“I don’t have time to be laid up,” was the thought Matt Naberhaus had when he first started thinking about hip surgery. Recovering in the house for 6-8 weeks was not going to work for him.
Matt is a busy person. He is a husband, father, farmer, construction worker, raises cattle, part time welder, and on the Sac County Fair Board – just to name a few things.
“My pain started with a semi accident about 20 years ago where I busted my pelvis and then 8 years ago I was bucked off a horse,” states Matt. Yes he also owns and rides horses to add to his list of activities.
The pain continued to get worse as arthritis set in and as he entered his forties. Eventually he realized all his pain couldn’t be blamed on just his ‘old age’. Matt began to see Dr. Seth Harrer, BVRMC Orthopaedic Surgeon in Storm Lake.
“I was impressed with Dr. Harrer right away. He listened and gave me options, but didn’t tell me what I had to do,” says Matt.
At first non-surgical measures worked, but after a few years Matt knew he was ready to proceed with surgery on his right hip. He was a candidate for the anterior hip procedure, which is a minimally invasive hip replacement that can provide reduced muscle damage, less pain and faster recovery.
“Total hip arthroplasty is a wonderful procedure with great results. The anterior approach has allowed patients to recover a little faster than previous approaches. The procedure is essentially the same with a different way of getting to the same spot,” states Dr. Harrer.
Matt was scheduled for surgery at BVRMC on December 26 at 10:00 am. That evening he was walking around the hospital with very little discomfort. His wife drove him home on December 27 at 9:30 am.
“I thought I would be laid up on the couch for two months and had planned to work on paperwork. I almost healed too fast as I only got through half my paperwork pile,” says Matt.
Patients that follow post-operative directions have the best results. It’s also important to go to follow-up appointments and voice your questions and concerns.
“Matt was a great patient with great results with this approach. He did all that was asked and did great with follow-up care,” states Dr. Harrer.
Within days Matt was back outside assisting his wife and kids with chores. He has tried to take it easy, well his kind of easy. He has been able to continue farm chores, welding and his construction business. The one thing left on the list is getting back up on a horse, which he plans to do very soon.
“My biggest pain has been getting muscles I haven’t used correctly for years back into shape. I didn’t realize how much movement I couldn’t do prior to the surgery,” says Matt.