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SALT LAKE CITY — In the last 10 years, hip and knee replacement surgeries have more than tripled in the 45- to 64-year-old age group. In fact, there were more than 288-thousand hip replacements in 2009 with more than half of the patients under age 65.
Surprisingly, the rise in these types of surgeries is not all because of obesity. Baby boomers are now known as the "fix it" generation, and I recently had the experience.
In my pursuit of a good news story over the years, photographers and I have hiked through the mountains of Guatemala; waded through fields of mud following a rainstorm in Tonga; and made our way, not very gracefully, to the San Blas Islands off the coast of Panama.
That can take a toll on the joints, particularly on someone whose family has a history of arthritis. As a baby boomer, allow me to represent so many in our generation.
This year, I finally came out of denial and into the realization that I actually had to have hip replacement surgery. I was limping severely, and it was obviously time.
A week before the operation, specialists at LDS Hospital take patients through the steps of what will happen before surgery and what they need to do after.
The 7th Floor West at LDS is a joint center, complete with a physical therapy area and private rooms and bathrooms. But for most, the stays are short, usually lasting a day or two.
"There has been a significant increase in the number of hip and knee replacement surgeries that are performed," said Dr. Kent Samuelson, an orthopedic surgeon at the hospital. "Probably two reasons for it: one, you've got a baby boomer generation that is getting older and starts having arthritic conditions; but it is also because we've had relatively good success with these procedures."
My X-ray told the story. I was experiencing severe pain, and the X-ray shows there was no cartilage left in my right hip joint and the bone was deteriorating.
I went in for surgery on April 11. I have to share with you a couple of 'small world' moments that made me more comfortable.
My father, William B. Mikita, was an orthopedic surgeon who performed countless hip replacements during his career in Steubenville, Ohio. Dr. Samuelson met him years ago at a medical meeting.
Also, my nephew Jason York is a professional cabinet maker in Cedar City. He trained Nate Littlefield when he was a teen. Littlefield was the nurse who was to assist Dr. Samuelson.
What goes on in the operating room when the patient is under anesthetic is not for the faint of heart. The surgical team slices off the joint and places a titanium stem down the femur.
New materials have improved this procedure. The team uses a reemer to smooth the bone, and then fits a polyethaline line inside a metal cup. The ball is ceramic, which has holes for screws.
My surgery lasted 50 minutes. A few hours later, I was awake, alert and moving.
"I'm feeling really very good," I told our KSL photographer. "I had a little bit to eat, and it's time to take a stroll down the corridor here."
I wasn't dizzy but felt a little weak. Still, I was amazed to be moving so well just hours after surgery.
Fast forward two weeks, and physical therapist, Bevan Blake, added new exercises every other day to stretch my muscles.
"We want to challenge the body to challenge that hip every time we meet," Blake told me.
Blake said he treats patients who've had hip, knee and shoulder replacements, and he's seeing more of them now than he was even 10 years ago. "They want to get the most out of their body and have a productive life," he said.
Five weeks later, I'm walking normal. I never had any pain after surgery, just felt sore from time to time.
Still, my doctor has cautioned me to take it a bit easier. Dr. Samuelson said I should avoid activities that pound that joint, like running. Walking, riding a bike, doubles tennis, and cross-country skiing are OK.
