Anterior Hip Replacement
As Marilyn Monroe once said, “Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.”
With over 100 pairs and counting, this was a motto Stevensville resident, Gyl Kasewurm, AuD, lived by. But when the pain in her right hip no longer allowed her to wear high heels, she knew it was time to seek help.
“I live a very active lifestyle – I walk regularly and love to exercise,” said Gyl. “But after a while the pain became unbearable and began to impact my quality of life.”
When it came time to seek out a physician, Gyl turned to orthopedic surgeon, Kenneth Edwards, MD, who had repaired her torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) fifteen years prior after a skiing accident.
During her initial consultation, Dr. Edwards took a series of x-rays which revealed that in order to relieve the pain Gyl would need to have her hip replaced. At only 58 years old, she was shocked to hear the news.
“My jaw dropped when Dr. Edwards shared that diagnosis with me,” she said. “I remember thinking to myself ‘I can’t possibly need a hip replacement at my age, I’m young, healthy, and active.’”
Still in disbelief, Gyl tried physical therapy and even sought a second opinion. However, after another month had passed she simply couldn’t bear the pain any longer.
“I realized it was silly to put the surgery off and live my life in pain,” said Gyl. “I knew we had the very best right here in southwest Michigan and was confident in Dr. Edwards’ ability as a surgeon.”
After doing research on her own, and with recommendation from Dr. Edwards, Gyl decided an anterior hip replacement was the best option for her.
“This approach to hip replacement is minimally invasive and utilizes a unique surgical table, called the HANA table, which allows a surgeon to reach the hip joint from the front of the hip, as opposed to the side or back, so that work can be done through the natural interval between the muscles,” said Dr. Edwards. “Many patients who undergo the procedure experience benefits including a smaller incision, less tissue trauma, and less pain.”
As an audiologist who owns her own practice, Gyl was drawn to the procedure because of its quicker recovery time.
“I was very glad to learn that Dr. Edwards performed this type of hip replacement as it’s not offered at all health systems,” she said.
After a successful surgery, Gyl spent only one day in the hospital before returning home. Two weeks later she was back to work and went on to complete three weeks of physical therapy. However, the milestone Gyl said she is most proud of is being able to strap on her favorite pair of heels less than two months after surgery.
“Life is simply too short to live with pain that can be fixed relatively easily,” said Gyl. “I’m thankful to Dr. Edwards and his staff for being my advocates throughout the entire process.”