In 2007 I had surgery on both hips because of wear and tear in the joints. A hip prosthesis was placed on both sides. At the time I opted for a new method that was then applied in Belgium: the so-called "hip resurfacing". This is quite different from traditional hip surgery. Since many people are still asking me about this method, here's another explanation of what exactly happened.
Already around 2003 I noticed after a football match that the area around my hips could become so stiff. Especially after sitting for a while it was difficult to move smoothly again. This got worse, so that it also bothered me on Monday: climbing stairs clearly became unpleasant. The after-effects of a football match became more and more emphatic so that I eventually stopped. An X-ray showed that there was wear and tear in the hip joints.




On Friday 11 May 2007, the operation was performed on both sides simultaneously. dr. de Smet was of the opinion that with my age I should be able to do that. He himself performed the operation. On Sunday I had to get out of bed for the first time and stand on my own two feet (that was quite heavy!) and on Monday I left the hospital. Then I stayed for a week in Villa Cento Passi, the care hotel of the ANCA clinic. There I received daily physiotherapy and exercises in the pool. On Tuesday I already walked down the stairs with crutches and after a week I was able to go home. The final recovery took about a month. With some extra physiotherapy in Hengelo I was finally able to move as usual.
After a year I was allowed to come back for a check-up. X-rays were taken and the metal content (cobalt and chromium) in the blood was measured, after all, that says something about possible wear of the metal parts. Everything turned out fine: the metal contents in particular were low for a double denture. I also went for checkups in 2010 and 2012 and the results were excellent again, said Dr. de Smet. He stated that in many patients the metal values would eventually drop to zero. Of course he did not want to give a guarantee, but spoke of the possibility of being able to do this for a long time to come.
Despite the fact that I can do everything again, I don't dare to play football well again. That should actually be possible again. But football is an uncontrolled sport and I am far too happy that everything is working as it should again. I am really a satisfied patient! Nevertheless, the method is controversial in the Netherlands (see the article here) and it is only reimbursed by few insurers. According to Dr. de Smet, this is due to the use of an incorrect series of prostheses that have led to many complaints in the Netherlands. In addition, placing is a very precise job, which requires a lot of experience and which apparently there is not always enough in NL. The large number of "customers" from the Netherlands and many other countries proves that Dr. de Smet is an excellent orthopedic surgeon.
Knowing more? Go to www.ancakliniek.be