Innovative Surgery Cures Uncommon Hip Pain

Thirty-four-year old Jennifer da Rosa had spent several months and visited four different doctors searching for someone to cure her unexplained hip pain. “Finally, I saw Dr. Petre and he was able to diagnose it,” says the 34 year-old college instructor from Kent Island. Jennifer had an uncommon condition in her right hip which caused the bones to grate against one another rather than slide smoothly in the hip socket.

After diagnosing her condition—called FAI for femoral acetabular impingement—Orthopedist Ben Petre, MD, performed arthroscopic surgery to remove the extra bone tissue in her hip and restore the joint to proper function. The procedure is not widely available, but as one of the few hip specialists in the area, Dr. Petre has both the experience and the tools to offer arthroscopic hip surgery for FAI and a variety of conditions.

“The ability to diagnose and treat this is relatively new,” he says. “It’s an uncommon condition, and diagnosing it is complicated because there are many other things that can cause hip pain, from a problem with the back or internal organs such as your bladder or ovaries to a hernia.”

For Jennifer, the diagnosis came as a huge relief. The surgery eliminated her pain, and within a month she had recovered her life again. “Before the surgery, I had been afraid to take my kids to the aquarium or the zoo,” she says. “I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to walk because of the pain.” Jennifer says the experience has given her a new perspective on having surgery in general. “I know a lot of people try to avoid surgery, but I’m very pleased that I had it. The benefit far outweighs any kind of fear or downtime needed for recovery.”

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