Tim's Story: Hip Replacement

Sixty-five year old, Tim Haigh is no stranger to an active lifestyle. He has spent his free time through the years participating in activities like soccer, triathlons, marathons, golf, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, tennis and hiking.

“I have been active my whole life,” says Tim. “I played soccer in college and was always pushing my body to the limit. I have still tried to remain as active as possible, but as I have gotten older the arthritis in my hips was beginning to affect my ability to stay as pain free and active as I would like.”

Fourteen years ago, Tim began to notice more and more pain in his hip along with reduced flexibility and range of motion.

“My quality of life was slowly deteriorating. I had to stop jogging and playing tennis. I slowly limped around the golf course and just had a general feeling of discomfort that was affecting my everyday life.”

Tim endured his hip pain for years before he decided it was time to meet with a hip surgeon and get to the bottom of what was causing his pain.

“I first met Tim 12 years ago,” says William L. Healy, MD, Orthopaedic Surgeon at Newton-Wellesley’s Kaplan Joint Center. “He complained of hip pain, which limited his activities. His hip was stiff on exam and his X-ray showed advanced osteoarthritis. The hip joint is a ball-and-socket joint, which is designed to allow a wide range of motion and withstand considerable wear and tear. The joint has a cushion of cartilage that helps prevent friction as the hip bone moves in its socket. With age and injury, the cartilage can wear down or become damaged.”

The Kaplan Joint Center, a collaboration of Newton-Wellesley Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, offers exceptional, well-coordinated surgical and nonsurgical care. The Center’s nationally renowned surgeons perform a wide variety of surgical procedures for the hip, knee and shoulder, including joint replacement, minimally invasive arthroscopy and revision joint replacement. Patients come to the Center from all over Massachusetts for surgical treatment of such orthopedic disorders.

In Tim’s case, his hip pain was a result of his osteoarthritis – the most common cause of hip pain, especially in older adults.

“Arthritis leads to inflammation of the hip joint and breakdown of cartilage,” explains Dr. Healy. “Hip pain gradually gets worse as arthritis progresses and patients may report stiffness and reduced range of motion in the hip.” Tim’s first hip replacement with Dr. Healy was successful. “I couldn’t believe the pain relief I had immediately after my hip replacement,” says Tim. As I recovered I was able to take part in many of the activities that I hadn’t been able to do in years. When my other hip started bothering me recently, I knew that I couldn’t wait as long to get it taken care of.”

Tim scheduled an appointment to meet with Dr. Healy to discuss another hip replacement.

“Diagnosing the cause of hip pain begins with talking to the patient to understand his or her pain and listening to the medical history,” says Dr. Healy. “Based on his history, physical exam and X-ray, I recommended a second hip replacement operation.”

On March 19, 2014, Tim underwent his second hip replacement procedure. During a total hip replacement, the surgeon replaces the joint with a joint implant. The damaged sections of the hip joint are removed and restored with implants parts usually constructed of metal and plastic. This artificial joint (prosthesis) helps reduce pain and improve function.

“My experience at Newton-Wellesley was amazing. The entire team was dedicated to making the process as smooth as possible. I went to the orientation session before my surgery and I felt like I had all my questions answered before my procedure. I was so prepared.”

Tim listened closely to his medical team in order to ensure a successful recovery from his hip replacement.

“In the months after my surgery I did everything Dr. Healy told me to do,” says Tim. “I didn’t do too much too soon and completed all of the physical therapy exercises. Exactly ten weeks after my hip replacement, I was able to walk three miles a day and play golf – walking the first nine holes. It felt great to be back out there without any pain!”

Dr. Healy tells patients the two reasons for hip replacement are intolerable hip pain and unsatisfactory function.“It is important to care for our bodies as we age,” he explains. “Pain can be avoided or minimized by maintaining a normal weight, avoiding obesity, eating a balanced diet and exercising routinely. It is important to see a medical professional if hip pain causes discomfort or gets in the way of taking part in everyday activities. We can help you get back in the game and live a pain-free life!”

Tim encourages patients with hip pain to have a hip replacement and not put it off too long.

“I waited so long before I had my first hip replacement. I kept thinking my pain wasn’t that bad, but now that I’ve been through it twice I would tell people not to wait. Don’t make tradeoffs in life. You can live without pain and take part in the sports and activities you love. The team at Newton-Wellesley will help you every step of the way. My experience at Newton-Wellesley was a 20 on a 10 point scale!”

William L. Healy, MD Orthopaedic Surgeon, 
Kaplan Joint Center at Newton-Wellesley Hospital

After graduating from Needham High School and Amherst College, Dr. Healy received his medical degree from the State University of New York – Downstate Medical Center. He completed his internship in internal medicine and residency in orthopaedic surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He completed a fellowship in Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery as an AO/ASIF scholar in Graz, Austria. Dr. Healy served as the Chairman of Orthopaedic Surgery at Lahey Clinic for 22 years and was appointed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Boston University School of Medicine in 2000. He is also a Visiting Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School and a Lecturer in Orthopaedic Surgery at Tufts Medical School.

To learn more about the Kaplan Joint Center or to make an appointment to be seen by one of our providers within 48 hours, please fill out our online appointment request form, call us at 855-KNEE-HIP (855-563-3447) or email us.