How My Hip Replacement Taught Me to Make Lemonade from Lemons—and Help Others Avoid the Same Glass
- cassis101
- 12 minutes ago
- 2 min read
A year ago this July, I joined a club I never wanted to be part of the Hip Replacement Club. And while I would’ve traded nearly anything—to avoid it, the experience handed me something valuable: a stronger connection to my patients and a deeper understanding of their choices.
It also gave me lemons. Which I’ve since turned into lemonade.
Because nothing sharpens your insight into joint dysfunction quite like living it. And nothing motivates a physician quite like thinking, “There has to be a better way.”
Let me be clear: I’m not anti-surgery. I have immense respect for surgeons. Surgery saves lives, restores function, and in some cases, is the only logical option. But we must also acknowledge the flip side—especially for those still early in the deterioration process.
Joint replacement changes your body forever. You’re no longer all biology—you’re part metal, part plastic, and part lifetime infection risk. And should you fall and fracture near that prosthetic interface? Well, that’s not the kind of lemonade anyone wants to be sipping.
Now consider this:
Up to 20% of patients report chronic pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA)→ Reference: Chronic pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA)
Wylde V, Dennis J, Gooberman-Hill R, et al.
The Journal of Arthroplasty, 2021
https://www.arthroplastyjournal.org/article/S0883-5403(21)00080-2/fulltext
Roughly one-third of TKA patients remain dissatisfied with the outcome→
Patient dissatisfaction following TKA
Kunze KN, Polce EM, Vadhera A, et al.
International Orthopaedics, 2020
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00264-020-04607-9
And here’s the part we need to talk more about: Many patients never hear about the alternatives before the scalpel shows up.
Enter orthobiologics—the intelligent, evidence-informed use of your body’s own repair materials: PRP, bone marrow-derived cells, platelet lysate, and more. These tools allow us to treat pain and degeneration before joints are unsalvageable. Before bone saws. Before irreversible decisions.
Do they work for everyone? No. Are they guaranteed? Of course, not—nothing in medicine is. But in many cases, these treatments can delay or prevent the need for surgery, reduce pain, and improve function—without changing your anatomy forever.
You don’t get this for free. Every medical option has a cost—whether it’s downtime, side effects, risks, or dollar signs. But regenerative medicine offers something different: the chance to preserve what you still have.
We are not machines. We can’t just swap out a hip like an oil filter. We are biologic beings—fluid, adaptive, and yes, a little unpredictable. And while we may one day develop fully interchangeable human parts, that day is not today.
Until then, I offer what I’ve learned—both as a physician and as someone who’s limped through the journey myself.
If you have joint pain, don’t wait until surgery is the only option. Come in. Get evaluated. Let’s explore the options that could keep you on the slopes, the golf course, the boardroom—or simply walking without wincing.
Let’s make your lemonade while you still have lemons.
Click here to schedule a regenerative consultation with me at Pain Experts.
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Because preserving your natural structure isn’t just good medicine. It’s good strategy.
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