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Hip Replacement Surgery

6K views 56 replies 21 participants last post by  WestHaven 
#1 ·
Hi,

I am 28 years old. My right hip has been bothering me since late June/early July. I saw my regular doctor a month ago and he took x-rays, and I got to see an orthopedic surgeon today. I have seen the x-rays, and my right hip is completely worn out. I have the hip of someone twice my age. The doctors say it just happens to some people for no reason. My hip has experienced avascular necrosis. In other words, a lack of blood flow has caused the ball of my hip to degenerate and be worn out. Other than this I am in very good health.

I want to know if any one here has had experience with hip replacement surgery. I am very, very stressed out.
 
#2 ·
Mom and Dad have both had hips done. If this is your case, then there must be a great deal of pain? The best thing about hip replacement according to both of them was the relief from that pain. The docs had them out of bed and getting around the day after the surgery, only spent maybe 3 or 4 days in hospital. Recovery at home took a bit longer but at least you're at home.
 
#6 ·
You might want to get another opinion, depending on your health insurance doctors would rather do a hip replacement over B.H.R. because it is cheaper.

Bump:
I opted to have a shot directly into my hip to numb the pain, it can not work at all, work for a week, a month, or for me, it's worked for over 5 years so far.


I think that the technology will be amazing in a few years and I'd rather suffer and wait. If you can wait, wait.

What was the name of the shot they gave you?

I am planning on getting resurfacing done this coming year but if I could wait, I will.

Especially if I can wait 5 years, who knows what they will be able to do then.
 
#5 ·
I'm about your age and have to deal with something similar. About well I guess 8 years ago, I had a terrible fall off my horse at the time. I cracked the head of my femur and inside of my hip socket and since then I've had bone death.


I was in a ton of pain and the doctor told me I was going to have to have my hip replaced, but you have to continue to have it replaced over time. Because of this I decided not to do it. I'm just too young to go through such a horrible surgery.


I opted to have a shot directly into my hip to numb the pain, it can not work at all, work for a week, a month, or for me, it's worked for over 5 years so far.


I think that the technology will be amazing in a few years and I'd rather suffer and wait. If you can wait, wait.
 
#7 ·
I have "needed" a knee replacement for about 5 years. I was in a vehicle accident which resulted in some badly torn ligaments and my knee cap was fractured several times. This has caused chronic inflammation and arthritis in the joint; it also has this weird habit of just kind of going out where you are walking along and you about hit the floor. I have put this off because I have heard so many horror stories about knee replacement fails. I take Mobic which is a pretty potent anti-inflammatory drug, do routine acupuncture, use compression sleeves to help with circulation to the area, etc. I also managed to lose 20lbs and I frequently exercise now...which has helped the most with the joint. Also changing the way you walk to a more corrective "proper" stride helps with all joint pain in the limbs. Simply changing the type of shoes I wear and going from a heel striker with slight over pronation to a mid-foot striker without over pronation has increased leg strength and decreased pain for me.

I have been taking a supplement for a short time called FlexSure, it was supposed to work better than Glucosamine...so far I have noticed less pain, so it may actually do something.

My point is; if you can wait and try alternate therapy do so. Replacements are typically rough surgeries for most people and surgeries always pack the risk of many side effects. A friend of my father's had a total hip replacement and has wound up with an untreatable case of MRSA on the replacement, his only option to get rid of the infection is to have yet another hip replacement. However doing the new replacement packs the risk of spreading the infection to other areas of his body.

If you cannot wait and the joint is just gone...shop around get 2nd or even 3rd opinions and research your surgeon and the hospital you plan to use. Many people do reviews online so this may help you form an opinion from others experience.
 
#9 ·
Are you referring to a corticosteroid injection? Probably, and I wouldn't go this route due to a high connection with future fracture. Besides, he is missing part of the head, an injection is going to be a bandaid to cover up the real problem. Avascular necrosis can be a weird unexplained thing. If the femur head is too far gone for resurfacing I would suggest doing the hip replacement. Time will only create more problems if you leave the hip as is. Using the hip and weight will cause abnormal wear and abnormal sclerosis of bone. Not to mention a likelihood of hip dislocation and gait issues.
 
#10 ·
Well said. I talked to someone about it today, and she said she knew a guy who had to have a replacement done in his late 30s. He put it off for over ten years and then one day, the hip completely failed and he couldn't walk until he got it replaced. He was in his early 50s and had a difficult recovery because he put it off for so long. I'm young and my recovery will be a lot easier.
 
#11 ·
I've been in the MRI field for roughly 8 years and haven't see anyone your age deal with AVN of the hip, but numerous young children for AVN of the wrist. There have been a good amount of cases I've scanned where people in their late 30s and early 40s have AVN of the hip(s) due to prolong steroid usage. It's not steroid use for bodybuilding, but asthma for example.

I'd get another opinion and take it from there. What works for you is that you are young, just as you stated already. BUT, joint replacements don't last a persons' lifetime.

Good luck either way and let us know how everything turns out.
 
#12 ·
The good news is you are young, so the recovery would be good and the new bone would grow in well, if you are 85, well.......not so much.

So ad far as recovery and less pain, well, it's not likely it will get better not doing anything and if it;'s worn out, then a shot to reduce the pain is not going to help either.

Speak to 3-4 doctors who specialize in this.
Check younger people's recovery times, success, failures and length of time of post recovery(2-5, 10 years post surgery).
Bike more, run less.
 
#13 ·
Thanks. I have seen the x-rays and it's not pretty. I definitely need to have it done. In the mean time I can still walk normally with mild pain and work. I will have the surgery in the next few months. I have been doing some research and watching youtube videos about the recovery process tonight. It doesn't seem so bad. But I am still scared because medical stuff freaks me out.
 
#15 ·
Hello. I am going to see my surgeon on Monday and we will talk about the gruesome details of the surgery. My mother is going to come with me to the doctor's office because she wants to learn about the surgery because she will help taking care of me.

Has anyone here had experience with hip replacement surgery? I want to know how it went for you.
 
#16 ·
They are very expert at this surgery, and it usually turns out well. The alternative is years of pain. I've heard of people who are walking after a week. You should do it. Years of pain pills destroy your liver eventually. With surgery, you will get on with your life. You may not ever run a marithon, but you can walk regularly pain free. If your choice was my choice, I would do it.
 
#17 ·
I'm going to get it done on March 10th. I saw my surgeon two days ago and we talked about how the procedure is done and what my options for the prostheses are. I am going with a ceramic ball, ceramic cup and a hard plastic liner. I have done a lot of research for the last month about how the recovery process works. They will have me up and walking within a few hours of the surgery, and spend two nights in the hospital. I will be walking with assistance (walker or cane) for a few weeks and return to work within a month. Full recovery (as in I can do anything I want) is 3-6 months.
 
#18 ·
Hi. I work at an orthopedic practice. I'm not a doc, I work with insurance, so please don't ask me specifics, but see a lot of them come through. I have seen great success with hip replacements, to the point where a guy had ongoing back issues, and he got his hip done for unrelated issues. Turns out, he back got much better after being able to walk on a good hip. It's going to hurt temporarily, but it will be worth it, especially with your AVN.

I highly suggest looking around for a doc who does the anterior approach, as it's less invasive than the traditional approach, making recovery time significantly less.
 
#20 ·
I'm subscribed to this thread. I'm 51 with arthritis in both hips along with other problems with the knees and lower back. Hip replacement has come up. Hip resurfacing came up yesterday. I've been through this stuff for about 5 years now. Shots in the hip, pain pills or just living with the pain ( which seems to be the norm). Unfortunately I cannot take time off work for recovery ( 6-8 weeks ) as I may get replaced. So I am looking forward to your progress and recovery, and will be reading along as you go. Best of luck.
 
#21 ·
longgonedaddy - My doctor does the anterior approach.

caique - Yes, the ceramic/ceramic with plastic liner is one of the more advanced methods they use nowadays. It's safer and doesn't have the risks of a traditional metal-on-metal hip replacement.

Unfortunately I cannot take time off work for recovery ( 6-8 weeks ) as I may get replaced. So I am looking forward to your progress and recovery, and will be reading along as you go. Best of luck.
babysnakes, can't you talk to your employer about the Family Medical Leave Act? If you are an eligible employee, your employer CANNOT replace you.

I'd like to know what kind of pain other people are feeling with their hip problems. The worst pain I feel is in my muscles, not the hip itself. I have good days and bad days. Today I'm having muscle spasms and shooting pain down my right leg. If i could get the surgery done today, I would do it, but I have to wait until they can get it done.
 
#25 ·
And you sir are absolutely correct. This I know. "You just have to be willing to fight the fight and go to the Labor board". This does take time and money in and of itself. If a new job can be had then the fight is more or less over as an out of work person is more concentrated on finding work than fighting some dips%$t company. So anyway. Lets get back to hip discomfort and all that goes with it.
 
#26 ·
I have had several good days and several bad days with my hip. Yesterday, I wanted someone to cut off my leg because it was so bad. It was intense bone-on-bone pain and I thought about leaving work early but it got a little bit better after a few hours. Today I almost called in sick due to lack of sleep and pain, but when I got to work today it was just light muscle soreness and I ended up feeling really good, and I haven't felt this way in a long time.
 
#27 ·
Hey I do work for a company that makes the joints. I could get one and do the surgery for you. I'm pretty reasonable price wise. My specialty is brain transplants. Second is hips knees.
 
#29 ·
I'll be seeing my doc. in Jan., see if he can juice up my left hip. Standing up for 3 hours yesterday pressure washing around the house wasn't the best idea. Then I took a drive in the '71 beetle ( low to the ground ), at 3 stops the left hip joint got outa wack and I could barely stand up when getting out of the car. The pain was intense. This morning some residual pain. Can't wait to clean the pool and other chores today. It's 7:30am and I'm looking forward to this evening already.
 
#35 ·
I can't wait. It's just two weeks away. I walked 7 miles at work today and I'm in serious pain all day long. I had my first pre-op appointment with my surgeon's assistant today. We talked about my health history and I had questions about the surgery itself, anesthesia, the recovery process, and when I can return to work. I have two more appointments this week for blood tests and a physical exam with my regular doctor. I will have my first physical therapy appointment one week after surgery, and then have appointments 3 times a week for a month. After 3-4 weeks I should be allowed to drive a car again. I will be allowed to return to work after 6-8 weeks most likely. For my surgery, I am getting a ceramic femoral head going into a titanium acetabulum cup with a hard plastic liner.
 
#34 ·
If you want I can do your surgeries for half price. I've got some power drills, reamers and gorilla glue. Little chloroform and an xacto with some braided fishing line to close. Used of course don't want to waste clean stuff when all it's going to do is get bloody anyway. Crazy glue if you prefer.
 
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