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How long should pain last after total hip replacement?
Hello. I'm 47 and had a total (r) hip replacement 20 months ago. I keep waiting for the pain and discomfort (especially while active or sleeping on right side) to become more minimal with time. However, this doesn't seem to be the case ...yet.
Has anyone else experienced prolonged pain? Not sure whether to be alarmed or just more patient.
Thanks in advance for any comments!
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I'm scheduled to have anterior hip replacement surgery the 15th of July and I am 69, almost 70 and in pretty good shape physically. I sure hope and pray I will not need any walking aids near that long as I live by myself and have very few people locally that can help. I am going to try to be walking unaided by the 3rd week out if at all possible. God bless you and I hope you get self sufficient very soon.
Thanks for your response. I is helpful to learn about your experience. LB
First, remember, this is early days yet - your incision has barely healed, let alone the bones and muscles that were assaulted by the operation!
How were you walking before the surgery? Unassisted, cane, walker...?
Also, what do you think is causing you to shuffle? Do you have pain, weakness or balance issues?
I had THR in July 2023 and had terrible pain in the thigh area. After many tests and labs it was discovered that the shaft was too short. Had a revision in March 2025 and longer shaft inserted. Four months later, a CT scan shows that the shaft has loosened. So am looking at another revision to insert longer shaft. Is this normal?
I don't think it is, short answer.
Ideally you could ask what the rates of revisions are for your doctor, healthsytem,state, and nationally. Not sure you can get an answer so you might consider a second opinion from an orthopedic center, not sure though.
If you look at articles thru Google scholar on Danish and other European hip replacement experience, hip replacement revisions are not common.
US research also indicates low rates of dislocation and revision, but as far as I can tell the data isn't publicly available to tell which surgeons do well.
Considering the thousands of people and dollars spent, we would benefit from knowing more information about success rates.
My wife had a bilateral hip replacement in 2011 at which time the nerve in her right leg got compressed , therefore, leg did not work and had to wear a mobilizer at All time when mobil, wife comes out of surgery Black & Blue from Head to Toe and I mean everywhere. I wanted to take pictures but wife declined . Goes to rehab, doctor omits order, nurse goes to give wife a shower, falls. Dr called it an assisted fall. 9 months later, left nerve starts to work, Dr says right hip was fractured, needs a revision( 2012. 2018 revision required on left hip due to Cobalt / Chromium poisoning. 2022 revision on right hip due to staph infection along with Cobalt / Chromium poisoning, whole implant removed and medicated spacer implant for 9 weeks, then a new implant. Now, where they kept placing epidural, degenerative disc disease, impacts mobility. Long story short, yes, revisions can and do happen. I recommend that you do a lot of research on a reputable Surgeon from the start and not a teaching hospital!