are there alternatives to a hip replacement? has anyone had a hip replacement, *recently? i am a canidate for?

Question

one and i'm afraid as hell !!!....i live alone and will not have the help of others.....thats why i'm looking for some sort of alternative.....HELP !!

Answer 1

Yes, there is one alternative to hip replacement. It's called hip resurfacing. The device used has recently been approved for use in the US by the FDA. It has been used abroad for years. The difference between hip replacement and hip resurfacing is that, instead of cutting off the head of the femur (that's the top of your thigh where the ball is located) and replacing it with a metal or ceramic ball on a stem that is inserted into the thigh bone, resurfacing involves smoothing off the head of the femur and covering it with a round metal cover. Both procedures involve inserting a metal cup & liner into the acetabulum (that's the pelvis).
This page (scroll down for a pair of xrays showing the difference between the two procedures) explains resurfacing.
http://ortho.muhealth.org/hipandknee/hipresurfaceFAQ.htm

Do not be afraid of the recovery for either procedure. Many surgeons do not send patients directly home from the hospital if there may be a problem in doing so or if they do not have a good social support system. Instead, they may spend a week or two in a rehab center.
I've had both hips replaced and found that I was taught how to do many things for myself before I left the hospital, such as climbing stairs, how to fix a simple meal, how to dress, undress, and bathe myself. It isn't impossible to get along alone if there are people who will check on you when you first come home and run errands and give you rides if you need them. Also, when you go directly home from the hospital you may (as I did) have a couple weeks of visiting nurse and physical therapist visits. Mine came 2-3 times a week for two weeks. After that I went to outpatient PT. I was able to drive by week 5. Be sure you let your doctor know of your fears and concerns. If there is absolutely no one who could even stop in daily and give you a hand, then you might be a candidate for a stay at a rehab center before you go home.

Unfortunately if your hip is bad enough to warrant hip replacement surgery, there really isn't any good, reliable non-surgical remedy yet. Be assured that hip replacement surgery really does work and I consider it sort of a miracle in the way it relieves pain and restores function in people who are on their way to becoming wheel-chair bound. I am so glad I had mine done. Good luck to you.

Answer 2

My husband had both his hips replaced at different times, you will need help recovering, there is no way to do it on your own, maybe you have a friend or the hospital will set you up with some after care cna's or something...
I don't know of any alternatives unless you find an
agency or put an ad in for help before your surgery, so you will have that all set up. Good Luck to you.........Dianne

Answer 3

I have never personally had one I am 17. My grandma on the other hand has had two on the same hip!!! The first time was 13 years ago and she had to be in a wheelchair. This time was different. She had it this year in april and it's now august and she went back to work in june. She recovered perfectly fine. She didn't have much help. She couldn't go down stairs but she recovered a lot faster then we expected. I say do it! She didn't take her meds after for pain b/c it wasn't that bad. Good luck!

Answer 4

My father had hip replacement - both hips 2 years apart.
Even though it is tough at first, he is so much better.
It has been about 7 years since the second one and he is mobile and feeling good.
Best wishes to you.

Answer 5

specific. I certainly have. the two hips replaced in separate surgical procedures a number of months aside. that's the final ingredient I certainly have ever executed. i could not walk without cane over the final 9 months before surgical treatment. I now have my existence lower back, can walk miles without discomfort, no limp, choose no discomfort meds, and threw away my cane. existence is robust.