(This is prompted by a real situation but I am not asking for advice)
A while back, my ex's Bengal dislocated her hip, and we were advised to have a Femoral Head Ostectomy, and that the scar tissue would develop in a way as to replace the joint. It seems to have failed, as she is getting some kind of laser treatment to break up scar tissue.
What are y'all's experiences with FOH as a treatment (in general, I assume its not used only for dislocated hips)? Like, is this an invasive but normal treatment or a Hail Mary kind of thing?
gettingvetted here.
FHO’s are quite simple to perform compared to many orthopedic surgeries, and many general practitioners are comfortable offering the procedure without needing to refer to a specialist. They are often quite successful and can be offered as a low cost alternative to a total hip replacement or fracture repair while also allowing the animal to keep the leg, vs an amputation where they do not. An FHO or amputation were both possibilities for my personal cat who has a severely fractured left-sided pelvis. In her case the leg itself was not the problem but rather the head of the femur pushing on the fracture with each step. Obviously gold standard medicine would have been to take her to an orthopedic surgeon for repair of her hip fracture, but an FHO could have increased her comfort if she did not get sound enough with cage rest while saving me thousands of dollars. (She didn’t end up needing any procedure and does well on pain medications and joint supplements at this time). All in all they are a straightforward and typically rewarding procedure.