedicine.com/about.html
http://www.touchbriefings.com/pdf/3340/dougherty.pdf

[deepec64]

oops..I sent links to my surgeon but didn't give his name Dr. Christopher Dougherty. He mainly works in Northwest Arkansas, but I know he flies to other states for certain surgeries. See below:

This is who did my hip labrum surgery. He comes highly recommended and trains other surgeons in the procedure. My surgery was a success and he was very easy to talk to and understand . I could not be more pleased!
http://www.arsportsmedicine.com/about.html
http://www.touchbriefings.com/pdf/3340/dougherty.pdf

[deepec64]

One more bit of info about Dr Dougherty:
www.northwesthealth.com/.../NR-foreign%20surgeons-orthopedics-dougherty-hip%20arthroscopy.doc

[hwipark]

i recently diagnosed with labral tear and doctor(dr. thomas youm in NY) recommended surgery. i'm not in severe pain now but i was concerned this may be beginning of something really bad. i've been reading all these negative posts and kind of having second thought. i read hip arthroscopy is relatively new. maybe now is not the  right time to get it. Anyway, anyone knows what is long term consequences of labral tear? is pain only thing? if PT and rest relieves pain, is it ok to live with labral tear? some think it can lead to arthritis and eventually need hip replacement? thanks

[kmartini]

I had labral tear repair surgery 6 months ago.

My surgeon was Dr. Stubbs in NC. I highly recommend him! he repaired the tear and reshaped my femoral neck.

I was a ballet/modern dancer before surgery. 6 months post-op and I can dance, but with difficulty. Since my hip is literally shaped differently now, and I am training my pelvis to avoid anterior rotation, I do not feel as strong or confident in dancing.

However, I can run and walk much better. Before surgery, I could not walk more than a fourth of a mile. Now I can go long distances (but I still have to focus on my pelvic position). I can also run faster and longer than before. 4 months post-op I did a 7 min mile for the first time!

Surgery is the best way to go. Regular life will be significantly improved, but honestly, it will be hard to get back into your specialized sport. I personally, am deciding to give up dance to avoid further pain or risk of injury. It was a hard choice, considering dance was a focus in my life for 15 years, but avoidance of pain and quality of life ultimately are more important to me now.

[frostk]

Can anyone recommend a doctor in the San Diego / Los Angeles area

[CSCmom]

My daughter is 19 and a collegiate soccer and track athlete.  We are going to Dr. S. Hunt out of the Bedminster Orthopeadic group in Bedminister, NJ. She has a labral tear and FAI. He comes highly recommended and has worked on both prof & college athletes.  Hips are his specialty

[sherreew]

Daughter is 16, athlete, rower, gymnast, cheerleader ... has TWO hip labral tears -- looking to know the best pediatric orthopedist around Cincinnati, OH.  Please help.

[311annie]

Dr. Marc J. Philippon is a partner at The Steadman Clinic and is one of the world's leading orthopaedic hip surgeons. Dr. Philippon joined The Steadman Clinic in 2005 after a successful time period at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center where he served as Director of sports related hip disorders and was also Director of the UPMC Golf Medicine Program. Previously, he was chief of orthopaedic surgery at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Dr. Philippon is internationally known for performing joint preservation techniques utilizing arthroscopic hip surgery to treat painful joint injury in high-level athletes who constantly use powerful hip rotation, such as golfers, NFL players and NHL players, making themselves prone to acute and chronic injuries of the hip joint. He has published numerous scientific articles in sports medicine and orthopaedic journals and is a frequently invited presenter at international sports medicine and orthopaedic meetings.

[311annie]

My daughter has used Philippon for this surgery and she had great success.  Back in athletics after 4 months of rehab.  The Rehab is most important, but Philippon is one of the leading surgeons nationally and internationally.  He works out of the Steadman Clinic in Vail, CO.   He has mentored many of the best hip Doctors in the USA.  

[ALL2011]

thanks for positive input.

[ALL2011]

Hi did you have it done with Dr. Thomas Youm?

I am also in the same situation and he also recommneded the same for me. He did a total knee replacement for me 8 months ago  and I am feeling fine. Now the issue is my left hip and back due to labral tear. Considering my options since post PT and meds did not work.

[MES1985]

Hey guys I had a labral hip repair and FAI shaving about 4.5 weeks ago.   I created a blog to document my experience to help others know what to expect when having this surgery.  Hope this provides some additional insight!  

http://hiparthroscopic.wordpress.com/

[sd66]

I have a tear in the labrum of my left hip. Had a contrast MRI and arthogram 2 weeks ago. Five months after being diagnosed with bursitis, having 4 steroid injections, and trying 3 different anti anti-inflammatory meds, I was referred to a hip surgeon. He is starting me on the same routine that has not worked for me. Anyone know of a good surgeon in the Dallas/Ft Worth or Houston area? The arthroscopic surgery has been suggested by my previous doctor but he is not qualified to do the surgery. sd66