Hip Replacement...any advice???

[emerzmom]

I have fairly aggressive arthritis in my right hip that has caused bone spurs which have been very painful for several years. I am finally giving in and having hip replacement surgery. I have put it off for a long time for a variety of reasons (mostly just scared) but my doctor has now said we are out of options besides total replacement. (...done the shots, resurfacing, etc.)
I was wondering if anyone has gone through this (or had someone close to them go through it) that could offer any suggestions or advice. I just turned 50, I am in pretty good physical shape, and have family and friend support. I was just looking for any kind of advice, or “I wish I would have known this before I did it...”, or just reassurance it worked out fine. (or maybe that it didn’t turn out so well)
Thanks for any advice in advance.
:mickey:
Julie

[marlyn]

Hi Julie. I am an RN and I've worked a few years in orthopedics. The surgery to replace a hip has come a long way over the last couple of decades since I graduated. In Canada, a young, healthy patient like you is operated on one day, up walking the next day with a walker and home in 3 days. The elderly, obese, or more debilitated people take a bit longer but still do very well.
My advice....physio! Get moving and exercise as per instructions. The worst thing you can do is lay around and not do your exercises.
Good luck with your surgery! It will be good to get the new joint and get rid of the pain caused by the bone spurs!:thumbsup:

[disney obsessed]

OH! Oh! Pick me!!!!!,

I had mine at the age of 45. I also had terrible bone spurs and they kept me awake at night, every time I made a step I felt them and I walked like a penguin.

Looking back on it I should have done it sooner. The pain in the hip goes away immediately and you cannot feel the replacement parts. I thought it would feel like a broken bone but it does not. The pain comes from swelling and the cut tissue. It will be bad for the first three days. It gets better after that. The best advice I can give is to do a great deal of physical work on the muscles between your shoulder blades. You will be using the bar to pick yourself up and I thought I was in shape too....... Wrong. These muscles burned worse than the surgery site.

I still have physical limitations and I thought I would not, but at least I am pain free. It looks like I will need the other hip done as well. I will decide to do it sooner rather than later. It really is better than the pain.

Are you having traditional surgery or the newer small incision? I had the traditional one. When they got in they found a great deal of muscle damage that they needed to repair in the buttock. If I would have opted for the small incision, they would not have been able to do every thing they needed to do. They also had to take more bone than normal to remove the spurs. Even though I had an MRI, they did not know these things until they went in. I also have a friend who had the newer procedure and ended up with one leg shorter than the other and had to have it redone after two painful years. With that being said, do what is best for you.

If you have already had resurfacing and cut through the muscle to do it, you already know what to expect. My dr refused to do
a resurface because it would be as disruptive as having the full replacement and they grow back.

If you have any questions, ask away. When are you doing it?

[MNNHFLTX]

I am also an RN and have seen hip replacement surgery be a godsend to many patients, my father included. He fractured his hip many years ago and suffered with residual pain and lack of mobility until he finally relented and had the surgery; his pain was miraculously gone immediately after surgery (aside from the normal surgical discomfort). He passed away from unrelated issues this past December, but his hip replacement made the last few years of his life so much better.

I would second the advice to be diligent about physical therapy after surgery. It makes recovery so much quicker and productive.

[Mickey'sGirl]

My mom had chronic Rheumatoid Arthritis and had her first hip done in 1973 at age 33. She was up the next day and home on day 4 to look after the four of us ( aged 4, 5, 6 & 7 at the time). She had lots of physio and was back at it quickly. It was the same when she had her second hip done 2 years later. Those joints, along with her artificial knees changed her world and gave her a full life with her children. They were good to her until the end. Those originals lasted 35 years!

Good luck with your surgery! I hope your recovery is swift and that you get the relief you need!

[TinkerbellT421]

I have no advice as I have not had any sort of experience in that area. But wanted to wish you the best of luck with your surgery and recovery!

[tinxmom]

This story has two parts! My FIL had hip replacement in Aug 2011. Came to Disney with us that Nov. and required a scooter - not because of the new hip, but because once he had the new one he realized how painful the other one was! So, he had the other one done this past Feb and is coming with us again this fall - no scooter this time! Woohoo! Go for it - you will wonder why it took you so long to get it done!

[DonLefNY]

Interesting thread as my wife is scheduled for a hip replacement (small incision) in September. She is in a LOT of pain now.

[disney obsessed]

Hey DonLefNy,
Make sure she does the strength training for the area between her shoulder blades! It really is the best advice I can give.

[emerzmom]

Thanks to everyone for your advice and well wishes.
For Disney Obsessed:
You said you still have some physical limitations...like what??? Also, how long are you lifting yourself up with your arms?
:mickey:
Julie

[disney obsessed]

I am not supposed to bend over or twist my leg past mid body. So, things like shaving your legs, trimming toenails, painting nails are very difficult. I have not worn stockings since the surgery because I cannot get them on. I am supposed to bend at the knee and squat to reach anything on the floor. I quit my job at a preschool because of the limitations. I cannot do things like weed the garden (darn!) without pain and the possibility of the hip popping out. I have felt it slide but it has not slipped out . They also took a lot of bone to remove the spurs, so I have an edge that I can feel. I cannot be on a hard surface with the hip pressing down, it hurts the tissue from that edge.
There is more but you get the idea. It is better than the original state I was in and would choose to do it again.

As for the pull up bar, I was in the hospital for six days and then I had it at home for another week. So, about two weeks. I have a very conservative surgeon. His success rates are very high and complications and infections are very, very low.
They will start pt the day after surgery, have you out of bed using a walker to get to the bathroom and such. You will need to use the bar to pull yourself up off the bed. The pt folks will decide what is best for you.

I hope I am not giving you too much information.
The general reader of this thread may now be completely grossed out. Sorry. If you have any questions you do not want to post here, feel free to pm me.

[DisneyDog]

My mom had a hip replacement 20 years ago, and it's still going strong. She recently had double knee replacement surgery by the same doctor and is doing amazingly well. Back when she had her hip replacement, things were very different. They had her in the hospital for a long time and it was a very long recovery. For the knees, she was up and walking in no time. They don't like to keep you lying around for long periods of time anymore. Their entire philosophy has changed. I have heard that even with the hip replacement, it's so much simpler now than it was 20 years ago.

The man who did her surgeries is named Richard Rothman, and he is at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. They are part of a huge network and they have pioneered and perfected joint replacement. Perhaps you could contact the university and they could recommend someone to do your surgery close to where you live?