They told me my hip aspiration is showing signs of infection but nothing has grown yet. They want to operate tomorow and wash out and put another spacer in. I want a second opinion. I'm in Massachusetts if anyone has any advice. I been told that your stuck with the surgeon that did the original hip unless he dies or retires and passes your case on to the next. I don't trust this surgeon anymore. I went through this twice already and I havnt got my hip bask yet. The last time I went 6 ) weeks Iv antibiotics then after 6 weeks off he aspirated and the hip was clean. I thought he would put it in soon after but he said wait two more months. Now that it is showing signs he's ready to just jump the gun before the cultures grow and put another spacer in me. Please any advice would help.
Wish I could offer advice and best of luck. I never heard that you can’t get another Surgeon. Check with your Ins Company and even the state board. You may have a problem getting another surgeon to do it though
Please call N E Baptist for a second opinion. The surgeons here wont operate until the Infectious Disease specialist says it iz ok. You need a team behind you.i might add that that is basically how i got here.
I am in the UK but besides being a hippie I work in a microbiology lab. Cultures can be difficult to perform in the presence of antibiotics. So ask if dilution and enrichment techniques have been used. Also have 16s investigations been done.
Ask for a second opinion and involve a specialist microbiology doctor in those discussions
Thank you Maggie I'll be sure to ask my infectious disease doctor those questions. If I posted the initial labs from the aspiration do you think you could look at them for me?
Maggie
That would correspond with my experience. My surgeon wouldn't let me start antibiotics until he'd opened me up and taken samples. That meant I was 4 months with an infection that was seeping. Pretty horrid at the time but it all seems to be good now.
When they took the spacer out I'd been off antibiotics for over 2 months so I suppoose that also made it easier to check there was no residual infection.
Mike
I will have a go. You could pm them if you wanted
OH my,, that is scary,, I have a spacer right now,, I get my picc line out in a week by then I will have had my uncomfortable spacer for 8 weeks,, I would hate to be told to wait even longer like they told you!! Have you asked the doctor specifics as to why he is wanting to do surgery instead of wait and see about the cultures, I would be as blunt as you can about your concerns with your surgeon cause you are his patient,, it’s his job to answer your concerns,, and yes no other surgeon usually will take up where the other left off,, it sucks, but my boss had same trouble with her surgeon on her knees,,hope you will let me know what you decide and good luck🙏🏼