has anyone ever had a total hip replacement?

Question

since 2001 i had trouble with my hip n i kept going to dr after dr them saying nothing was wrong i found a dr in nov n went to her she done a bone density test n said i had osteoporisis bad shes been giving me steroid shots in my joint i went back last month n she said i need a total hip replacement i am tryng to find out how long the recovery is

Answer 1

I've had both of my hips replaced in separate surgeries several months apart. The reason I needed new hips was osteoarthritis. Recovery can vary with the patient. While you could continue to heal and gain strength for up to a year following surgery, for all practical purposes, you may be driving by weeks 4-6, back to work (depending on the nature of your work) in 2-4 months, and feeling a lot better within a couple of weeks post-op. After about 3-4 weeks, my biggest problem was boredom because I couldn't drive or do much housework but I felt fine. Have friends or family ready to take you on short outings if you get cabin fever. I even went to the movies at about 4 weeks, getting up every 45 mins. and taking a walk down the aisle! I could sit just long enough at that time to be able to go out to lunch too. And I went along to the grocery and discount stores and pushed the cart. You can expect to use some kind of walking aid for awhile. For me it was a walker or two forearm crutches for about a month, then one crutch, then a cane, then nothing. I could use stairs before I left the hospital - a big thing with their PT dept. is teaching you how to use stairs safely. It's a good thing because my computer was upstairs in my house! You're also taught how to dress and undress yourself using several handy dressing aids which I was given to take home.

REcovery requires a lot of work and diligence. Physical therapy exercises need to be done religiously - every day as prescribed by your PT. There may be some movement and positional restrictions imposed (usually temporary) so that you are less likely to dislocate your new hip. These also need to be adhered to. My biggest problem in early recovery was two-fold; my pain meds made me nauseated and I had no appetite for several days until I stopped taking them. I also had a hard time sleeping well. This improved once I could lie on my side.

You don't state your age - but if you are younger - say under 40-50 - you might be a candidate for a different type of hip "fix" called resurfacing. However, I note that you say you have bad osteoporosis and I believe that good bone stock is required for successful resurfacing.

Anyhow, good luck with your new hips. It's truly a miracle surgery and remains one of the most successful surgeries done today in terms of relief of pain and restoration of function in patients who would otherwise be headed for a wheelchair-bound existence.

And, don't forget to save up all your questions about the surgery and recovery (write them down as you think of them) and ask them of your doctor when you see him. Many hospitals have a pre-op "class" where nurses and other hospital staff go over absolutely everything you ever wanted to know about your hip surgery. That's another good opportunity to ask lots of questions that you wonder about.

Answer 2

Wow! This is very, very early for you to have a hip replacement. I assume it was absolutely necessary because you have many many more years of life to be active. There are two sides of a hip replacement - the static side or that which is addressed by the surgery- no infection, appropriate device placement and alignment, ligament tightening. There is actually another 50% however, known as the dynamic side of your surgery which has to do with neuromuscular control and rebuilding the ligaments and muscles surrounding your hip. This is just as important as the surgery itself. At this time, since so much time has passed, I would recommend you visiting AposTherapy (see the link). This is an organization that specializes in post joint replacement rehabilitation. I read recently of their success with patients who have had a hip replacement or a knee replacement. You need to be rehabing this joint and traditional physical therapy will not work.

Answer 3

That depends on you!! If you want to make it faster go to a physical therapist and have them show you how to strengthen the muscles before surgery and then you will be an established patient so the will explain what to do after surgery as well. Physical Therapy will make the healing process faster and more bearable. Usually 6 to 10 weeks......Good Luck

Answer 4

A large part of the recovery process can depend on your hospital stay and surgery itself. You can get free reports on hip surgery and compare hospitals on mortality, volume, infection, length of stay and more. This explains more http://www.ucomparehealthcare.com/assistant/keymeasures08.html You can get the start the process to get your reports here http://www.ucomparehealthcare.com/hospital_start.html

Answer 5

It depends on which method they use to do it...Orthroscopically(4 inch scar) or regular way (12 inch scar)

Figure 5-7 days in hospital, 3 months, reduced mobility and therapy.