Anyone Had Hip Replacement Surgery?

Ladeback69

I am hoping to get my left hip replaced in August if the doctor agrees that I have lost enough wait like he asked me to do. I have dropped from 395 to 283 in the last year and 64 pounds of it in the last 4 months. He wanted me at 280 before he would do it and I see him next Thursday and I think I will be there. Should be even lower by August. How was your recovery?

DMW

No idea, but congrats on the weight loss.

hapster

If you can lose that weight and managed to keep it off this long; the hip rehab will be no sweat...

Terrebandit

I have two friends that had this done. Neither of them were overweight but their recovery was amazing. No pain anymore and you can't tell they had anything done. Each of them followed their prescribed physical therapy following the surgery.

GrannyX4

MDSH had hip replacement surgery and in less than three months he was fully recovered and tying his own shoes. The best thing we did was rent a lift chair. That was a life saver for me. Congrats on the weight loss. ;;)

stemc33

I work with a lady who had a hip replaced last year and she was only off work for a few months. We walk a little less than a moderate amount at work, but she did fine. She came back before the doctor wanted her too because she had cabin fever. Congrats on the weight loss. Good luck with the surgery.

DaveRichardson

We do about 6 a week with my doc I work with. Walking that night or the next morning depending on if they use cemented device or not. Most of our people are on a Walker for less than 2 weeks and them cane for 2-4 weeks. Surgery techniques have vastly improved over the years. The "rules" of not crossing legs or flexing past 90 degrees are waning.

Ladeback69

DaveRichardson said:

We do about Komodo6 a week with my doc I work with. Walking that night or the next morning depending on if they use cemented device or not. Most of our people are on a Walker for less than 2 weeks and them cane for 2-4 weeks. Surgery techniques have vastly improved over the years. The "rules" of not crossing legs or flexing past 90 degrees are waning.

Thanks for advice. I have had a tall deck chair for a while now and that has helped. The big issue is going to sitting on the toilet, its past 90°. I have an adapter, but don't like using it. A friend of mine had a resurfacing hip replacement where they don't drive shaft into the leg bone they put a cap on if you have a lot of bone left. I'm looking into this. I have been bone on bone for year or more now, so don't no if it is possible. Will see.

DaveRichardson

If you've been bone on bone for years, you'll need the full Monty.....

xiphoid007

I'd recommend against a resurfacing. They have a much higher complication rate. A total hip replacement is the way to go. Congrats on the weight loss! That's hard to do and you should be proud of yourself. That will drastically reduce your complication rate, as well as make it much easier on your surgeon.

FYI, depending on your location, types of implants and techniques vary significantly, especially from the US to Canada, so take advice on types of prostheses and techniques with a grain of salt. Listen to the advice of your surgeon and remember, he studied years to do what he does, and searching the internet for a couple hours doesn't compare!

Ladeback69

xiphoid007 said:

I'd recommend against a resurfacing. They have a much higher complication rate. A total hip replacement is the way to go. Congrats on the weight loss! That's hard to do and you should be proud of yourself. That will drastically reduce your complication rate, as well as make it much easier on your surgeon. FYI, depending on your location, types of implants and techniques vary significantly, especially from the US to Canada, so take advice on types of prostheses and techniques with a grain of salt. Listen to the advice of your surgeon and remember, he studied years to do what he does, and searching the internet for a couple hours doesn't compare!

Thank you for the kind words and advice. My surgeon has been doing these for a while and with any luck I should be done another 30 lbs or more before the surgery. The left hip being out has thrown the rest of my joints in to a lot of pain. I hope the new hip helps that out. I know the weight loss will.

Ladeback69

Well I saw my hip doctor today and he said since I am at 280 down from 400, he will do my surgery and replace my left hip joint. Its not tell August 6th so I have more time to loss more weight. It will be nice to not have to use a cane anymore.

DaveRichardson

Good thinking on the weight thing. The less stress that's on the legs, the better you will be. Also ask if you can start with some strengthening exercises for the legs now so you'd be ahead of the game later.

Clear out any floor rugs in the house 2 weeks out from surgery. Check your access points in and out of the house for easy access when you come home after surgery.

Also, cook a few things the week before so you'll have some easy re-heat foods.

DaveRichardson

Oh, go ahead and get a toilet replaced with a tall-boy model..... That'll make "doing your business" easier. I get so many phone calls from our patients on that!!

Ladeback69

DaveRichardson said:

Oh, go ahead and get a toilet replaced with a tall-boy model..... That'll make "doing your business" easier. I get so many phone calls from our patients on that!!

How about this from Amazon? http://www.amazon.com/Drive-Medical-Premium-Removable-Standard/dp/B002VWJZ10/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400861503&sr=8-1&keywords=raised+toilet+seat I don't think my wife will like spending money on a taller one, but I wouldn't mind.

DaveRichardson

as long as there is a way to strap that thing onto the bowl so its stable.....  the handles are a nice option, though!

Eggcelsior

Also, there are risers made with legs, but your spending about 100 bucks more than the one you listed.

legomyeggo

Had my left hip replaced last November. Was done with therapy after 7 weeks. On cane after 2 weeks. I am 66 and frankly they said I recovered in record time. I am 5'9" tall and weighed in at 210 at the time - Down from that now as i am more mobile.

Simple bottom line - DO THE THERAPY at HOME as much as they say or more. a 1 hour trip 3 times a week for rehab will not get you back to normal. My wife had both hips done in 2012. She is doing fine.

Do the rehab and just be smart about what you can and cannot do. The only thing I needed pain killers for after week 2 was to sleep. Most of the pain was from the incisiion - lets face it, there is a lot of cutting. Follow orders, do home rehab therapy. You will be fine.

MrCookingNurse

Awesome on the weight loss! Keep it up. And if you stay down post op you'll be fine. How tall are you?

Ladeback69

I was 6' tall, but with my hip joints going I'm about a 1/2" shorter now. They said they could make that up when they put the new hip in. My doctor says he does his incision from the posterior side so I guess that is good.

DaveRichardson

We use that posterior approach as well. We can spare cutting more muscle that way.

Ladeback69

Dave, you have been a big help for me. I know I need this, its just major surgery to me and I am a little nervous about it. i am glad i have a set date and hope it helps me walk better. My guess is the right hip will be done in about a year our so, because the cartilage is about gone on it too.

DaveRichardson

That's usually the case! Best advise I can give is keep up the exercises even after you think you've gotten 100% healed. Go ahead an start those same exercises on the other hip to strengthen it up so you'd be ahead of the game when it comes time. Next bit of advise, and this sounds strange, but get some Boost or Ensure. The vitamins and stuff in there are great for healing and recovery.

Be patient and take the pain meds like clockwork for a week. Then try to start cutting back and add an hour or two in between pills every few days. Remember: pain meds can slow the digestive tract and help cause constipation. Think military: hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Then hydrate some more!

Ladeback69

I already drink 120 to 140 oz of water a day on my current diet and will continue that for ever. The diet I am on is also high in vitamins, but will get some boost to help too. They told me a week before my surgery I have to give up vitamins and Advil. That will be hard because I missed a dose today and I have a lot of pain right now. They said they would give me pain killers, but they don't help with pain they just make me sleepy.

DaveRichardson

Try to stay off pain meds before surgery.  Tolerance to pain meds makes controlling pain afterwards more difficult.  Yep, anesthesia dept will want you to stop all vitamins before surgery.  Advil, motrin, aleve, etc all have a minor role in thinning the blood; that's why you are stopping those as well!

Ladeback69

DaveRichardson said:

Try to stay off pain meds before surgery.  Tolerance to pain meds makes controlling pain afterwards more difficult.  Yep, anesthesia dept will want you to stop all vitamins before surgery.  Advil, motrin, aleve, etc all have a minor role in thinning the blood; that's why you are stopping those as well!

Well Dave, it will be 4 weeks tomorrow since my surgery and my pain was gone the minute I work up from it. I've had some muscle pain from therapy, but the has only been 1-2 from 11-12 before. I am working on transferring from a walker to a cane. Hope to go to work in a few weeks.