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@dzoneill I am sorry to hear of your situation and I can totally relate to your situation however mine came in a different form. In 2005 I was in a head on collision with a semi which caused my left hip to dislocate (along with numerous other traumatic injuries) they were able to put my hip back into place without surgery however a couple weeks later when doing physical therapy it became dislocated again. So the decision was made to put hardware in to try and stabilize it from dislocation, which worked until my femoral head became necrotic a year later . At that point they decided to do the first THR ...it was great ...but it only lasted two weeks and then I got Staph infection and it had to be removed. So then they put in a concrete hip spacer.. Needless to say we went back and forth like this 4 times over the course of 7 years ...everytime they put in a new hip I would eventually get MRSA/staph and they would remove it. Finally when hip replacement 4 became infected I was referred to Mayo Clinic .
Their recommendation was to take everything out and leave it out for at least a year. If I could go at least one year without infection they would try one last hip relplacement .
It was a long recovery process plus learning how to walk with a hanging hip but i actually stunned doctors a year later when i was walking without any assistive devices (i probably shouldve been using my cane at least lol) of course I had a major limp since my left leg was so much shorter but i made it work not only for one year but for 4 years!
Finally last year I went back and told them it was time, my lower back had been killing me so bad from my uneven gait.
June 6th I recieved my "Hail Mary" 5th total hip lol and I am so happy to say that so far (fingers crossed) i havent had any problems with infection. Im only 34 years old so I know its a life long battle but at this point in time thing are looking up!!
Replies to "@dzoneill I am sorry to hear of your situation and I can totally relate to your..."
Good Morning, My mom, age 80, is in the same situation as yours, however, she is significantly older. Went into septic shock on December 15. In rehab as of yesterday 1/7/20.. No other medical problems. Who were you referred to at the Mayo Clinic? Thank you
Thank you for your post because I’m going through this right now! I broke my hi a year ago in may. The first surgery was a screw and plate to fix it because of my age. 4 weeks later that broke so then I got a full hip replacement. 4 weeks later, got infected, long story short, I’ve had 2 total hip replace, and currently on my 3rd medicated spacer! I’m scheduled for a new hip in may, if this corona junk is gone. Dr informed me if this hip gets infected again, I will have to go with no hip. I’m really concerned because I already have chronic back problems. I’ve had 4 surgeries on that!! I’m just not sure what to do. He said I can keep this spacer in for as long as it last then do the hip, but it’s not very comfortable! Which is more comfortable in your opinion, the spacer or going with nothing? Sorry this was so long!!!!
How did u manage walking g that way. I've been without a hip for 2 years and my femur constantly rubs and pushes on nerves n tendons. It also cracks n crunches on my hip. It's excruciating to use a walker
Hello Lynzze
I have had left hip issues for 20! Years
It stayed in place for 6 years then dislocated last May July and august
Then I got a severe bacterial infection and was in hospital for 52 days
They removed my hip and put a concrete spacer in on Oct 2022
I am still on one antibiotic for 14 more days
Then no antibiotics for 3 months
They will consider a hip replacement then with hopes of No reinfection
The spacer is ok
It aches a little and I can put weight on it but always need the walker or wheelchair
I didn’t think a spacer could stay in this long and I will be scared to make that decision to have new replacement
It would be my 8th
I am
73 but was fit and exercised before all this happened
I exercise on my own
Any thoughts ?
I am SO interested in walking w/out a hip….I would like to take mine out, but not sure how to walk w/out hip! 😳
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So sorry about your issues.. My question is how did the hip become infected after it had been in or was it infected while it was being inserted?