I’m 61 and just got a total hip replacement 5 weeks ago. My question is should I get the other hip replaced this year? I’ve already met my $6000 out-of-pocket max limit in the US. So the second surgery would be free to me if I did it this calendar year. Right now my other hip doesn’t hurt. I would appreciate any thoughts or advice on this. Thanks
Any answer will depend on a couple of factors:
- Any specifics related to your health insurance, beyond the fact that you’ve hit your MOOP for the year
- Whether you plan to go onto Medicare when you turn 65, and the specifics of what your Medicare coverage will cover (particularly if you decide to get a Medicare supplement plan)
- What your doctor’s assessment is of your other hip’s condition, and whether you actually need such surgery now, or in the foreseeable future
I have my 6-week check-up with my surgeon next week. From the last x-rays, my other hip isn’t too bad yet, but you can see where the cartilage is worn thin. There are other options for hip-joint therapy. Should I get the second hip replaced while I’m young and have good health care or wait till I need it?
Again, I suspect that your surgeon, who knows what your x-rays say (and at least have a handle on your overall health) is going to give you a lot better guidance than a bunch of us here on the board. If you aren’t sure you like what he has to say, you can always seek out a second opinion from another orthopedic surgeon.
Yeah, I guess you’re right about that. Should how much it costs me affect my decision on what surgery I’ll get, and when? I hoped there might be some dopers that would talk about that.
This. You’ll want to check to see what insurance says about covering surgury that isn’t “medically necessary”.
If you’re going to have surgery for a problem that doesn’t yet exist, where do you draw the line?
pre-emptive amputations?
The problem does exist, according to the OP, so the surgery is already planned for the future. The question is, what is the optimal scheduling for the future, including factors such as ability to recover from surgery and how to pay for the surgery as well as the specific function of the surgery.
Joint replacement surgery should generally be postponed until the patient really feels their function is impaired enough to merit the surgery.
For joints such as knees and hips, the first replacement procedure is pretty successful with excellent outcomes. But subsequent surgeries on that same joint can be quite challenging with less good results. And those prosthetic joints do wear out after a certain amount of time. In the ideal world, the first replacement will occur at an age where the new joint will last longer than the patient does.
However, some joints need their first repair sooner than that, of course. Let your orthopedic specialist guide you in this area.
Thank you for this reply. My health care would pay for it, that’s not the question. I think you’re right, I should wait till I know there’s no other option than hip replacement surgery for my other hip. I’m looking into Physical Therapy and diet-change options. Doing it this year would save me $6000, which is kind of a big deal for me financially. I asked my surgeon at Slocum in Eugene Oregon about other options besides total hip-replacement. He pretty much implied that replacement surgery is the only option. But I know that conservative management should be considered as well. " The first line approach as an alternative to hip replacement is conservative management which involves a multimodal approach of oral medication, injections, activity modification and physical therapy.[80] Conservative management can prevent or delay the need for hip replacement."
If the surgeon feels further conservative management is most likely to be futile, and you feel your functional impairment has reached the point where you need it fixed, proceeding with surgery is a good option at that point. If you want a second opinion about whether or not conservative management might still be of benefit, it’s ok to pursue that too.
good luck!
thanks!
This is an issue that my sister-in-law is likely to have to deal with in the next few years.
She’s quite heavy-set, and had developed arthritis in both knees by the time she was in her mid-30s; at that time, her doctor advised her that she could forestall replacement through exercise and losing weight. She did neither of those things, and had to undergo replacement surgery on both knees in her early 40s.
She’s now nearing 60, and, as I understand it, approaching the functional end-of-life for her replacement knees.
I had my 6-week x-rays and appt. with my surgeon last Thursday. He said I probably have 4-5 years left on my other hip. He also said he has 4-5 years left on his hip. I asked him if he would be a good hip-replacement patient. He said no I will probably go somewhere else so I’m not a bad patient to my colleagues.