Patient Stories

Ali Zak


Hi everyone! My name is Ali, I am 21 years old and senior year nursing student OU. I am so glad to have stumbled upon a page like this as I have struggled with hip problems since birth.

I was born with a left dislocated hip and bilateral congenital retro-version hip dysplasia that was overlooked until the age of 1 when I began to start walking. The journey ahead was along one including 6 hip surgeries from the age of 1-19 years.

I have gotten my labrum operated on twice in my left hip and once in my left hip due to tears from overcompensation. I received my first PAO on my left hip the summer after my junior year of high school (2013). The surgery was a major success with little to any pain in my left hip following.

Although my right hip was severely less dysplastic than my left I due believe that the reliance on my right hip during my healing periods caused the degeneration of my right. After my upcoming graduation in May I will be receiving my 7th hip operation and 2nd PAO on my right hip. Although it upsets me to go through something like this I couldn’t imagine not because it not only made me the person I am today, but also the nurse. My hip dysplasia drove me towards the nursing field, and I couldn’t imagine my life without it.