Besides all the paperwork, I spent a lot of time with the anesthesia department because I was concerned about the October surgery. It was supposed to be a spinal block like the first surgery- and something went wrong. What it was I was never told. So the anesthesia interview nurse had me meet with the head of anesthesiology. He was a great guy and told me it was likely one of two things- occasionally a medication will be less than effective and they end up sending back the whole lot. The other one is what I suspected is that a nurse anesthetist student was working with the doctor and did the procedure. Or failed at it. In any case, the doctor promised me that only one of his doctors on staff would do the procedure.
I met with my surgeon and he was sharp. I had a list of tough questions to ask him and it was almost like he was ready for me. Now that I think about it, maybe he had been warned after my extensive talk with the trauma specialist.
- Will the existing hardware cause complications? No, it will need some additional time, but it should come out easily.
- What kind of hardware is it? It will be a metal/metal titanium prosthesis with a textured surface for new bone to bond to.
- Will a new cut need to be made? No, the line of the fracture is appropriate for where the new hardware will go.
- What diameter is the ball going to be? 36mm most likely.
I also spent time with the physicians assistant, who was very sharp. We talked about recovery (staples out in 10 days, 6 weeks for full motion, 8 weeks full recovery) and also looked at my x-ray. It was pretty scary what had happened since my last x-ray. The top of the hardware is loose and moving around in my femur. There's a black area that looks like it has been 'wiped' by the hardware moving back and forth. It wasn't there the week before- no wonder my pain got so bad so quickly.
In any case, the paperwork is done. Next Tuesday morning I'll be back at the hospital for the third time this year.
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