16/09/07 – 17/09/07

Los Angeles

LA came as a bit of a culture shock after Vancouver where we had been able to walk everywhere. If New York is a city that never sleeps, LA is certainly a great big freeway. Our hotel was at the side of a 10-laner. The only walkable destination was a Taco Bell on the other side of the road, but you’d have to be ridiculously hungry to risk crossing.

We met Tom Schmalzried at St Vincent’s Hospital. His first case was a resurfacing using the DePuy ASR system he has been involved in designing. Unlicensed by the FDA over here, it is part of a trial. Good discussions about our metal on metal experiences in Norwich ensued. He then performed a THR using the Summit stem (which he again helped design), a taper with a conical distal geometry paired with an x-linked poly cup in a Pinnacle shell.

Unfortunately the rest of his cases for the day were cancelled so we headed off to The Pacific Dining Car, an LA medical institution as it is opposite one of the other hospitals (Good Samaritan) & never closes, 24 hours a day 365 days a year.  Excellent lunch, although after 2 ½  weeks of eating for Britain, we found that selecting a tuna salad is no guarantee of a light meal. They find a way to get some coronary-blockers in with bacon-bits & of course, cheese.