After years of suffering from hip pain, Ron decided he couldn't live with it any longer. His pain was getting worse every day and he could no longer bend over or walk for any distance. At age 63, Ron still had a lot of living to do, and was especially looking forward to visiting friends and relatives in his homeland of Scotland — but didn't want to travel feeling the way he did. So, he started talking to his doctor, orthopedic surgeon Bernardo Ferrari, MD, of Palo Alto Medical Foundation, about a hip replacement. He also researched the procedure in detail, and learned that an anterior hip approach to replacement might be the best option for him, because it typically results in a much faster recovery with excellent results.
"As a consultant working from home, when I don't work, I don't earn, so I didn't want to be laid up for too long," Ron recalls thinking at the time.
On June 13, 2011, Ron had anterior hip replacement surgery for his left hip. The procedure took place in the afternoon, and just a few hours later, Ron was up and walking around with his new hip for the first time.
"I was even able to climb up steps the next day," says Ron.
After just one night at El Camino Hospital, Ron was back at home and recovering quickly. For the first week, he used a cane for support, but after that, walked freely and frequently to exercise his leg. About five weeks later, Ron attended a large industry trade show for his business at San Francisco's massive Moscone Convention Center and was delighted to see he could be on his feet all day without pain.
Later in August, just 10 weeks after the surgery, he flew to Scotland, just as planned, for a family wedding, where he danced the night away.
"I actually wasn't sure if I should have been dancing," says Ron, "but I felt great."
Ron says that, when he looks back on his hip surgery, he has no regrets, other than wishing his golf game had improved. No such luck. "The whole experience was even easier than I had expected."
