For five years prior to the decision to have surgery, Susie, a retired child development therapist, navigated her very active life with pain in her right hip. Because she loves to cook and coordinate events at her church, her days include a lot of standing. Her part-time work with a couple of long-time therapy clients necessitated sitting cross-legged on the floor. She enjoyed staying fit with long walks.

“But each day I wondered, ‘is this the day that I won’t be able to walk?’” she remembers.

Daily tasks became increasingly more difficult for Susie, and she recalls the emotional as well as physical toll it took on her.

How Chronic Hip Pain Affects Daily Life and Mobility

“I didn’t realize until after my hip replacement how much mental energy I spent coping with my pain,” she says. “It was subconscious; all the planning to figure out when I was going to rest and how long I would have to walk. I love to travel and started to hate O’Hare airport because I refused to use a wheelchair.”

Once she made up her mind to tackle the pain, she contacted Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush because she knew of its excellent reputation and had experienced high-quality care at Rush in the past.

“My three sons were born at Rush, and I just trust Rush wholeheartedly,” she says.

Choosing the Right Hip Specialist and Treatment Plan

Susie was referred to hip expert Dr. Joel Williams, who specializes in a wide variety of hip conditions, and scheduled an appointment immediately. She liked him and his whole clinical and administrative staff instantly.

When Dr. Williams met with Susie, they got to know each other and reviewed her health information. “We discussed continuation of the non-surgical options in addition to replacement,” Dr. Williams explains. “Susie had exhausted all non-surgical options such as physical therapy, anti-inflammatory pills, injections, and activity modifications. After further discussion, we were both in agreement that she was an excellent candidate for anterior approach hip replacement. The anterior approach allows me to access the hip by working between muscles rather than cutting through them. It offers a very rapid recovery and excellent long-term results.”

Hip Replacement Recovery and Life After Surgery

Susie liked the fact that Dr. Williams suggested surgery at Rush, which was close to her Logan Square home and was pleased when Dr. Williams agreed to let her stay overnight the evening of her surgery. While Dr. Williams frequently performs outpatient joint replacement surgery which allows his patients to go home the same day, Susie was more comfortable staying in the hospital for extra care.

Everything went as planned. Following her very successful surgery, later that afternoon the nurses and therapists had her up and walking and Susie was confident she’d be ready to go home the next day.

Once Susie safely returned to her home, she enjoyed the friendly touch points with Dr. Williams’ staff and the in-home physical therapy that was provided to her. She experienced no pain in her hip and gradually resumed all of her activities, including working at church rummage sales and walking. She is still amazed at how much easier her life is.

“I have so much energy now,” she says. “My advice to others experiencing joint pain is to consider how your pain is affecting your whole life and to not wait too long.”

About Dr. Joel Williams

Dr. Williams has a unique expertise that encompasses all hip conditions. He provides state-of-the-art treatments including hip preservation (open and minimally invasive), cartilage restoration/transplantation, labral and tendon tear surgery, periacetabular and/or femoral osteotomy, minimally invasive direct anterior hip replacement, surgical hip dislocation, hip/pelvis fracture/injury/trauma care in addition to offering multiple options for hip osteonecrosis (avascular necrosis or AVN), hip impingement and hip dysplasia.