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Persistent hip pain can make everyday movement difficult and keep people from doing the activities they love. For Naples resident Lisa O’Neil, that activity was pickleball.
O’Neil has always been active, but her hip pain began interfering with her life on and off the court.
“I love being active, and it was just really getting in the way. My hip was just having a lot of pain. It was difficult for me to run for a lot of shots, and especially when I started having problems sleeping, and with my career I knew it was the right time at that point,” O’Neil said.
She met with Dr. Steven DeLuca, an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in a newer, less invasive anterior hip replacement approach.
DeLuca said the procedure allows surgeons to reach the hip joint while sparing surrounding muscles and tendons.
“It allows me to access the hip joint, the ball and socket joint through a muscle-sparing approach. So, I don’t actually cut any muscles or tendons. I just kind of move them out of the way and then we remove the arthritis and replace it with metal and plastic, essentially,” DeLuca said.
For O’Neil, the approach helped make recovery more manageable. She said she was able to return home the same day as her surgery.
“I was in at nine and I left at three that day, so I was able to just come home and recover at home,” O’Neil said.
“And that’s supposed to help recovery time, so I’m very grateful for that. I have very minimal scars. You can’t even tell,” she said.
After a few months of physical and occupational therapy, O’Neil is back on the pickleball court and enjoying an active lifestyle without pain.
“Just thrilled to be back to my active lifestyle without any pain,” O’Neil said.
Now, she hopes others who are putting off joint replacement surgery will consider talking with their doctor about their options.
“And I would just encourage anyone, if you’re delaying hip or knee replacement surgery, just do it. You’re going to be a lot better in the long term,” O’Neil said.
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