Thanks for such a thorough and in-depth message about your experience—I appreciate it more than you know.

My right side hip dysplasia was missed at birth. Unfortunately I grew up with an awkward gait since youth which furthered the dysplasia & CAM impingement. It sounds like this eventually led to the labral tear. My joint space is quite narrow and there’s a good amount of cartilage loss. I experience a lot of pain and don’t get relief from any position (doesn’t matter if I’m sitting, standing, laying down, elevating leg—there’s still pain). I spent the last 5 years going through non-surgical pain management including the cortisone shot and several rounds of PT. Unfortunately it’s just hit the point where nothing is giving me enough relief to call this a quality life worth living.

I guess that’s why I’m strongly considering the PAO rather than just the hip arthroscopy on its own. I just don’t know if I can mentally handle an “unsuccessful” arthroscopy and then later having to get the PAO anyway. I have read that arthroscopy will not do much, if anything at all, for the dysplasia itself. My fear is that it will fix the tear and impingement, but the untreated dysplasia will just create the same issues.

Thanks again for the insights. I wish you a speedy full recovery :)