Hi my name is angela I am 53 years . Early fourths I had 2 hip replacements two years apart and had no issues with these for a few years enjoying life . I had a fall 7 years ago and that’s when my problems started , I broke my elbow but I knew something had happened to my hip as I could not put any weight on it . I kept getting told after the x Ray at hospital that my hip was fine ! So went home and I slowly started getting around a bit but with lots of clunking and then pain started creeping in so I went back to our health provider ( acc ) and pushing after finding they had actually x rayed wrong leg ! So I went had x rays on right leg , then ultra scan .then mri , then finally a bone scan which found the pin had shifted and was hitting the cup . .so I would need to see a surgeon who had good experience and specialises in revision . So after battling our acc provider they agreed to pay for the operation , so I finally had this done and all seemed well till I got home . The first few days I ended up back in hospital first with huge pain and a mass on my thigh ? Second time I was viliantly sick vomiting . I had some blood tests sent to lab to get tested , although I slowly got better I had huge pain in my bum and getting in out of bed was very hard , let alone normal stuff . So I went back to my surgeon And explained this and what happened earlier with 2 hospital visits . His reply was your only 6 weeks post op there is a lot of healing to go , keep doing physio . He did however sent me to get some blood cultures done ( never got and results given to me ) so of I went thinking let’s get back to getting stronger but alas as the months went by the pain was becoming unbearable my leg was swollen and jelly like to touch . So had 2nd opinion he sent me to get a aspiration done at the same time as putting in cordazone , so for a couple months and things eased , but I Never got the results of the cultures that was taken in aspiration ( approximately 60 mls ) I did get a letter saying hip was fine etc etc and nothing on results !
So I kept pushing and finally saw a back specialist and he sent me for a mri and that came back with two huge sists in and around my hip and that he thought I had a infection .....a little shocked of I went back to surgeon and he organised a aspiration and that did come back with a low grade bacteria but a very tricky one . So I then got booked in for the two phase hip operations , so my whole implant that was infected comes out , they pickle me /flush with antibiotics and clean Out as much infection as they can . I can say I was on re overly for 6 hours after that op I felt I had been run over by a bus , truck and train .A pick line was put in so antibiotics was administered everyday ,I was up and about and home in 5 days . All was going ok till 2 weeks and I dislocated ( the pain was horrific never ever have I felt so much pain ) the worst part is when they move you from bed to bed excruciating ! Hip was put in in theatre and stayed one night . The fear of this coming out was so scary I barely moved , I got home feeling very insecure . I had a health nurse come change the bottle for antibiotics everyday that happened for 6 weeks . Then 5 days later out I dislocated again omg so painful , I stayed this time 5 days in hospital as I had rung my surgeon and he said he would organise a hip brace and until that was fitted to stay put . Now this time my hip was so loose I was really afraid to move , the surgeon said once the infection has gone we will put in custom made implant , but that was 6 weeks away . I was crying all the time and then realised I needed to see someone and I was told I had ptsd and given medication to help . Finally had next operation and thought this was it but after a month I dislocated and then 3 months later . Because I Had the infection for two years inside me it left large sist like tumours That had grown and damaged my muscles in thigh and buttocks , and because of this the hip had a lot of space to come out ! So my surgeon said I’ll try lengthen leg a little and try elevate to push further into cup and in theory should help it stay in . I was going great guns walking and working on getting stronger and getting my muscles strong and I really felt this was happening. But 9 months later at a friends daughters 21st I stepped back and out she came out the front , I actually fainted in pain on that one , unfortunately we had ambulance people who were not listening to my husband who has been around every time I have dislocated and finally after lots of pushing I was sent to Tauranga hospital by chopper . Then I had a horrible doctor that bullied me to let him try put in and he tried twice and did not succeed ! I was then admitted and would go Into theatre first up on the next day . My body was shaking so much from his attempts and I had massive bruising that came out over the week . Traumatic experience that one was...so number 5 . So get told I had to class that as my 1st as was from 3 rd op ? Whatever ! So again the slow build up again but whereas I bounced back pretty good , but alas 6 months later she came out again that was 3 weeks ago now I feel it has loosened and pain in whole hip area and thigh ? I had a aspiration done and a few days ago saw surgeon and he said it looked like my fluid samples came back with two types of bacteria ! We are doing another one to be sure as the infectious disease people couldn’t say 100% . So I went in to talk about a capitulation of the ball and then I was getting told that they may have to take whole implant out and go on pick line again for approximately 3 months ....to tell you the truth I was dumb foundered and I’m still trying to process this all . I just can’t imagine how you can walk without ? Does it just hang there ? That would scare me as it would feel like dislocation wouldn’t it ? Can anyone tell me how they went with this , how long were they in bed before they could stand etc ? If I can get rid of the infection I will get a new implant put in with a cap on . Worst case scenario is no hip ..... I hope not .
Angela