I received a link to an Aetna study on open and arthroscopic treatment of Femoro-Acetabular Impingement from Ms. Julie in comments. It adds to the ongoing debate about the relative merits of open vs. arthroscopic surgery for this condition.
This is the link: http://www.aetna.com/cpb/medical/data/700_799/0736.html Be warned, it's dry and long.
In summary, the report seems to conclude that both open and arthroscopic surgery for this condition are considered experimental and that evidence of any long-term benefits (including the impact on future chances of Osteoarthritis) from one or the other procedure, is thin on the ground. Futher, it recognizes the benefit of arthroscopy over open surgery to increase not only the speed of recovery time but also the ability for active individuals to return to previous levels of activity.
This only further confirms my decision to move forward with an arthroscopic procedure; without significant evidence to prove any radically different outcome either in the long or short term, I see no reason to put my hip through the trauma of open surgery at this point in my life.
The question now is whether I can find someone who will do the debridement arthroscopically. If I am going to be opened up at all for any reason, I want to get the most impact from that experience that I can.
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