topic Re: Hip Replacement in Wellness

Hip Replacement

bargainsgirl — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 01:45:23 GMT

Had xrays and found severe OA in my left hip. So I am a good canidate for replacement surgery. I will wait till the covid thing dies down. I am not in terrible pain so I don;t mind waiting...About how long does it take to recover? I am in good shape otherwise...

Re: Hip Replacement

mousiegirl — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 01:50:00 GMT

@bargainsgirl Recovery time is dependent on the individual situation.

I had a hip replacement twenty-five years ago due to a childhood accident. I sailed right through, due to my age and my doctor. He didn't believe in physical therapy, so gave me exercises to do in bed, fine with me, and it worked.

If you will be on pain meds, be sure to take a stool softener otherwise you may develop hemorrhoids.

Re: Hip Replacement

Pearlee — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 02:02:42 GMT

@bargainsgirl wrote:
Had xrays and found severe OA in my left hip. So I am a good canidate for replacement surgery. I will wait till the covid thing dies down. I am not in terrible pain so I don;t mind waiting...About how long does it take to recover? I am in good shape otherwise...

@bargainsgirl The anterior operation has a much speedier recovery time.

Re: Hip Replacement

QVC101 — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 02:55:16 GMT

@bargainsgirl I am in my mid 60s and have had both hips replaced in the last two years. Both had very good outcomes. I was walking without assistive device (walker or cane) at about 4 weeks. My experience was that I did not have significant pain. Obviously a bit uncomfortable immediately post op but it was mostly the incision. I went to PT for probably 6 weeks, twice a week. My advice is don't wait till you are really in pain to have it done. You are just prolonging the inevitable. Might as well spend that time recovering. I had the first done at the one day surgery center and the 2nd at the hospital (due to change with insurance). If you have the option of a one day surgery center definitely do that. Much better experience. Good luck!

Re: Hip Replacement

SeaMaiden — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 12:41:16 GMT

posterior

respectively

@bargainsgirl wrote:
Had xrays and found severe OA in my left hip. So I am a good canidate for replacement surgery. I will wait till the covid thing dies down. I am not in terrible pain so I don;t mind waiting...About how long does it take to recover? I am in good shape otherwise...

@bargainsgirl

I had both hips replaced in 2014 and 2015 .

What type of surgery are you having? There is Anterior and Posterior methods.

I had anterior method, which has a small incision and no muscle is cut..thus a very fast recovery time. The posterior method is a much bigger incision....cuts through muscle and a much more painful and time consuming recovery.

Not all doctors are trained in the Anterior method....thus they do not offer it...you need to ask. Not everyone will be a candidate for the Anterior method depending on their situation. ASK THE DOCTOR. If you can get the Anterior method DO THAT!

I also had both knees replaced in 2013 at the same time. Hips are much easier than knees to heal from. But all my joint replacements are a BLESSING from pain.

You will be glad you did it.

Re: Hip Replacement

Sweetbay magnolia — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 14:07:16 GMT

It's scary, but once it was over I realized, it's not horrible. If I had to have the other one done I would not be thrilled but I would know what to expect.

Psychologically, I found having major surgery to be draining, and adjusting to and understanding about a prosthetic limb took me some time.

Physically? Prepare properly, have adaptive devices as necessary (a grabber tool, for one), maintain or continue to work on pre-op fitness (every day functional fitness), and you should be fine. PT for hip replacement is very simple, and once you get up and about (soon after surgery), walking is the best medicine.

I was in tremendous pain prior to surgery but that is gone now.

Re: Hip Replacement

febe1 — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 02:49:57 GMT

@SeaMaiden wrote:
posterior
posterior
respectively
@bargainsgirl wrote:
Had xrays and found severe OA in my left hip. So I am a good canidate for replacement surgery. I will wait till the covid thing dies down. I am not in terrible pain so I don;t mind waiting...About how long does it take to recover? I am in good shape otherwise...
@bargainsgirl

I had both hips replaced in 2014 and 2015 .

What type of surgery are you having? There is Anterior and Posterior methods.

I had anterior method, which has a small incision and no muscle is cut..thus a very fast recovery time. The posterior method is a much bigger incision....cuts through muscle and a much more painful and time consuming recovery.

Not all doctors are trained in the Anterior method....thus they do not offer it...you need to ask. Not everyone will be a candidate for the Anterior method depending on their situation. ASK THE DOCTOR. If you can get the Anterior method DO THAT!

I also had both knees replaced in 2013 at the same time. Hips are much easier than knees to heal from. But all my joint replacements are a BLESSING from pain.

You will be glad you did it.

How lucky and wonderful for you, @SeaMaiden , to be able to take advantage of such progression that our parents could never share. Good for you for getting a new life!

Re: Hip Replacement

SeaMaiden — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 18:53:09 GMT

@bargainsgirl It definitely gave me BACK MY LIFE. I was headed to a wheel chair putting off the surgeries.... and I now can do everything I never thought I would again without pain. It really is a miracle surgery!

Re: Hip Replacement

insomniac2 — Sun, 09 Jan 2022 05:31:47 GMT

Absolutely the best decisions I've ever made were to have knee replacements (2) and hip replacements (2).

That's all in the past, and now: ZERO PAIN.

Re: Hip Replacement

Justice4all — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 21:50:35 GMT

@bargainsgirl

@bargainsgirl wrote:
Had xrays and found severe OA in my left hip. So I am a good canidate for replacement surgery. I will wait till the covid thing dies down. I am not in terrible pain so I don;t mind waiting...About how long does it take to recover? I am in good shape otherwise...

There is much misinformation here. Anterior surgery is in no way better than posterior surgery. Recovery time is just as fast. Muscles are not cut in posterior surgery. Anterior surgery requires radiation as it is fluoroscopically guided. The possibility of causing nerve damage is greater. There is now a minimal posterior cut that is much smaller than the old ones. The surgeon can see better in posterior surgery without the use of guided radiation. The most important thing is to FIND THE BEST SURGEON and hospital. A great orthopedic hospital will be covid free. I know one person who waited too long and had a much more complicated surgery. Also, scheduling an appointment for surgery with a great doctor will probably take time. Do your research. You will be pain free and walking better than your friends! If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Re: Hip Replacement

mousiegirl — Sat, 15 Jan 2022 21:22:23 GMT

@Justice4all I had a hip replacement, but no radiation.

Re: Hip Replacement

Mapshopper — Sun, 16 Jan 2022 21:24:22 GMT

My mother had her hip replaced a few months ago...at age 89! She has a few health issues but good heart, lungs. She did very well. Overnight in hospital and home the next day. I was her nurse...ha, ha. There is some pain initially but it is manageable with meds. She is so glad she had it done. She was steps away from a wheelchair with her arthritic hip. As someone else said...have the anterior method of surgery done unless there is a medical reason why it can't be done that way. I'd get a second opinion to be sure that the reason you couldn't have the anterior approach is a valid medical one...not just because your surgeon "doesn't do that method". So much easier the anterior way. (It's easier on the patient but a more difficult procedure for the surgeon...so not all do that method.). Best wishes in getting that new hip!

Re: Hip Replacement

Justice4all — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 00:15:26 GMT

@Mapshopper wrote:
My mother had her hip replaced a few months ago...at age 89! She has a few health issues but good heart, lungs. She did very well. Overnight in hospital and home the next day. I was her nurse...ha, ha. There is some pain initially but it is manageable with meds. She is so glad she had it done. She was steps away from a wheelchair with her arthritic hip. As someone else said...have the anterior method of surgery done unless there is a medical reason why it can't be done that way. I'd get a second opinion to be sure that the reason you couldn't have the anterior approach is a valid medical one...not just because your surgeon "doesn't do that method". So much easier the anterior way. (It's easier on the patient but a more difficult procedure for the surgeon...so not all do that method.). Best wishes in getting that new hip!

@Mapshopper , I had posterior on two hips at the same time and had no pain-threw away the pain killers. Couldn't have been easier! I am very happy that your mother at age 89 is doing so well!

Re: Hip Replacement

bargainsgirl — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 22:15:39 GMT

What does radiation have to do with a hip replacement?

Re: Hip Replacement

Justice4all — Thu, 20 Jan 2022 04:46:00 GMT

@bargainsgirl Anterior hip replacement is fluoroscopically guided.

Re: Hip Replacement

bargainsgirl — Thu, 03 Feb 2022 03:35:34 GMT

@Justice4all wrote:
@bargainsgirl Anterior hip replacement is fluoroscopically guided.

I just checked with my surgeon today. He has done both types of procedures but prefers posterior. Pros and cons to both. I really don't want more radiation then necessary. ( BC surivor).

I hope I can get back to my normal exercise (pliates, walking and Esmonde-White) when I am healed.

Re: Hip Replacement

Justice4all — Sat, 05 Feb 2022 18:31:11 GMT

@bargainsgirl

Most important is a great surgeon and hospital. Bonesmartdotorg is a good place for information and I loved reading the forum with before and after experiences!

Re: Hip Replacement

teganslaw — Sat, 05 Feb 2022 20:17:41 GMT

I know of someone who has been having problems with her hip. She is in a lot of pain and needs something done. Doctors have refused to replace her hip, saying that she is too young. I think she's in her 40's, maybe 50 but not much older.

I didn't realize that there was an age limit to hip replacements. If this woman is in pain and nothing else is working, why wouldn't they go ahead with the surgery? It seems that healing time would be easier at a younger age.

Re: Hip Replacement

Justice4all — Sat, 05 Feb 2022 22:19:57 GMT

@teganslaw

Hip replacements are better now, and therefore last longer. Younger people are getting them when necessary. Of course, they must be done in the best hospitals with the best, most experienced surgeons who have done thousands of operations, especially with the young. If there are effective treatments short of replacement, the surgeon will try them first. But if replacement is the only solution, it can free a person from pain for decades.

Re: Hip Replacement

Growing — Sun, 06 Feb 2022 16:53:23 GMT

@bargainsgirl wrote:
Had xrays and found severe OA in my left hip. So I am a good canidate for replacement surgery. I will wait till the covid thing dies down. I am not in terrible pain so I don;t mind waiting...About how long does it take to recover? I am in good shape otherwise...

I am concerned that you only had Xrays. I have much OA and several joint problems and no orthopedic surgeon will diagnose just on Xrays in my experience. They "should" do an MRI to know exactly. I just had shoulder surgury for a tendon tear and OA issues and the surgeon was firstly very conservative in treatment and secondly wanted an MRI. I also had a CT and ultrasound early with the first sports orthopedist who did the shots, etc. and then sent me to the surgeon after 3 months with his conservative care. I am not a doctor, of course, but consider reading the online reviews on your surgeon and thinking this through. You certainly may need the hip replacement. I went to a quack foot orthopedist who only did Xrays and misdiagnosed my issue. Went for a second opinion and the second orthopedist was so skilled and asked to do an MRI to confirm what he thought. First one said just OA and cartilage damage, second one said cyst in joint and good enough cartilage and the MRI confirmed the second guy.