My Story

Greetings!

I am not a "blogger" per se, however when I learned at the ripe ole age of 34 that I had severe hip dysplasia on the right and I was looking at surgery, I started doing some research and discovered there are so many women who are looking for information on PAO (Periacetabular Osteotomy) procedures so I wanted to contribute. This procedure is so new that the best we can do is offer our own experiences in hopes that it helps others have an idea of what one could expect, and what options are out there. I am thankful for the folks who have shared their story, history, and journey ... and I pray that for others out there who hare having hip pain, that this might be helpful for them.

I did not start experiencing hip pain (right in the joint) until after my 2nd child. She is now 3, and over the past few months the pain has gotten worse and I'm limping more. I saw a couple of doctors at the Bone and Joint clinic last year. They did xrays, sent me to Physical Therapy, and did dye tests on my hip but could not find anything. They recommended I wait 6 months to see a guy who was joining their practice who specialized in young hips, so I did. He did a fresh set of xrays, asked me some questions, and quickly informed me I had severe hip dysplasia on the right and referred me to a couple of Orthopaedic surgeons to explore my candidacy of having a PAO.

I met with Dr. Philip Kregor, of the Vanderbilt Orthopaedic Trauma Division, and he confirmed I was a perfect candidate. Dr. Kregor is an amazing surgeon with equally amazing bedside manners. He was compassionate, thorough, and made me feel completely comfortable that his recommendations were right for me.

I will do my best to document MY version of the procedure, recovery, and such. I have already learned that depending on the surgeon, everyone's PAO experience is MUCH different than the next! So, while my experience may not be text book ... hopefully it will help provide anyone reading this some information and perspective.