Back to the Golf Course

Shooting pain down the leg. Too painful to stand more than minutes. Sitting up to sleep and resting poorly. For Patrick Duffy, severe pain and osteoarthritis that began with the right hip impacted every minute of every day.

The custom home hardware salesman and family man used to golf on the weekends. He walked around job sites, and after work for exercise would power walk the sidewalks near his Mesa Verde home. But at just 63 years of age, Pat’s hip pain began limiting capabilities he’d always taken for granted.

“After gradually worsening for about a year, pain was taking over my life,” recalls Pat. “If I went shopping, after five minutes I was looking for a place to sit down. I could barely stand in church. I was constantly massaging my leg to temporarily eliminate the pain. Golfing was out of the question since I couldn’t walk the course, or even follow through on my swing.”

Pat remembers his brother’s posterior joint replacement a few years ago, and the weeks it took for him to get out of bed. He also recalled his own difficult recoveries from past hernia surgeries. Even though he worried about surgery, something had to be done.

Pat resigned himself to having a total hip replacement, and was pleased to learn about the anterior approach. Prior to his June 2013 hip surgery, Pat prepared by attending HOI’s joint
replacement class.

“I learned a lot about what to expect in the hospital, devices for therapy at home, and people advocating for me. They clearly knew their stuff. That eased my anxieties and made my procedure, hospitalization and recovery easier,” recalls Pat.

“My two-night stay at Hoag Orthopedic Institute was a great experience, with the nicest nurses, a clean facility, private room and even good food,” recalls Pat. “My recovery was their primary concern.”

Pat’s recovery at home was easier than he expected. His comparatively small anterior approach incision healed quickly. Within two weeks he was walking around without pain, and without the aid of a walker or cane. “It was a piece of cake,” claims Pat. “And my wife, Sue, had a great deal to do with my recovery in the hospital and at home. She was wonderful.”

Life returned to normal, but within months his left hip began hurting. “This time I knew what to do and didn’t hesitate. I had my left hip replaced,” says Pat. “A year after my first surgery, I chose the same surgeon, the same anesthesiologist, the same therapist and the same hospital, HOI, for the second surgery. Once again, they did wonders for me.”