Scott Hutsell is playing the best golf of his entire life, and he says he owes it all to Dr. Scott. Acting as County Commissioner for Lincoln County and owning a Les Schwab Tire Center, Mr. Hutsell is busy. He’s not the kind of person to let a few aches and pains interfere with his work, so when he started having back pain 12 years ago, he was reluctant to seek help. Finally, the pain got to a point where he couldn’t ignore it any longer. After seeing a local doctor and getting x-rays, Mr. Hutsell was surprised to hear that the problem wasn’t with his back at all, but with his hip. His doctor at the time told him that as his hip joint was wearing down, it was putting more tension and strain on his back.
“I remember having the x-ray done and seeing my hip in the printout. The x-ray tech said he’d never seen a hip that bad before,” says Mr. Hutsell, 62. He was told that he’d need surgery, but was skeptical and felt apprehensive about undergoing a major medical procedure like a hip replacement when his hip didn’t feel like it was giving him any particular trouble at the time.
His doctor referred him to Dr. David F. Scott, the only doctor in the area performing non-invasive hip surgeries in the Inland Northwest at the time. It was appealing to Mr. Hutsell, who was still reluctant to undergo surgery. Still struggling with back pain, but knowing his hip was the cause, he told Dr. Scott that he wanted to put his hip replacement surgery off until later that year, so he could continue working. Dr. Scott cautioned him otherwise.
“Looking back then I’d never really thought of this way, until Dr. Scott turned and looked at me and said, ‘Something that you’re not factoring into this decision is your overall quality of life. I’m sure you’re tough enough to grin and bear the pain, but your quality of life will really suffer.’”
After the appointment, Mr. Hutsell was still set on waiting out the surgery until the timing could better coincide with his work plans. “Dr. Scott seemed hesitant, telling me that the hip would get worse over time, but he was very understanding of my situation as well. We scheduled the procedure for about 6 months out.”
The Pain Catches Up
That was until the real pain in his hip began. “I remember thinking, I’ve never felt anything like this before. When the pain in my hip finally caught up with me, it was one of the most excruciating things I’ve ever felt. My hip had completely locked up and I was unable to walk or move.” Mr. Hutsell remembers that day with remarkable clarity.
“It was a Friday. I was back in Dr. Scott’s office a week later, and I remember he had this look on his face, kind of like ‘I told you so.’ Within four days, I had a new hip.“
A Pain-Free Era
The next 8 years were great for Mr. Hutsell. He hadn’t realized how much his hip had been holding him back until it was finally working properly.
“I realized, ‘hey, I’ve never been a single-digit handicap in my golf game, but now I am!’ The new hip had actually improved my game!”
The years he was pain-free were wonderful, but Mr. Hutsell was able to not only fully embrace his golf game, he was also able to get back to work in a new, revitalized way.
Throughout the years though, he was waiting for something. Something that Dr. Scott had told him on his first visit; eventually his other hip would also wear out and he would most likely need it replaced as well. Dr. Scott was right. The time came about 4 years ago when the pain that had immobilized his left hip so dramatically, now moved to his right.
Mr. Hutsell’s Final Hip Replacement
Unlike before, Mr. Hutsell knew exactly what to do this time. He immediately called OSC and scheduled the surgery with Dr. Scott for his second hip replacement. The procedure went well, just as it had before, but this time, Mr. Hutsell worked more intently with the therapists at OSC to start his journey to full recovery. He stresses the fact that with this kind of surgery, the procedure is just the beginning. Full recovery can take between three and six months and largely depends on a person’s commitment to following through with the therapy.
“Although the surgery went well with my first hip,” Mr. Hutsell says “I didn’t follow through with my rehabilitation the way I was supposed to, which made the recovery take longer than it needed to.”
After his second hip replacement, he worked with the OSC therapy staff on a consistent basis and made an even faster recovery.
“You just don’t realize how important the therapy part of this whole process is until you go through this twice. With my second hip replacement, I recovered faster than ever with the help of the OSC therapists. They are very professional and fantastic.” Asking Mr. Hutsell what he would say to someone who was considering OSC, he says, “Dr. Scott is just the best and not only him, but his entire staff. Laurie, the gal in office, still remembered me from 12 years ago.”
A personal touch that goes a long way, he adds.
Full Mobility With A Better Handicap
Today, with two new hips, a better golf game, a tire center to manage, and the important role of County Commissioner, Scott Hutsell says he doesn’t even think about his new joints because there’s no pain. He’s able to work and get where he needs to go without a second thought.
“It was so funny to realize that after my second hip replacement, my golf game got even better than it had before! I didn’t think it could, but it did, so I tell everyone now that Dr. Scott is the one responsible for my golf game. Probably 75% of the people I know who’ve had joint replacements go to Dr. Scott. That’s because I tell everyone, and he’s just the best.”
Pain-Free Means Living Your Life
This is the true goal of joint replacement surgery: if everything is working the way it’s supposed to, you won’t notice it. You’ll just live your life. And Mr. Hutsell is certainly doing that.
During our phone conversation, he was in the middle of planning budgets as County Commissioner in Lincoln County, and just stepped out for a few minutes to talk. Even small phrases like, ‘stepping out for a minute’ take on a new significance after a major joint replacement surgery, and Mr. Hutsell doesn’t take it granted.
A Closer Look at Hip Replacement Surgery
Scott Hutsell is one of the 322,000 people each year that undergo total hip replacements. Perhaps not so common though is his fantastic experience undergoing the procedure. This is the OSC difference. It’s a combination of incredible doctors, office staff, therapists, and the latest technology in the industry.
Mr. Hutsell’s underwent a procedure called MAKOplasty® Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA). It’s performed by RIO® Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic System, which allows surgeons like Dr. Scott to achieve a new level of precision in joint replacement surgeries. During this process, a 3D print is created of the patient’s actual hip joint, so that the artificial hip is exactly the shape of the old one. This dramatically decreases the chance of future dislocation and gives patients like Mr. Hutsell the feeling that they truly have their old working joints back. And in a sense, they do.
There are several reasons that people like Mr. Hutsell consider having hip replacement surgery. It’s a major decision and with all major decisions, every alternative must be considered. Often, therapy, anti-inflammatories, and exercise are the first prescriptions before a hip replacement. Chronic swelling and stiffness due to arthritis that increases over time is the main reason for choosing to have the surgery. When chronic pain decreases your quality of life, and nothing else works to relieve it, it may be time to have a joint replacement. (see Taking the Next Step).
The OSC difference
OSC is the leading orthopedic clinic in the Inland Northwest and has its own on-site recovery center to help you take the next step after surgery. If you are struggling with an orthopedic injury, OSC is here to help walk you through the whole process of recovery. By choosing joint surgery like hip replacement, you’re choosing a better quality of life. Having full mobility can get you back to living your life and doing what you love. And if you’re lucky, like Mr. Hutsell, your golf game may even improve.
