My new hip has made a remarkable difference in my life.
James Bizarro, 62 years old, lives an active lifestyle; practices martial arts, lifts weights at the gym and runs on the treadmill. The first time he was told he needed a hip replacement was 15 years ago, but he decided to push through the pain and wait on getting it done. In November 2020, James could not wait any longer. The pain was unbearable.
“When you have an issue putting your socks and shoes on, you know it’s a problem,” says James.
Under the care of Frank Liporace, MD, Chair of the Department of Orthopedics at Saint Barnabas Medical Center, James underwent a successful right total hip arthroplasty.
“James suffered from hip dysplasia and his x-rays showed a slightly abnormally shaped hip as well as an abnormally positioned femur,” says Dr. Liporace. “We used an atypical implant on his femoral side to accommodate for the mismatch.”
“As soon as I met Dr. Liporace, I knew I wanted him as my doctor,” says James. “Everyone at Saint Barnabas was wonderful; the staff, the hospital, Dr. Liporace, the whole nine yards.”
By 4:00 am the next morning, he was ready to start moving. Walking laps around the hospital, James felt so good that his care team had to stop him to prevent damage to his new hip. With no pain and some minor discomfort, James was discharged home with over-the-counter pain medicine that he only took for a couple of days.
As James continued through rehab, he started to run again.
“My hip was so bad for so long that I forgot how to run properly,” says James. “I was so used to limping, I had to train myself not to limp.”
Two-weeks post-op, James was doing yardwork at his house, and three weeks post-op he was dancing with his wife.
“My new hip has made a remarkable difference in my life,” says James. “If I knew I would feel like this, I would have done it 15 years ago.”
James has since gone back to his daily routine of spinning, running and lifting weights, all pain-free.
“It’s always so uplifting to see patients return to the life they once had,” says Dr. Liporace.