Hip replacements for fractured hip due to osteoporosis

Hello, and welcome to Mayo Connect. I too was in quite a bit of pain before my hip replacements, it was affecting every aspect of my life and I was only 54, with young adult kids still at home, a job that required travel, and an aging Mom who needed help. I walked mostly with a cane the last few months. The pain one week after surgery on each hip was less than the day before. Oh, I still had to heal, regain my strength and do rehab, but it was a relief. The hips are still doing great 19 years later, even survived a hard fall on concrete this week with no more than a horrible bruise and some soreness.

How long until you are able to have your surgery? Did you have an injury, or is this a "wear and tear" situation?

mariesplaine22,
I had terrible pain before my hip replacement. I’m a hiker and was on a group hike with 20 people including my 7 year old grandson when the pain became truly intense. My grandson made me a walking stick from a tree branch.
That’s when I decided to have the hip replacement. I interviewed three surgeons and knew the third one was my guy. The surgery is intense, but hey, you’re asleep. I watched a video of a hip replacement before I had it. I advise against that.
Recovery went very well and all pain gone.
I also have osteoporosis and was on Evenity at the time of the surgery. The surgeon seemed to know a lot about that.

I had severe back,leg pain. They would not do surgery(back fusion) on me because of osteospirosis. They did carve out around the piched nerve on my L4 Hence I started Forteo 4 months ago. So scary having pain and not being able to have the surgery to fix it. Fortunately for me the Laminectomy relieve most of my pain.

@yogagirl57,

You posed a great question with forward thinking about hip replacements and surgery overall while on osteoporosis medications. Have you had a chance to see @susanfalcon52's experience?

@susanfalcon52 - at the time of your surgery, did your surgeon discuss your osteoporosis with you and any potential complications or elevated risks because of your osteoporosis? How was your recovery?

@redlo, it sounds like you had an entirely different experience where they opted to not do major surgery because of your osteoporosis. Was this because they thought a less invasive surgery such as your laminectomy would potentially relieve the symptoms? It sounds like it was a positive outcome in the end.

My surgeon didn’t bring up osteoporosis, I did. He looked at x-rays and dexa. When I asked him what he would do if bones were too mushy, he said that the mushy part what the part we were replacing. It all went very well.

I don’t mean to minimize hip replacement surgery as it is quite intense. Probably best not to watch a video of the procedure ahead of time as I did. The recovery takes a bit, too. I’ve been very happy with my outcome and it restored me to an active lifestyle.
I have been very fortunate with osteoporosis meds, too. I have had Forteo, Tymlos, Evenity, and now Reclast with no problems.
It feels obnoxious to keep posting this.

Your example with a recovery after hip operation certainly gives a support and hope for many other OP patients meeting different challenges. Good luck in your road!
I wonder how difficult it was to restore a muscle function in the hip. Could you describe please how you did it?
I am lying in bed with knee cup fracture, and my leg is immobilized. In several weeks I expect that my hip muscles will be terribly weakened, as I am prohibited to walk or put any weight on the leg. Unfortunately I have not started to take OP medicines, putting my hope in resistance training, walking, etc. All that I cannot do now.
Thanks.

melia7,
I started physical therapy before the hip replacement and went to PT three days a week after. I didn’t baby myself because I really wanted the surgery to be successful. They give you pretty powerful pain meds after the surgery. Percocet in my case. The drug worked and didn’t make me woozy. I took the pain meds for 3-4 weeks. The pain is real. I wouldn’t have been able to handle PT without
Pain meds.
I found walking with a walker very disagreeable and stopped using it at home after about a week. I still used it when I left home.
After a month or so, I returned to the gym and fid a modified version of my usual routine.
I was actually in a lot of pain before the hip replacement, so the surgery and recovery was a small price to pay.

Do you mind sharing what area you and/your surgeon live in? Thanks !