Has anyone had a bursa sac removed?

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flutterbee

Guest
I'm ready to have it done in my hip. I'm in a flare and I can't stand for more than a minute, can barely walk and God help me if I do something like load the dishwasher. By night it's so bad that I just can't stand it and nothing eases the pain. Even when I'm not in a flare, it's bad - just not quite as excruciating.

I've done steroid tapers, NSAIDS, PT (made it hurt more) and steroid injections. The first injection lasted two months. The second one a day and a half and I think that was probably the lidocaine rather than the steroid.

Anyway, I was reading about it and it said they can now do it arthroscopically (sp?) and the hip functions fine without it. (I've had this for years and years, by the way.)

So, has anyone had this done? Any experience or advice?
 

Lothlorien

Active Member
I have bursitis on the side of both hips. The left is much worse than the right. I've had it since my mid-twenties. When it flares up really badly, a steroid injection usually helps, but there is always mild to moderate pain there, regardless of the injections. I've thought about having them removed also. The docs that I worked for did them, but rarely. Most of the time they respond with the modalities mentioned. I'll be curious about the responses you get, because I think this is in my future as well.
 
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flutterbee

Guest
I saw my GP today and I told her I wanted it out. She just kinda looked at me funny. LOL

She was hoping we would hear back from the NIH by now and had her secretary call who was just put through to someone's voicemail. She's concerned because they never received confirmation that my info had been received. I don't know if they were supposed to, but without it she has no way of knowing if they've even reviewed it yet.

So, we are doing the Plaquenil again (anti-malarial medication that has anti-inflammatory properties and is FDA approved for lupus and RA). We had done it in the past with no success, but she only had me on 200mg. I looked it up on rxlist.com last night and it said initial dose should be 400mg once or twice a day until desired results, then reduce it by 50% for maintenance dose. I printed that off and took it to her, so she put me on 400mg and I go back in a month. I'm also doing low dose steroids - 20mg for 5 days, then 10mg for a month.

I've had this (bursitis) since childhood, a bit more pronounced by mid-teen years. It was something I was always aware of, but it was never really a problem. Shaving in the shower was difficult because I can't support my weight on that leg without a lot of burning and weakness. But within the last 4 years it has gotten progressively worse and I can't even walk the grocery store. Not even close. And in a flare - forget it. I could barely walk last night - having to hold onto walls and furniture. So, I also have a rx for a 4-pronged cane. Sigh. I'm *only* 35.

I told her if these medications don't help and the endocrinologist doesn't have any answers, my next stop is an orthopedic surgeon. I've done the steroid injections - no longer working. I get limited relief with oral steroids - works while I'm on them, but starts up again within days when I'm off. NSAIDS don't even touch it - might as well be eating candy. I do have it on my left side, but nothing at all compared to the right. My left side is what my right side was like in my mid-teen years.

It's pretty obvious I have some kind of systemic inflammation. Right now, my hips, shoulders, neck, lower back, knees, heels, wrists and ankles are affected. From what specific disease process, we don't know. Saw the GYN today and she thinks my urinary problems are a neuropathy - which is what I've thought all along, but my stupid neurologist just blows off. She agreed that we have to get the inflammation under control to get the neuropathy under control. Still think I have Cushing's because I have all of the hallmark signs, but it could even be pseuo-cushing's brought on my the physical stress my body is under.

I told my doctor that they can do the bursa surgery arthroscopically and she just looked at me. I told her I'd been reading. :rofl: She said I pretty much have a degree in rheumatology. :rofl: She's a cool doctor. I'm lucky to have her.

Anyway, if this plan of action doesn't work it's coming out. I don't care who I have to bribe or blackmail. It's coming out. And that's all I have to say about that. :tongue:

On a more sobering note, my GYN (new doctor to me) said that I'm lucky to have my doctor because most doctors dismiss complicated patients from their practice. They take up too much time. Isn't that terrible? Shouldn't that be considered unethical? What do people do that aren't lucky enough to have a doctor that cares and is willing to take this on? I know I've been dropped by doctors and this is probably why.
 

Lothlorien

Active Member
Heather, if your are painful in the major joints like shoulders and hips, it sounds like polymyalgia rheumatica. That would be an orthopedist's first guess for what you are describing right now. I believe they do a Sed Rate for that.
 
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flutterbee

Guest
I've had sed rates. Had blood drawn for another one today. They always come back "marginally elevated".
 
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flutterbee

Guest
No. But, a sed rate is only a marker for inflammation. It doesn't tell you what is causing the inflammation. I don't have the symptoms for Giant Cell Arteritis.

The pain in my shoulders and neck is newer. It was always my lower back and hips that bothered me. Then my knees and ankles. Shoulders and neck has only been in the last 10 months.
 
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