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Meet the Doctor: Dr. Michael WilsonBy: Chris GonsalvesGetting Her Kicks |
A pain in the hip and a persistent limp were no small problems to Margaret Klasa. The Marco Island resident wasn’t just missing out on playing golf or the odd sunset stroll along the beach. For Klasa, 58, limited mobility was keeping her from more robust activities, namely running, bicycling, yoga and, toughest of all, kickboxing.
“It was awful. I went from being really active to not being able to get around the grocery store,” says Klasa. “I couldn’t pull my roller bag through the airport. It affects every part of you when you can’t live the way you want.”
Just a few years ago, Klasa’s wear-and-tear injury and resulting arthritic joint would have meant hip replacement surgery and an end to her strenuous pastimes. But thanks to revolutionary new hip resurfacing technology—and a local surgeon, Physicians Regional Healthcare Systems’ Dr. Michael R. Wilson, trained and certified to perform it—Klasa is well on her way back to kicking, punching, bending and stretching.
“This is a different approach to hip replacement for young, active people,” says Wilson, describing the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing procedure. “For younger active people, where we want to conserve more bone, BHR allows more activity and range of motion.”
The BHR procedure involves capping the femoral head with a metal ball that will ride in a metal socket pressed into the hip. When the FDA approved BHR last summer, Wilson traveled to England to train under Dr. Ronan Treacy, who developed the procedure some 10 years ago. He’s one of only two surgeons in Southwest Florida qualified to perform BHR. But while the procedure has benefits over hip replacement, not everyone qualifies for a BHR. “It’s highly selective,” Wilson says. “This is only for young people with normal bone and high activity levels.”
But for those who qualify, the BHR is a significant improvement over a full hip replacement, which involves cutting off the femoral head and replacing it with a ball and bone shaft with corresponding socket. “It used to be we could get rid of the pain but there would be restrictions—no running, no jumping. Since dislocation is almost nonexistent for hip resurfacing, it allows us to tell patients you can do almost anything you want,” he says.
And four months after the surgery, Klasa is almost there. “I can’t even feel it,” says Klasa, who travels regularly as part of her job as a medical software developer for EMC Corp. “I’m moving around great, and it feels wonderful.”
“It was awful. I went from being really active to not being able to get around the grocery store,” says Klasa. “I couldn’t pull my roller bag through the airport. It affects every part of you when you can’t live the way you want.”
Just a few years ago, Klasa’s wear-and-tear injury and resulting arthritic joint would have meant hip replacement surgery and an end to her strenuous pastimes. But thanks to revolutionary new hip resurfacing technology—and a local surgeon, Physicians Regional Healthcare Systems’ Dr. Michael R. Wilson, trained and certified to perform it—Klasa is well on her way back to kicking, punching, bending and stretching.
“This is a different approach to hip replacement for young, active people,” says Wilson, describing the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing procedure. “For younger active people, where we want to conserve more bone, BHR allows more activity and range of motion.”
The BHR procedure involves capping the femoral head with a metal ball that will ride in a metal socket pressed into the hip. When the FDA approved BHR last summer, Wilson traveled to England to train under Dr. Ronan Treacy, who developed the procedure some 10 years ago. He’s one of only two surgeons in Southwest Florida qualified to perform BHR. But while the procedure has benefits over hip replacement, not everyone qualifies for a BHR. “It’s highly selective,” Wilson says. “This is only for young people with normal bone and high activity levels.”
But for those who qualify, the BHR is a significant improvement over a full hip replacement, which involves cutting off the femoral head and replacing it with a ball and bone shaft with corresponding socket. “It used to be we could get rid of the pain but there would be restrictions—no running, no jumping. Since dislocation is almost nonexistent for hip resurfacing, it allows us to tell patients you can do almost anything you want,” he says.
And four months after the surgery, Klasa is almost there. “I can’t even feel it,” says Klasa, who travels regularly as part of her job as a medical software developer for EMC Corp. “I’m moving around great, and it feels wonderful.”
