Hip update

Andy typing here.

Here's a summary of Tess' hip conditions. We're happy to share more details with anyone, but please call or email for those.

The surgery on Tuesday was both successful and unsuccessful.

Successful: Tess continued to breathe during the entire procedure! We can't say that about the two previous times she was under anesthesia. Also, her left hip (that was operated on in January) has seated nicely into the socket and it should only get better during the next several weeks that it's in a cast.

Unsuccessful: Her right hip (Tuesday's operation) is no longer positioned near the socket. Both of Tess' hips are very deformed from the infection last year and the femoral heads just don't match with her sockets. We got very lucky with the left hip, but no such luck with right hip. The doctor positioned it just like he did the left, but by the time she got her MRI that night, the head had already slipped away from the socket.

What now? Two options basically:

1. Operate again in a couple weeks. Dr. Novais would cut Tess' femur to better position the head, plate the femur, and pin the head to the socket. It would be casted for 6 weeks and then the pin would be removed. At that point we hope the head would stay in the socket and she'd get another 6 week cast.

2. Do nothing and operate again when Tess is a year or two older. That would give her bones time to develop and Dr. Novais would be able to better remodel her hip at that time. She would walk later this summer after the cast comes off, but probably with a limp (that wouldn't cause her any pain).

Each option has several pros and cons with limited chances of success and we'll be considering those over the next several days.