TPO success rate.

Dr. Marie replied:

Hi Jay. Thanks for sending the report from your vet.

How disappointing it is to read that Max has signs of hip dysplasia.

You will get the best advice from the orthopedic specialist who you are seeing. They will advise you on whether it is best to go ahead with surgery or not. The specialists that I have dealt with have all been extremely honest and would only recommend surgery if it was likely to be helpful.

I have done some research for you on the success rates of TPO surgery. One report I read reported a 90% success rate for "good clinical results".

With that being said, I also read a discussion amongst orthopedic specialists about whether or not a TPO should be done on a dog that has no clinical signs of problems with their hips. Many ortho vets feel that it is not a good idea to do hip surgery simply because the radiographs show us a problem. But rather, they prefer to only do surgery on dogs that are actually sore in their hips.

It's a tough call. It sounds like the knee surgery may have to be done. And again, the specialist will give you his or her advice on whether hip surgery is likely to be necessary.

I hope that helps and doesn't confuse the matter even more.

Regarding your question, Jay, are you clicking through the link given to you when you complete your Paypal payment? For some reason your questions are coming through with $0 payment, but I can clearly see that you have paid. I am not having this problem with any other customers. It's strange!

Dr. Marie.


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Dr. Marie replied:

This is actually an excellent point!

Was Max anesthetized when he had his xrays? If not, then it is definitely possible to have xrays that look dysplastic when they are not.

In order to get good hip dysplasia xrays you have to be very specific with your positioning and the hips have to be rotated in a way that is difficult to do in an awake dog.

Whenever I think I see signs of hip dysplasia on regular xrays I always recommend repeating the xray under heavy sedation. The exception is if there are very obvious changes on the initial xray.

Dr. Marie replied:

Ah, it sounds like the vets used a reversible agent such as Domitor. This really should have given sufficient sedation to get good xrays. I am guessing that what you are being told about the hips is probably accurate (unfortunately).

Your plan is a good one though. Let's not get worried until the specialist has had a look. Let me know what the ortho vet says.

Dr. Marie.

Dr. Marie replied:

Well this is good news!

I have worked with a vet who did Penn Hip xrays. They are extremely accurate when it comes to diagnosing hip dysplasia. Not all vets do them though because you need to get certified and have special equipment.

I'm so glad to hear the specialist wasn't too worried!

Dr. Marie replied:

This sounds like a great plan and encouraging news. Thanks for sharing!