JOINT REPLACEMENT
▸
It
was a Thursday evening. Kari Mason, 49, and
her husband decided to walk to Highland Park Village
for dinner.
“I put on tall wedge shoes and came into the
kitchen,” the University Park resident recalls. “The
front door opened. Our big labradane ran from the
back of the house to welcome our son home. I zigged,
and she zagged. As she passed through the kitchen, I
was knocked off my feet and toppled, hitting the floor
first with my left hip.”
Mason couldn’t get up. She gave herself several
minutes to recover, even though she was in
excruciating pain. Her husband, a physician, saw
symptoms of shock and called 911.
At the emergency department (ED) at Methodist
Dallas Medical Center, an X-ray and a CT scan
showed that her hip was shattered.
Discovering a hidden risk
“A full hip replacement was the best treatment
option versus a pin,” Mason says. “People will be
surprised to hear that I thought this was good
news. Recovery from the other surgery could be
long and difficult in comparison to the anterior-
approach hip replacement. I knew about the
procedure, thanks to my husband.”
Mason was referred to David Heck, MD,
Methodist Dallas’ chief of orthopedics.
“With the anterior approach, we go between
muscles, not through them,” Dr. Heck says.
“The patient experiences less pain and a far
faster recovery. Patients usually walk the same day and are
recovered within a few weeks, as opposed to a few months
with other procedures.”
A study of Mason’s bones revealed that her fracture resulted
in part from osteopenia, low mineral density in the bones.
Dr. Heck prescribed vitamin D and calcium supplements
for Mason, as well as follow-up bone mineral density tests.
“It’s important for women, especially those with slight
frames, to understand their bone risks as they mature,”
he says.
6
Methodist Dallas Medical Center
•
❁
Summer 2014
When heels,
hounds, and
hips don’t mix
Mom on the move
Mason’s recovery has gone well. A month after surgery,
she even took a trip to see her son, a high-school
rower, compete in his last regatta of the season.
“It was important to me, so I’m glad my recovery
was quick enough to make that happen,” she says.
Her words of advice to women: “Get a bone
scan to learn about your bones — and watch the
high heels.”
THE RIGHT FIT
Is anterior-approach hip replacement the
right procedure for you? Learn more at
or call
214-947-0000
for a physician referral.
Anterior-approach hip replacement at Methodist
Dallas got Kari Mason back on her feet fast.
