What is normal recovery time/ progress for total hip replacement?

Joe, did you have the Anterior type of surgery? Most good surgeons will do this type because of it having a much better post-op experience. Shorter, easier recovery time. My left hip was bone on bone and had alot of pain before. It is now 5 1/2 months later and it's like there was never anything wrong! Feels like brand new! I'm back to walking 3 miles a day and longer on the weekends. I was discharged same day, and went home and climbed our staircase, which is 15 steps, up to bedroom, easily.

I had a right hip replacement November 2022. It was easy peasy. Very little pain. Physical therapy a must every day. I still doing PT 5 days a week and yoga one day a week. The worst part of recovery for me was my surgeon insisted on me strapping this V shaped foam device between my legs so I couldn’t inadvertently cross them while sleeping. I haven’t talked to anyone else that had to do this though.

Anterior procedure. Whomever did the staples or machine malfunction...not sure.. in crooked at least 4!.
Have never had proper follow up Surgeon no longer practicing... was let go by the Health Authority.

Hi Cindi,

Yes I did get an anterior incision. It's only about 4" long and no muscles are cut, unlike the posterior/lateral approaches. And you're right, the good surgeons do it because of the improved patient outcome. I'm 3 days out from surgery and walking better than I have in the last year. All the groin pain is gone. There is some stiffness from the incision and swelling that hardly merits pain meds.

Joe

flyjim, I had to do something very similar to that. I was told to put a pillow between my legs when laying on my right side only....because I had the left hip done. Think I had to do that for at least a couple of weeks.

Joe, that's fantastic! Exactly how I felt after my surgery. It's like you have a brand new hip/leg! I am so happy and I bet you are too!

Thanks Cindi, and yeah for those considering replacing a hip, it is the best way to relieve the awful bone-on-bone pain from degenerative arthritis. If you experience any groin pain - where you can't pinpoint or even come close to a cause - see your ortho Dr and get an xray of the hip.

I felt the same way after getting my knees replaced in 2022, although the recovery for a knee is a lot longer than a hip.

Joe

What caused you to seek a neurosurgeon? I am starting out with a fused L5 to pelvis on both sides since I was young. At 66 I wonder if my pain is not specifically hip related. I seek total body perspective doctor not surgeon focused.

Hello. Female, 78. Day 11 post surgery
THR on May 8. Started pt on May 13.
5mg oxycodone every 4-6 hours for pain. I thought my pain level was improving until I tried weaning off the oxy. I know I’m early in my recovery but I’m interested in how others dealt with constipation from oxycodone. I can’t seem to find a balance.

I’ve also read and heard from friends that the 3 week mark was significant in terms of pain and leg movement improvement.

Another question I have is…how long did it take before you could sleep without waking up in pain, and what sleep aid might I try to replace the oxycodone. Ibuprofen would likely work for the pain (acetaminophen is totally ineffective), but I can’t take it.

Any advice and encouragement welcome. I’m becoming discouraged.

Female, 70 yrs old. Hip surgery 8 yrs. ago

have scoliosis. It had been a hellatious (sp?) pain spiral out of control for more than 15 yrs, during which my pain mgt. doc had me on fentanyl lollipops, where I was completely addicted. Lost my job. Then he switched me to fentanyl patches, then weaned me off those with buprenorphine patches.

I wisely went to the University hospital's Spinal Dept. and the Pain doc recommended a Spinal Cord Stimulator
(SCS). It's a neurotransmitter abt. half the size of your palm. I could pinpoint the exact spot under my right rib which was on fire with pain. I had outpatient surgery, during which the surgeon inserted the SCS next to my spine where the pain signals traveled. Then, after I poked around under the right rib with my fingers, I showed him where the pain originated. He connected the SCS wires with the electrical leads coming from the pain source, and that connection "severed" the pain signals from ever reaching my brain, I did this as an outpatient with local anasthesia plus a small amt. of intravenous Diazepam (Valium). I had a script for Oxycodone, which I used for 3-4 days.

Most critically, though, is the fact that the withering pain stopped. Just stopped. I was sore at both surgical sites and couldn't shower or a bathe for 1-2 wks. But to say it is game-changer is to de-value it. It felt like a miracle. You must do a trial run to ensure it will work in your body. You can't walk through the machine at the airport anymore. You'll have a card on you at all times to prove it. Also, you can't go through an MRI (I could be mixing this up with a CT Scan!)

I realize now that these convos are about total hip replacements, so I apologize about my rant on scoliosis.

But I also had a total hip replacement. Easy-peezy. But I failed to keep up with home PT exercises. Now, muscles have atrophied and I'm finally doing the PT at home. I had 2 scripts of oxycodone. I made up my mind to start tapering off ASAP. Good Luck, and Courage!!!