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What is Hip replacement surgery really like?

Posted by tkrfail21 @tkrfail21, May 14 6:25pm

Right hip is bone on bone. Excruciating groin pain after over working in the yard. After 1 month hip pain is gone. Have surgery scheduled for June. Can't decide if I want to have the surgery. What is the REAL experience like?

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Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | May 19 5:15pm
In reply to @tkrfail21 "Thank you. I'm very familiar with ice. Still ice after 4 years. Oxi makes me sick...." + (show)
Profile picture for tkrfail21 @tkrfail21

Thank you. I'm very familiar with ice. Still ice after 4 years. Oxi makes me sick. How strong is the pain.

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@tkrfail21 It was definitely sore for a while, but not intense pain. The last time around, I never even filled the opioid prescription. I have not had a knee replacement, but my friends who have done both knees and hips, they said the knee pain was much worse.

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steveinarizona | @steveinarizona | May 20 8:11am
In reply to @tkrfail21 "Who is the doctor please" + (show)
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Who is the doctor please

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@tkrfail21 Dr. Jimmy Chow:
https://www.chowhipandknee.com/
Caveat: he does not take insurance. I had to pay him his fee directly. The rest was covered by my UHC Medicare Advantage PPO plan.

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bellatheball | @bellatheball | May 21 2:29pm
In reply to @tkrfail21 "So I can just wait until I have pain or not able to move comfortably? That..." + (show)
Profile picture for tkrfail21 @tkrfail21

So I can just wait until I have pain or not able to move comfortably? That is the direction I am heading.

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@tkrfail21 I had hip replacement of my left hip after a nondisplaced fracture.I had pain but got worse with movement. A year later still hip pain and difficulty on steps. I would wait until you are disabled by the hip & the pain unbearable.

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tkrfail21 | @tkrfail21 | May 21 10:24pm

Right now my hip doesn't hurt. I'm afraid of pain forever after surgery.

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loriesco | @loriesco | May 22 12:37pm

IT IS AMAZING!!! as long as you have a top notch surgeon with experience. I got locked up (both times!) a week before surgery. There was no other option but surgery. Right away you notice that some pain is gone. But the truth is you have to participate in your own recovery. That is no lie. I am a pavement artist who sat in extreme positions well into my 50s and 60s. I had my first in 2012 and the second in 2014. Today I am 69 and SO GRATEFUL I sucked up my fears and did it. There should be online classes you attend to help you prepare.
Get in the best shape you can (there are exercises) before surgery. Prepare, prepare, prepare!
Just read the comment above that says to wait. Do not do that because you stop moving and your body is so much less able to restore itself. If your doc says it's bone on bone, then GO as fast as you can to that surgery table (IF you have a "prince charming" surgeon like I did!) . Yes, you can have a little respite, but its only going to get bad or worse again and you will stop exercising and it will be harder to recuperate.

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beachbabe | @beachbabe | May 23 5:25am
In reply to @yweldon "I don't regret having the surgery even though I'm not dealing with a joint infection. The..." + (show)
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I don't regret having the surgery even though I'm not dealing with a joint infection. The quality of life since I got the replacement was worth it to be able to walk, drive, and even dance pain free. I regret not going back to running. I would suggest take advantage of any health and PT opportunities that you can to strengthen the muscles and joints before deciding and going into surgery. Move toward if not maintain a healthy weight and diet as it will decrease risks of infection and increase your recovery time. Consider building muscle, endurance, and strength that will also aid you regardless if you do the surgery or not.

Also, consider options you may have as to alternatives to surgery and surgery techniques. Even though my weight, my surgeon did the anterior approach which doesn't have as many restrictions that the posterior and lateral approaches might. I was able to bend over, cross my legs, or mostly anything that was weight bearing. I believe all approaches would not allow you to submerge in water (tubs, pools) , high impact like running etc for at least 6 weeks, but that is also a discussion to have with your surgeon.

Also, follow every pre-op and post-op precaution carefully and thoroughly. There's a very small risk to infection, but it can and does happen and anything you can do to avoid it, do that.

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@yweldon how was your pain and recovery after the anterior procedure? Did you do PT afterwards? How long did you need a walker or cane?

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beachbabe | @beachbabe | May 23 5:29am
In reply to @kildaren96 "I’m the outlier who had posterior surgery although it’s really done from the side. It was..." + (show)
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I’m the outlier who had posterior surgery although it’s really done from the side. It was a miracle surgery for me. My hip never hurt, it was all referred pain in my leg and thought it was from my back issues. It was excruciating to walk before the surgery. Zero pain after and I went home the same day. My surgery went great, I was off tramadol in 3 days. I actually sought a doctor who did posterior surgery. I had my reasons. I made sure to choose a doc who had an excellent reputation. The big deal with posterior surgery is just not to bend forward deeply for 8-12 weeks…I was allowed per my PT after 10 weeks. My right hip is now jealous of my bionic left hip. I do chair yoga and I have a lot more flexibility with my bionic hip. If my right hip ever gets to where it needs to be replaced I hope that my surgeon is still doing them and I won’t hesitate to have him replace my other hip as well. I think the key is getting a good surgeon but all our bodies are different and what my experience was, may not be your experience. Oh, and hip replacement is simpler than knee replacement. A good set of YouTube videos to watch on hip replacement is the Canadian “Talking With Docs.” Look for their videos on hip replacement. They are two Canadian orthopedic surgeons and I watched all their videos and was completely prepared for my surgery. I live in the US, but I subscribe to their channel and they have practical videos on all manner of medical subjects.

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@kildaren96 why did you choose posterior? Where is your incision? I have a surgeon who does posterior and mini-posterior but I have been told that the anterior procedure is less invasive and has quicker recovery with fewer restrictions.

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beachbabe | @beachbabe | May 23 5:32am
In reply to @sandrac "THR i was like a miracle for me. I had pain with every step and was..." + (show)
Profile picture for sandrac @sandrac

THR i was like a miracle for me. I had pain with every step and was bone on bone. Find a great surgeon who does the anterior approach if they think that will work for you. They can do it and spare nerves and muscles making recovery shorter. I started out with forearm crutches, in 8 days Iwas on a cane. In 3 days I was in PT. The first week the pain from surgery is not great but can be managed with ice and the pain meds. If my other hip ever starts bothering me, I would have it replaced as soon as they would allow it! Good luck to you!

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@sandrac have you experienced any pain or numbness in your thigh after the anterior procedure? I was told that that is a common problem with the anterior.

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steveinarizona | @steveinarizona | May 23 7:31am
In reply to @beachbabe "@kildaren96 why did you choose posterior? Where is your incision? I have a surgeon who does..." + (show)
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@kildaren96 why did you choose posterior? Where is your incision? I have a surgeon who does posterior and mini-posterior but I have been told that the anterior procedure is less invasive and has quicker recovery with fewer restrictions.

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@beachbabe

There are essentially three approaches. The oldest is the traditional approach of a posterior entry. The newer less invasive method was the anterior entry. The third, and most recent method, is various versions of the super capsular approach such as the Superpath led by my surgeon...Jimmy Chow:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9318286/
Another approach variant of the super capsulary method is the STAR method (Superior Transverse Anatomic Reconstruction):
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10125016/
Dr. Chow did my left hip and I had no pain using the Superpath method. But, then again, he also replaced my right knee six months ago and again I had no pain. So maybe the answer is to have Dr. Chow as the surgeon, no matter what method is used.

I am a big believer in the view that finding that extraordinary surgeon is the key to a successful joint replacement.

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Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | May 23 8:07am
In reply to @beachbabe "@kildaren96 why did you choose posterior? Where is your incision? I have a surgeon who does..." + (show)
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@kildaren96 why did you choose posterior? Where is your incision? I have a surgeon who does posterior and mini-posterior but I have been told that the anterior procedure is less invasive and has quicker recovery with fewer restrictions.

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@beachbabe Not @kildaren here, but my posterior hip replacements were done because I am small and had extensive bone erosion in both hips. The surgeon chose the posterior (really lateral) approach because the longer incision and position provided a much better field of view for him. Several years later, my (different) revision surgeon chose to do the same for the same reason - I had chromium/cobalt metallosis with significant tissue damage and the wider field was needed to "clean things up." All surgeries went flawlessly aside from the metal complications.
I saw my surgeon this week for a recheck, and he says the hips look great - 20 years from the original operation and 15 since revision. He said he still does about 60% anterior and 40% posterior, depending on the patient; he is one of the top hip and knee guys in our metro area,

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