BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.

Subject: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: I don't know
Date: 10 Jun 11 - 09:25 AM

I am sure there are some 'catters, who have had hip replaements & as I am supposed to be having one around the begining of September any advice on the does & don'ts would be welcome.
Thank you in advance for any help.

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 10 Jun 11 - 11:12 AM

I had both of mine done, and I'm fine now. Just follow orders, and do (but don't overdo) the exercises.
I do set off security alarms at airports, so that's an added bonus.

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: GUEST,999
Date: 10 Jun 11 - 11:46 AM

Ditto what John said. He walks better than I do on New Year's Eve.

It'll hurt like hell for about a month after the surgery, but it then eases up. I was back to wing chun classes after a month--in a walker, but back. Also did my first fire call about 6 weeks after the surgery. Light duty, but I was there. When the pain goes away, you'll think ya died and went to heaven--given that it likely hurts all the time now (low grade pain is an SOB. Ruins the quality of your life.).

DO THE EXRECISES as prescribed. It will help the healing. And wiping yourself after the surgery will be difficult. But do-able. Not knowing where you are, I don't know if a community health nurse will be by to see you from time to time. I hope so. You'll learn to sleep with a pillow between your legs.

Best wishes to you.

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: Deckman
Date: 10 Jun 11 - 01:06 PM

I've had two, both hips. Pain management is important. Don't do as I did the first time and refuse pain meds. I healed rather quickly, and the improvement was startling. Pick a GOOD doctor, perhaps one who specializes in hip surgeries. An added bonus is the "pat down" searches at the air ports. The last guy who did me look rtather startled when I told him that I thought he was cute! bob(deckman)nelson (also ... try to lose weight before surgery ... you'll heal faster)

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: Sawzaw
Date: 10 Jun 11 - 05:31 PM

My Mother had both hips replaced and it was OK for 15 years. Then one of them broke loose from her pelvis. She fell and her bones had shrunk and gotten brittle from age.

That started off a chain of events that included two replacement operations [Revision Arthroplasty] on the same hip and a very difficult 6 months in bed. She passed away 5 years later.

I guess I could say it improved the last 20 years of her life.

But I would caution any older person not to fall and break a hip whether it is artificial or not.

It is one of the most difficult things to recover from and kills a lot of older people.

In icy countries like Finland, they wear hip protectors to prevent broken hips, similar to football hip protectors.
hiprotector.com

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 11 Jun 11 - 08:08 AM

I've had one hip done. All the advice above is good. I also slept many a night in a lazy boy chair, because it was hard to get comfortable trying to sleep on my back in a bed. I found that when the pain starts subsiding, that you can easily wean yourself from the pain meds.

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: Newport Boy
Date: 11 Jun 11 - 05:29 PM

Plan on sleeping alone for the first 6 weeks - you need to sleep on your back with your knees slightly apart, and everyone snored when they sleep on their back.

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: gnu
Date: 11 Jun 11 - 06:14 PM

Sawzaw... thanks for the link!

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: Gurney
Date: 12 Jun 11 - 01:59 AM

My wife has had one. About a nine-inch scar. Swears that the op was painless, was on her feet the next day. Agrees with everyone above, it is a worry, but MUCH better than the alternative.

You can't bend down for a time, or lift the leg up. Have a picker-upper gadget to hand, and a long string with clips on both ends to pull up your knickers.
Accept help with showering,or get a looong brush. Follow the written instructions. See if you can borrow some elbow crutches beforehand to practise with. She was issued with a raised toilet seat, which was irritating for me!

She says, expect some frustration, but it's worth it!
You have to be very careful about infections forever, apparently.

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 12 Jun 11 - 05:46 AM

A friend of mine had one and got as fit as he could before the operation. He was cycling a couple of weeks after and rapper dancing a few weeks after that.

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: Wolfhound person
Date: 12 Jun 11 - 05:59 AM

My father had one in his early 80s, totally unaware he was slightly allergic to transition metals (nickel, mainly - I've inherited it which is why I know)
The incision never totally healed: he ended up with one leg 4" shorter than the other and recurrent bouts of eczema / dermatitis which were not satisfactorily treated, though he was his worst enemy in this respect.

Go for it: but if you think you might have this (or any) sort of allergy, shout about it loudly beforehand. There are alternative prostheses avoiding the critical materials, but the medics won't use them (UK - they're more expensive) unless a fuss is made.

My dad was still driving, aged 88, 3 weeks before his death (of something totally unrelated), although he couldn't walk far it did improve his quality of life.

Paws

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 12 Jun 11 - 06:07 AM

Take Arnica before and after the surgery, it does help healing and pain.

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: bobad
Date: 12 Jun 11 - 08:45 AM

My advice would be to avoid advice from people advising you to use products whose claims to efficacy are totally unsubstantiated.

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: Sawzaw
Date: 12 Jun 11 - 01:23 PM

The recovery time from operations is growing shorter all the time but my mother was old and ornery and the recovery was slow.

The first doctor was in competent in my opinion and the first "revision" failed because there was not enough bone to fasten the socket to and it broke lose.

The second doctor was from the group that developed the artificial hip joint. He had a whole "junk drawer" of plates, angles and brackets at his disposal during the operation to reinforce the connection to her pelvis so the second revision lasted.

I can only imagine the pain of a broken hip. My wife slipped on ice and broke her hip and I had to nurse maid her for a month before she could walk around the house. She was out of work fo 8 months. It took over a year for the pain to go away.

That's why I say don't fall down and break your hip. It could kill you depending on your age. The hip protectors are popular in icy countries so they must of some advantage.

New England Journal of Medicine

1801 ambulatory but frail elderly adults (1409 women and 392 men; mean age, 82 years) were randomly assigned to a group that wore hip protectors or a control group. 4 patients in hip protector group had a hip fracture (among 1034 falls) while wearing the protector
9 patients had a hip fracture (among 370 falls) while not wearing the protector.

In Scandinavian countries, France and Germany, healthcare systems partly or fully reimburse hip protector costs.

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: Donuel
Date: 12 Jun 11 - 02:06 PM

I opted to not get a hip replacement.


After playing tennis it felt cold with constant movement in bed to try to relieve the discomfort followed by deep intense pain 10 days later.

I was diagnosed with an acute infarction of the hip socket region.
It is what happened to the main character in the TV series House MD, but to the bone instead of the muscle. A hip replacment was immediately reccomended.

A second opinion did not entirely concur with a dead bone diagnosis and opted for an unknown sudden arthritis attack, so I chose not to get in the hip replacement assembly line. It seems like hip replacments are on the increase big time, due to baby boomers and doctors pushing them.

Perhaps the blood vessel reopened or I grew a new one but gradually I regained some limited use while on cruthces until I had a Chiropractor tear all the scar tissue away from the joint. That procedure really burned but once was enough. After that, mobility returned 90% and continues to improve.

The weakness and low grade pain is still gradually fading 18 months later. NO doubt a replacement would have shortened healing by 75% or more. An acquaintance had a hip replacment 5 months ago and has returned to golf.

If a person has ever had a staff infection in the area of a replacement, even 10 years ago, there could be complications if a replacment disturbs any encapsulement of an old infection.

PS nickel is toxic to everyone. There are better replacement parts available today. There are class action suits regarding the old parts.

If you opt out of a replacement due to an acute injury or vascular problem that might heal, expect a healing period of 2 to three years.
If the underlying cause for hip pain is degenearative, it will likely get worse without a replacement. Pay attention to the normal risks of any surgury prior to your final decision.

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: I don't know
Date: 12 Jun 11 - 05:53 PM

I have been told I have extreme disintigration of the hip & that there is really no alturnative to the op.
Thanks for the information, much better to hear from people who have experianced something first hand.
I should have said I am a 52 year old female & the dcotor I was seeing up until March had told me it was arthritus. After 3 years of steadly increasing pain & finding I could only walk very slowly for about half hour I demanded a diffrent doctor in the practise who arranged for x-rays & results recieved inside 4 weeks. I will be going into Colchester Hospital.
Thank you again for your time
Cathy

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 12 Jun 11 - 06:40 PM

Not wanting to give mainstream medicine another chance to mess me up, I take large quantities of MSM/Glucosamine S. And stave off the discomfort of arthritis in hips, knees, shoulders - both my own and those of my partner. The latter, finally convinced that this has helped him (!) asked if it would help his friend! I'm going to work on that. I am hoping I just drop dead before my hips get to that point of no return. But I do find the testimonials of those who have endured the replacements en-heartening.

One dear friend had a replacement (at 50 due to hip dysplasia) in June and helped us load the truck in November. The healing took longer than she expected and her husband bought a good recliner for her comfort. That might have helped her comfort before hand as well. I thought only dogs got hip dys. but she has it on both sides and it does severely erode the hip socket. I had two dogs who had it and their x-rays clearly show the lack of socket. It is apparently due to a muscle that does not develop properly and, hence, pulls the leg at an inappropriate angle, eroding the socket. One dog wad a pectinectomy (cut the muscles that were wrong) at five months and lived a healthy 14 years. The other was diagnosed at about 6 years. The pectinectomy only helped for a few months and then he was in severe pain again. Hip replacement would probably have been the way to go - even though the x-rays looked identical.

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: Jeri
Date: 12 Jun 11 - 06:53 PM

I wouldn't listen to the horror stories, as they have little to do with what normally happens. My mom had malformed hips, and after getting away from the incompetent doctor who told her she had arthritis, had both done.

One was in 1973 (it was Vitallium*) and the other (stainless steel) in 1974. They've made a lot of progress since then.

Yes, it was painful, but my mom said that when they to her up and walking, it hurt less than the pre-surgical hip. After the 2nd, she was over the moon that she could ride a bike again. She was 53 years old for the first and 54 for the second. She did have problems with the 2nd involving the femur implant moving, but she learned to work with it. She died in 1992, aged 72, and the hips were still fine.

I'm very allergic to nickel. I have two surgical steel screws in my knee. No problem!

* When she was a kid my mother had been given a ring made of Vitallium from the inventor of the alloy. She had a charm bracelet, and after the first surgery, had the ring melted down and made into a charm shaped like the femur-implant "ball" part of the hip.

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: LilyFestre
Date: 12 Jun 11 - 08:12 PM

My husband's grandfather had both hips replaced in the 1980's and after he healed, he walked 3 miles every day. He told us both that if we ever are faced with the decision or not to have that surgery that we should have immediately and not wait like he did. He was in pain for years prior to his replacements.

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 09:31 AM

"My advice would be to avoid advice from people advising you to use products whose claims to efficacy are totally unsubstantiated."

My wife swears by it, and it always works for me when having serious dental surgery. Any other doubting Thomases??

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 09:48 PM

Mine is made from titanium. I tell people that if we were puppies we would have been drowned at birth for a history of hip dysplasia (my dad and his sister had two each, my younger brother two, and me, one). I tried glucosamine and its other cohorts for awhile and they didn't work on me. I know they work for others, but I was lucky, I guess.

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: Bobert
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 09:55 PM

Only advice I have is for the aftercare givers...

My dad had his replaced when he was like 80... The problem was that he, unlike me, weighed about 250 pounds and we couldn't get him in the house because of a step that had to be negotiated and I couldn't life him... Had to sit him down and build a ramp to get him in his own house...

Stuff like that...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: LadyJean
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 11:22 PM

Ok, you're having a hip replacement for the same reason my mother did. She had degenerative arthritis and both hips were gone. My first piece of advice is that there are two kinds of replacements, one the new joint is cemented into place, the other, the new joint is placed over the bone that is expected to grow to fit it. DON'T get the second kind of hip replacement. It doesn't work with degenerative conditions. Mom had to have the second hip done again.

Mom's doctor told her, "Do your exercises as steadily as you practice your religion". Mom said, "I'm not very religious. I'll do better than that." Mom led a fairly active life after she had her hips done. She went to England 3 times. She did city tours.

Now, about that active life, as you are having the surgery in the summer, TRY NOT TO BE A BITCH. Mom was perfectly reasonable after her first surgery in January. She was perfectly happy to spend a couple of weeks in bed reading and doing the Times crossword puzzle. She had the second one done in July. Matricide struck me as a splendid idea, more than once. She was stuck in the house, when the weather was good, and there were places to go. She was NOT a nice person. If you can hold out until January, do so.

Oh, you can't wear high heels after the surgery. But you can certainly wear attractive flats. Mom always did.

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: Ebbie
Date: 14 Jun 11 - 02:34 AM

My brother had one done, with no problems, and is contemplating the other. My sister, however, had one done and it has not been successful- it has 'come out' a total of five times in the intervening eight years. One of the frustrating aspects of a dislocation is the mandatory 13 weeks of extreme care. She got thoroughtly tired of it; she is now very careful not to turn a certain way, but she says that she can still sometimes feel it shift in there.

But I have numerous friends who have had hips and knees done; in almost all cases it has been a resounding success and in ALL cases they say it's better than living with the pain they had before the surgery.

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: I don't know
Date: 14 Jun 11 - 05:40 AM

Thank you everyone. My mum had a hip op. 8 years ago & desided that excerise was out of the question due to having had a back op which had left her partially disabled, so when when she does anything (not very often) out it pops, 6th time end of last year.
This has made me very apprehensive about the op. but know I am a lot more active than she has ever been so was just looking for reasurance as to the success rate & I really need to relieve the pain which pain meds are not doing.

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: Newport Boy
Date: 14 Jun 11 - 07:32 AM

Many dislocations are due to poor leg muscle condition before the op - often because the pain in the months before deters people from exercising. Do everything you can in the run-up to the op to get your leg muscles in trim. It's only your weight and the muscles that hold the joint together.

Although I couldn't walk more than a mile, using two sticks and with considerable pain, I could cycle perfectly well. Getting on and off the bike was the main problem - a mounting block or a high kerb was necessary.

I was 70 when I had the replacement and was cycling up to 50 miles a day right up to admission. A month before, we had a 2-week cycling holiday in South Africa with longest day of 67 miles. My surgeon complained that my muscles were so tight he had difficulty in getting the new joint together.

Phil

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: GUEST,Wombat
Date: 14 Jun 11 - 04:52 PM

I had a hip replacement just about 1 year ago, after being in dreadful pain for about 3 years or more.   Best thing I ever did! I would advise to do all the excercises you are given. My physios gave me instructions on the post op exercises beforehand and told me to practice them before as much as I could manage, which I did and it worked. I was up out of bed and walking the next morning and only in hospital 3 nights in total.
Worst thing - sleeping on your back for 6 weeks, but definitely worth it. Am at hospital again tomorrow for check up, but I have almost forgotten that I had it done.
Hope everything goesd ok for you.

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: pdq
Date: 14 Jun 11 - 08:30 PM

Since I am not "hip" and have no intentions of becoming so, perhaps I need a "hip replacement"?

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 14 Jun 11 - 09:36 PM

Yes, do the exercises.

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: I don't know
Date: 28 Jun 11 - 10:20 AM

Guest Wombae, I hope your follow up went well.                      I had my appointment with my consultant yesturday & visited my GP. today as both my husband & I were very disappointed with the meeting.
He told me nothing until pushed,had lost my x-rays & finally said if I wished to have the op. he would do it, no mention of physio or anything else until pushed too, then all he said was I would get all my information at assesment in 3-4 months time. I mentioned I am allergic to nickle, he just laught said well it won't be gold or silver, probably be titanium & he has never had anyone have any problems.
The GP. was not amused & has altered my meds to try & give me some relief so that I can try & excerise to keep my weight down but said changing consultant or hospital was not really practible as I would be back to the bottom of the queue & at least I know it is going to be done. She then handed a complants form to my husband & said fill it in, not that it will do a lot of good as others have tried & he is still at the hospital.
So now it is a question of waiting...

Thank you all for listening, Cathy

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: GUEST,Wombat
Date: 28 Jun 11 - 10:45 AM

Hi Cathy
Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience with your Consultant, strangely enough that happened to me in the first instance as well. My husband couldn't believe how rude the consultant was to me the first time I saw him, so came along to the second appointment. After that i complained to my GP and asked to be referred elsewhere, which I was and then had the most marvellous treatment. My follow up last week went well and I don't have to go back now for another 4 years - would have been totally discharged but my other hip is decidedly "iffy" so as soon as I have any big problems with it I can give Consultant a call and get straight in to see him rather than being on waiting list for a consultation again. Marvellous.
Whereabout in the country are you? Be interesting to know if we are in a similar area and meeting horrid consultants first time around?
best wishes
Wombat

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: I don't know
Date: 28 Jun 11 - 10:53 AM

Hello Wombat,
Glade to hear your ok. I am in North Essex & under Colchester Genral. Told their reputation is suppossed to be the best in essex, waiting 16 weeks form GP referal to op. date...HAHA.
Cathy

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: GUEST,999
Date: 28 Jun 11 - 10:59 AM

The wait is common it seems, Idk. I was on a list for six months (in Alberta, Canada).

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: kendall
Date: 28 Jun 11 - 09:37 PM

One of my daughters is only 49 and needs a hip replacement. I'm holding my breath and trying to not be overly concerned.

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: gnu
Date: 28 Jun 11 - 10:39 PM

Sigh... I hope things work out okay (for your daughter too, Kendall).

Subject: RE: BS: Hip Replacement, any advice welcome.
From: I don't know
Date: 29 Jun 11 - 03:49 AM

The consultant did seem very reluctent to agree to do mine but after being pushed said he had put a titanin hip joint in 20 years ago & the patient is still ok, so there is some light at the end of the tunnel.
All the best to your daughter Kendall, hope she is lucky with her consultant.
Cathy