MAY 2003
Joint Venture
Learn More About Exciting Advance in Hip Replacement
Surgery from the Tulsa Joint Center
By Scott Wigton
There is good news for people who suffer agonizing hip joint
pain. A new hip replacement prosthesis recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) holds the promise of greater longevity, durability and pain
relief. The prosthesis, which is surgically installed in a patient’s hip
joint, features a ceramic on ceramic bearing, says orthopedic
surgeon, Dr. Ron LaButti of Central States Orthopedic
Specialists, Inc. and Tulsa Total Joint Center.
“This is an exciting new development for patients,”
says Dr. LaButti, a total joint replacement specialist. “It’s especially good news for younger hip replacement candidates because it should provide them with more years of
reliable, pain-free activity.”
Most patients requiring total hip replacement are 65 years of age or older and suffer from
severe, disabling pain from hip joint arthritis. Some
patients, however, may be much younger, even in their 40’s and 50’s and still working. In the
past, such patients would get a hip prosthesis with a ceramic ball and plastic bearing or a
metal ball and metal bearing metal-on-metal). Plastics,
however, have a limited life span, eventually requiring a costly and sometimes risky re-operation to
replace. Metal-on-metal hip replacements release potentially harmful metal ions into the
blood. The blood level of these ions continues to rise throughout the life of the hip replacement.
“We just don’t know the long term effects of these metal
ions, ”Dr.LaButti says. Ceramic-on-ceramic hip replacements have the advantage of being both strong and harmless.
“They eliminate the ions, they’re low friction, their wear rates are virtually nil and they’re very
durable,” Dr. LaButti explains.
The new ceramic-on-ceramic hip replacement may last as long as 20-30
years. The cost is slightly higher than the ceramic-on-plastic hip replacement usually offered to this
younger, more active group of patients. However, when measured
against the cost and risk of having to re-operate just a few
years later, it appears to be a sensible option to consider.
“This has the potential to eliminate re-operation for many
patients,” Dr. LaButti says.
Dr. LaButti is an expert in total hip and knee replacement and performs this surgery on a regular
basis. He received his medical degree from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed an internship at Brown
University. Following his residency at Tulsa Regional Medical
Center, he completed a fellowship in lower extremity and joint reconstruction at the
State University of New York in Buffalo. He established his orthopedic surgery practice in Tulsa with Central States Orthopedic
Specialists, Inc. three years ago.
“I’m excited about this new prosthetic and the potential it holds for
patients,” he says. “It means relief from pain and potentially a much longer life expectancy than the other prosthetics currently available.”
If you believe you could benefit from total hip joint
replacement, contact Dr. LaButti for a consultation today. He will be happy to provide specific information about the surgery and its benefits.
“I basically put all the cards on the table and tell the patient of the risks and benefits of this
procedure,” he adds. “It’s up to me to identify people who would benefit from this surgery and present the information to them in a straightforward way.”
To learn more about total hip joint replacement and Dr.
LaButti, visit his Web site at www.hipandkneedoc.com.
For more information, contact Ronald S. LaButti, D.O.
Central States Orthopedic Specialists, Inc.
802 S. Jackson, Suite 405/583-4400
6585 S. Yale, Suite 200/481-2767
www.hipandkneedoc.com
This is reprinted with permission from Value News, Inc.
