Precision woodworking, extreme skill

[David Helm]

My wife had complete hip replacement surgery on Thursday. She was home on Friday morning. The advancement in these procedures is amazing. What I want to show you is the perfect mortise and tenon work of the surgeon. He actually admitted that he really is a carpenter.

Cindy's new hip 1 001.jpg

Cindy's new hip 2 001.jpg

First picture is the new ball and the second is the tenon insertion into her femur (titanium). I am very impressed with the quality of this man's work. I don't think I could do a better fit with wood.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

David,

Talk to your wife's surgeon.

With the arrival of digital x-ray, prior to surgery they can take a digital x-ray.....measure the bone and joint and then order a replacement ball, socket and yes....the tenon to fit precisely. It is truly incredible!

One of the customers of mine is a group of orthopaedic surgeons and I see what you are displaying here...regularly.

[David Helm]

You are right Ken, but there is still some rasp work involve to fit things to the bone. The most amazing thing to me is that they can now do it on an outpatient basis. My wife was in the surgery center for just under 24 hours and is already walking on crutches.

[Andy Sowers]

I hope your wife has a speedy recovery. Seems like major surgery even if it is done on an outpatient basis.

Lets just say, I'm glad that most folks dont have an xray machine to peer inside my woodworking!

[Thomas S Stockton]

Knew a woodcarver who had a multisspindle duplicator, one of his jobs was to make bones out of cherry so that surgeons could practice joint replacement.
Tom

[Brendan Plavis]

Dang... talk about a different type of woodworking... I take it you didnt see him go in there with a set of chisels and a mallet... ....

Well, I wish her a quick recovery.... I have a few aquantices(well more relatives... ) that have had it, and they say it... well... is no fun....

[David Helm]

Thanks for the fine words. I didn't get to see the work but he did show me his saws and rasps. Yes it is major surgery, they just have worked it out so the anasthesia level isn't so intense as it used to be (less recovery inhibition) and my wife is very fit and was able to do the outpatient basis. Not everyone is able to. The full recovery takes some time. She has serious restrictions on movement for six weeks (there is some risk of dislocation early on) then it is continued PT to build strength. She already is doing a list of exercises every couple of hours. The pain killing drugs are making her pretty interesting to watch. The prognosis is, within about six months she'll be able to do everything she could before and by a year it will be better than she's been in a long time.

[Van Huskey]

This is one surgery you do NOT want to watch! My ex-FIL is an orthopedic surgeon and watching a total hip or total knee is a sobering experience. The tools they use, mallets and chisels (yep Brendan) etc, make my bones ache. They also aren't shy about REALLY hammering away. Amazing how far this area has come over the years.

I wish your wife a speedy and full recovery!

[Brendan Plavis]

Thanks for the fine words. I didn't get to see the work but he did show me his saws and rasps. Yes it is major surgery, they just have worked it out so the anasthesia level isn't so intense as it used to be (less recovery inhibition) and my wife is very fit and was able to do the outpatient basis. Not everyone is able to. The full recovery takes some time. She has serious restrictions on movement for six weeks (there is some risk of dislocation early on) then it is continued PT to build strength. She already is doing a list of exercises every couple of hours. The pain killing drugs are making her pretty interesting to watch. The prognosis is, within about six months she'll be able to do everything she could before and by a year it will be better than she's been in a long time.

Thats wonderful...

But yea... painkillers do wonders... a legal high... (I have had multiple surgeries myself(one oral surgery where the numbing agent wore off while the guy was stiching and decided to finish before giving me more number...no fun) and people say I am intresting myself to watch... Codine does wonderful things... particularly when you begin to have a conversation with yourself... ) Hopefully she can get off them sometime soon, since painkillers are often addictive.... but painless is better for the time being...

This is one surgery you do NOT want to watch! My ex-FIL is an orthopedic surgeon and watching a total hip or total knee is a sobering experience. The tools they use, mallets and chisels (yep Brendan) etc, make my bones ache. They also aren't shy about REALLY hammering away. Amazing how far this area has come over the years.

I wish your wife a speedy and full recovery!

Dang... I was just joking when I said mallets and chisels.... ouch.... thats just as bad as them using a cordless drill you or I might buy, to do inter-cranial pressure relief....

And I assume that FIL is father-in-law? Or friend in love... not sure... just about as bad as "my MILF(Mother-in-Law's-Friend....)"...

[Larry Frank]

I hope that your wife has a quick recovery. I have had a hip replacement and it wore out after 7 years and had to have a new ball and socket put in.

I offer a piece of advice and that is for her to be careful of how she sits, twists or moves around for awhile. I have had the very unfortuate experience of turning my body the wrong way when I was standing and popped the thing out of socket. It hurt more than anything I have experienced. I am certain that the doctor gave you instructions about those things and this time I would really listen.

After I had my hip replaced the first time, I went to Biomet in Warsaw, Indiana to get a tour of where they make them. It was interesting to say the least. I also got to see the set of stainless tools that they use for installing the hip. I still do not know how they get your leg back on straight and the same length. I guess it is precision carpentery.

[Alan Lightstone]

Ah, I see it everyday. Ain't no big thang...

It's actually pretty routine and ortho is about the lowest tech procedures we do these days in the OR. Not that doctors ever get a shout-out anymore. Oh well.

We have patients awake during hip and knee replacement surgery all the time. They don't get to look, because the patient's view is blocked by the drapes, and an endless barage of questions can get very distracting to the surgeon (as opposed to the head banging music and typical banter. )

And yes, it is very much like carpentry.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery for your wife.

[Richard Dragin]

David,

With the arrival of digital x-ray, prior to surgery they can take a digital x-ray.....measure the bone and joint and then order a replacement ball, socket and yes....the tenon to fit precisely.

It sounds less like the surgeon is a carpenter and more like he is assembling stuff from Ikea.

Good luck to your wife's recovery.

[Van Huskey]

Brendan, you would be surprised at the number or Craftsman tool chests you see in surgical suites...

Larry, lots of surgeons love Biomet, they are one of the leaders in quick turn-around custom "parts". There was a day when everything was off the shelf, if you weren't an "off the shelf" kinda person your surgery could be a real nighmare. Biomet was one of the companies that saw this and really forged a path.

[David Helm]

I hope that your wife has a quick recovery. I have had a hip replacement and it wore out after 7 years and had to have a new ball and socket put in.

I offer a piece of advice and that is for her to be careful of how she sits, twists or moves around for awhile. I have had the very unfortuate experience of turning my body the wrong way when I was standing and popped the thing out of socket. It hurt more than anything I have experienced. I am certain that the doctor gave you instructions about those things and this time I would really listen.

After I had my hip replaced the first time, I went to Biomet in Warsaw, Indiana to get a tour of where they make them. It was interesting to say the least. I also got to see the set of stainless tools that they use for installing the hip. I still do not know how they get your leg back on straight and the same length. I guess it is precision carpentery.

When you had your surgery, things were not quite as advanced as they are now. The new balls they put in are much larger than they used to be. The ball is cobalt/chrome and the femoral implant is titanium. While there is still some risk of dislocation, it is dramatically smaller than it used to be. Our surgeon actually pioneered the outpatient process in Washington and is highly regarded. He readily admits that he is a carpenter. Works for me as I spent most of my working life as a carpenter. Never got paid what he gets, but houses seem to be somewhat less risky to work on than people.

[Doug Carpenter]

That would be quite the task. I could handle the carpentry aspect but the blood getting in the way is a whole differnt story. good luck to you and your wife.