Anybody had a hip replaced?

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

If you take the pain meds, take a laxative as well. I did not at first and was backed up like the 405 at rush hour.

Ha! Sorry to hear that. I have BPH, so if I take opiods I can't pee. Don't know which is worse.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Ha! Sorry to hear that. I have BPH, so if I take opiods I can't pee. Don't know which is worse.

Not being able to pee is worse

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by red-beard

Not being able to pee is worse

Yeah, I know, I didn’t want to sound competitive. It’s way worse.

[Tobra]

y'all need to eat prunes with that opiod dope.

Back surgery generally seems to beget more back surgery. Not always, but it sure seems like it happens often

[Midlife930]

back to hips, right one done coming up on 11 years ago and left will be one year end of July. Recovery is a bit of a journey and airport security takes a bit longer otherwise all good. Still skiing, sailing, riding my bike and motorcycle only gave up running. Chose a surgeon with a good track record and who treats you like an athlete rather than old man.
Cheers,
Dave

[recycled sixtie]

Originally Posted by expatriot98

My .02 - Back surgeries are about 50% effective. Even if it is initially, the shock of movement is transferred to other joints which will need work in the future. Back surgery is a big money maker for Docs. If you're going to do it, make absolutely certain of the doc's reputation.

12 years ago, I started having back issues that became debilitating. Went to an Ortho - neurosurgeon who found I had 4 bad discs along with a list of other issues. He said he could operate by putting rods on either side of spine. A second opinion held same answer. Neither encouraged it. The second guy advised starting a high daily dose of a good quality fish oil.

Some time later I had a recommendation to see a 70 year old ortho. The first thing he asked before he even said hello was "Have you had back surgery?" I said no and he told me that was the worst thing I could have done. He sent me to a chiro that used decompression and other methods. After about six months of the fish oil and chiro I was back to being functional. I still have an occasional flare ups, but nothing like the original problems.

Thanks expat. I appreciate your input and have passed it on to my sister and brother in law. I think he is going towards physio or chiropractor first before committing to a back operation.
Cheers, Guy

[cmccuist]

Reviving this old thread - i go in for my hip replacement on the 28th. It started bothering me in February. Unfortunately, I was in Belize doing a project when they shut down the airport. I didn't get back until first of May. The doctor said i don't have any options other than full hip replacement as it's bone-on-bone.

Looks like the consensus is, hip replacement is a good alternative to constant pain, which is what i have now. The doctor said that the placement of the socket and ball joint is done by a robot. Basically a bio-medical CNC machine. It has an accuracy of 0.5mm. Helps in getting the leg length correct. I told him that's great as i don't want to be walking around in circles.

I just hope I don't catch the Covid in the meantime as that would push back my date a couple of weeks.

[Seahawk]

As they say, the only minor surgery is when it happens to someone else.

Rent the hospital bed, it really helps since you’ll have the can’t cross your leg gizmo on, etc.

I delayed the right hip since not yet b on b like the left hip was and the “natural” medications I take have been a blessing.

Do your PT, look after the suture and enjoy being pain free.

Best of luck, Craig.

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Talked to my PCP this morning. Xrays show "significant" arthritis in lumbar spine and hips. Hips look like candidates for replacement. The doc says to work on the back first, but the prospect of having my hip joints replaced makes me nervous. I don't know what they might do to my back, so that doesn't bother me - ignorance is bliss they say.
Aging sucks.

I had the exact same conversation w/ my Bone Doc yesterday, not looking forward to it, A couple of friends have had it done, the post op P/T seems key, Gonna ignore the back for now but my days of doing bull work are over, I spread by hand 7 yards of stone and 10 yards of mulch this spring, that seems to have been the final straw

[dar636]

I did. I'm pain free now for a whole year, and I wish I would have done it a few years ago instead of trying to limp along hoping to find a different answer.

+1

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

Had the left hip done a few years ago, right will be done later this year.

All positive: Minimal invasive technique and I was home the same day. Started PT day three.

The only thing I will do differently for the right hip is rent a hospital bed, which insurance will cover....$300 or so for a month with set-up, delivery, etc. You won't need it for more than a week but it will be worth it.

If you take the pain meds, take a laxative as well. I did not at first and was backed up like the 405 at rush hour.

This!

In the hospital I had a reaction to the Lovenox (blood thinner) they gave me. It caused my leg to swell up like crazy. They kept me a few extra days. I was on hospital "Dial a smile" IV for a few days and then the pills. I kept asking for more laxatives, and they must have given me a child's dosage. I always drink lots of fluids, and the ol bladder was working great. When I finally had a bowel movement I am pretty sure it was a baseball bat. Wow, that was no fun. Worst pain of the entire surgery. If I ever have any surgery in the future and the knock me out for long, I will pound down the laxatives.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Brian 162

non invasive hip replacement

WTF?!? That doesn't really sound possible.

I'm not saying that I don't believe you, but reading those words together is pretty amusing.

That's like saying "non-invasive prostate exam."

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Talked to my PCP this morning. Xrays show "significant" arthritis in lumbar spine and hips. Hips look like candidates for replacement. The doc says to work on the back first, but the prospect of having my hip joints replaced makes me nervous. I don't know what they might do to my back, so that doesn't bother me - ignorance is bliss they say.
Aging sucks.

My BIL who lives in Denver had both of his replaced about 4 years ago. He's now 64 and he regrets not getting it done sooner.
He struggled with his hips for more than 10 years before going under the knife.

You'll be fine Mr Patrick.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

My BIL who lives in Denver had both of his replaced about 4 years ago. He's now 64 and he regrets not getting it done sooner.
He struggled with his hips for more than 10 years before going under the knife.

You'll be fine Mr Patrick.

Yes. I limped and suffered through a bad hip for years. I would not take more than aspirin for the pain. It sucked to walk. I finally relented and had it done. Within a week the pain was gone.

Now I never even think about it, except when I see the scar when I get out of the shower. They say chicks dig scars, and nothing will turn on the ladies more than a old fat man mooning them to show em my cool scar!

[jhynesrockmtn]

Just find a good surgeon and do it sooner vs. later. Find one that does a lot of them. My petite wife has/had bad arthritis in both hips. She had her left one replaced in January pre COVID thank goodness. The only reason she wasn't home that day is she had a bad reaction to the anesthesia which is normal for her. Will have her right one done in September. She put it off too long and was in constant pain for months prior to surgery. She was back at work in 2-3 weeks.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by jhynesrockmtn

Just find a good surgeon and do it sooner vs. later. Find one that does a lot of them.

That is key. I was home the same day as the surgery. Ask around and don't be afraid to travel for the right Doctor...I went to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore to have mine done.

Same guy will do the right hip when I am ready.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by expatriot98

My .02 - Back surgeries are about 50% effective. Even if it is initially, the shock of movement is transferred to other joints which will need work in the future.

You are talking about the fusion of adjoining vertebrae using solid metal rod implants. Standard US technique for all occasions. This bypasses the load on a particular bulging/pinched disk which ends up putting more stress on the next two disks.

They haven't invented a semi-flexible system yet which is kinda an "oh duh" thing for the future.

Europe and some hospitals here have an artificial disk replacement which is mostly non-invasive. They make a small vertical incision through the muscle sheath surrounding the spine and pop a new one in. Recovery is supposed to be days instead of months.

If the vertebral bone is crushed (not square), affecting the evenness of load on the disk, there are bone glues to repair it. Mom had this done and recovered quickly.

[GH85Carrera]

With my bad hip, the cartilage had just eroded away, and it was bone on bone, with nothing but blood as "lubricant" for the joint. It made that leg shorter, but I did not notice because of the pain of that side. When the hip was replaced he missed the height by 1/4 inch and that side was longer. So it went from short to long. It does not take much to make a real difference in walking. It took me several month to get to the point where my brain did not notice the difference and I walk normally again.

The surgeon had to do some educated guessing as the old hip was so deteriorated, and short. He got really close, but he added just a tiny bit more than perfect. Now I don't even notice the difference.