Double hip replacement!

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I finally had my consultation with the recommended orthopedic surgeon and will be given a surgery date after an internal medicine appointment. Early spring is likely.

Double anterior hip arthroplasty. I was waiting a long time and even looked into a private clinic that would do Birmingham resurfacing on both hips for $50000. However the initial referring surgeon and this one both believe total replacement is the right approach for my condition. This fellow is the recognized expert for the anterior approach in Alberta. Both hips at once.

Ive lived with increasing pain and decreasing mobility for years now. I used to be a very active back country skier, cyclist, hiker. I am afraid to go for more than a short walk now. I can get on a bike if I lower it right to the ground and gingerly step over the bar, but it is all very iffy. I have a cane that my wife got me sitting by the door. Haven’t really used it yet but the day is not far off.

It took some convincing of doctors to even get sent for xrays. I’ll be 57 in May and someone as young as me isn’t supposed to have worn out hips. Its been one ultrasound and 4 xrays in seven years, showing a steady degradation. Theres no cartilage left now. Its been a long wait but I think I will be getting the surgery exactly when I need it.

I know a lot of dopers have health issues and this is relatively minor as things go. I feel very lucky to be in a place and time where this is even an option. A few decades ago a walker and chronic pain would have been all I could look forward to.

TL;DR: Yay!!

2

When it’s done you can say hip, hip, hooray! Good luck with your surgery.

3

I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned it elsewhere, but my father was preparing for both hip and knee replacements. They did “bileteral minimally invasive complete hip replacement”, and sent him to physical therapy. After he was done, he no longer felt like he needed new knees. The new hips fixed his gait enough that the knees no longer bothered him.

Good luck with your surgery and hope you have a great outcome.

4

Mr. Legend had a total hip replacement almost two years ago, and he’s been really pleased with the outcome. His surgeon told us that people who have been living in pain for a while tend to recover more quickly and perceive less pain during recovery than those who have replacements after traumatic injuries. I hope yours goes as well for you!

5

I’ve had one done. We where lucky because we have sort of an add hoc spare bedroom on the first floor. And a bathroom shower is right there too. I only needed to deal with 2 steps. Much better than the 12 to get up to our bedroom.

Best of luck.

6

My wife had hers done – bilateral, the anterior (“minimally invasive”) approach – a few years ago. A couple of tough early days (ie, discomfort), but smooth sailing and pain- and trouble-free mobility ever since.

Best of luck to you!

7

I had one hip replaced about 6 years ago via the anterior approach. was in hospital 2 nights. Everything went well and I’ve had no issues. Good luck with your surgery.

8

I’m glad relief is in sight for you. Question: has anyone speculated about why your cartilage, etc., deteriorated so early in life?

P.S. Your screen name makes me want to cuddle you and skritch under your chin.

9

Best wishes!

10

My cousin, 55, didn’t have both done at once but he did have both done, 6 months apart. He hadn’t stood upright in something like 8 years. He’s still working on physical therapy to get him to where he needs to be but he is MILES ahead of where he was a couple years ago! He gets around so much better now and stands up straight and I’m so happy for him!

I’m excited for you! Best of luck!

11

I had both hips done (total replacement), a year apart. Couldn’t be happier. A few days, maybe a week of post-surgical pain, but I was walking well enough to get to the bathroom immediately (using a walker), and driving my car on my own in less than two weeks.

I used a walker for a week or so, then a cane for several weeks, then nothing. And I’ve got two sets of stairs in my house. Use the good leg to go up, and the bad (repaired) leg to go down.

And both surgeries were outpatient. In the hospital about 6-7 am, home by 6 pm same day.

Plus, I had one knee replaced, and need the other knee done (arthritis all around). The bad knee is still giving me fits, but the point is my hip replacements make me feel great. I can walk normally again. And so will you.

12

Yeah. Mine was out patient. Which I think is a bit crazy. I did have pretty significant pain for the first few days.

I have a good friend that has had both done. She was using stairs in 2 days.

13

I’ve had several friends get hip replacements and all but one were thrilled with the results. Best of luck and quick healing to you.

14

I did my right hip in 2015 (age 59), and my left about a week after I turned 65, so I’d have Medicare. Both anterior (thanks, Doper who suggested I shop for a surgeon who would do it!), both relatively pain-free convalescence, both had me return to my job after seven weeks (thanks, Bill Clinton and the FMLA!).

15

My wife has had one hip replaced, and she had her second knee replace 2 weeks ago. Big improvements. Hope everything goes well, and do whatever exercises they give you.
I think you’re going to be real glad you did this.

16

Thanks all for the support and encouraging stories of your own experiences. I will admit some trepidation, I can’t think of a deeper, more invasive surgery. Its good to hear so many tales of successful surgeries.

I am a little concerned about how much work I will miss. I’ve recently taken over as the general manager of a pretty significant business and thats overwhelming in itself. We will get through it.

I was born with mild hip displasia. There are few symptoms to indicate the issue until middle age. The sockets of my hip joints are not deep enough to fully retain the ball, allowing too much movement. Over time it has just ground away all the cartilage.

17

I have my hip-replacement surgery scheduled for May 12 (which happens to be my birthday). Yep I’m scared, but looking forward to getting rid of the pain. I had to quit smoking, which was not easy.

Just as a side curiosity I had this discussion with ChatGPT; this is not what the surgeon told me - he said partial hip replacement surgery is for old people or folks that broke their hip (e.g. auto accident, sports injuries).

Me: "Please compare partial hip-replacement surgery to total hip-replacement surgery and summarize criteria used to determine which surgery is appropriate for an individual

AI: Partial hip replacement surgery and total hip replacement surgery are both procedures used to treat hip joint damage and relieve pain. The main difference between the two procedures is the extent of the joint replacement.

In partial hip replacement surgery, only the damaged part of the hip joint is replaced with an artificial implant, while in total hip replacement surgery, the entire hip joint is replaced with an artificial joint.

The decision to perform a partial or total hip replacement surgery is based on various factors such as the extent of joint damage, the patient’s age, overall health status, and activity level.

Partial hip replacement surgery may be appropriate for patients who have hip damage confined to a specific part of the joint, such as the femoral head, and who have relatively good bone density and healthy surrounding joint tissue. It may also be suitable for younger patients who want to preserve as much healthy bone as possible for a potential future revision surgery.

Total hip replacement surgery is typically performed for patients with extensive joint damage or conditions such as osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis that affect the entire joint. It may also be the preferred option for older patients or those with compromised bone density or other medical conditions that make partial hip replacement surgery less suitable.

Ultimately, the decision on which surgery to perform is made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the individual patient’s specific medical history and circumstances.

18

How did things turn out? All good?

19

Have to say I am still not clear on the decision process between resurfacing and total replacement. Im trusting my surgeon on this I guess.

My surgery date is April 25, so just over a week away. The therapist that interviewed me in the internal medicine pre screening was pretty confident that I would be taking short walks and able to handle stairs within a few days after surgery, pretty amazing.

My condition seems to be deteriorating quickly, but it is definitely way worse when I am sitting or laying down. Sleeping is awful. Not much pain when I am moving, I am stiff and slow to get going, but once I loosen up feel pretty good. I certainly wince and grunt when pushing range of motion. I am still pretty active. Ive been up and down ladders and had to supervise a roof replacement on Friday and was climbing through trusses and tarping up the new roof on Saturday. Yeah, not wise, wife was pissed. I was careful and made sure I was spotted / assisted. But I have paid for it, was in a lot of pain last night.

Going out this afternoon to look at walkers and other aids. Need a shower bench and get all those things set up this week.

20

This is what I’m doing too.