Questions regarding total hip replacement

Posted by Mamie @mamie, Dec 26, 2017

Hi, I would appreciate any feedback. My left hip joint is totally collapsed and has been for about 4 years. For some reason, I do not have pain. However, the collapse has left my leg shorter and has forced me to be heavily dependent on a cane. I've seen 4 orthopedic surgeons over the years and have gotten varying suggestions. One said not to get THR because I have no pain. Another said he could do it with anterior approach but it would require a lot of cutting, etc., and probably not be the best result. The third said he uses anterolateral approach but he had never seen a collapsed hip without pain. He said that the surgery would be a success but he didn't think I would be happy with the outcome because of possible damage to already weak muscles. The 4th said that he would do it with a posterior approach (is there only one type of posterior approach?) that he thought would give me the least damage. I'm 65 and would like to again enjoy some active years without a cane. I've read that hip surgeries are among the most successful but I get scared when I read forums. My friends remind me that people who have successful THRs don't usually get into forums because they don't have problems. Is that right? Or is the marketing for THRs not mentioning the infections, etc., that come afterward? And how/why do these infections occur? I want to move on with my life but I don't want to exchange a very inconvenient limp/cane for pain and problems. Am I just being a worrywart or ? Thanks for any thoughts.

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@lisalucier

HI, @mamm - welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I've merged your post with this discussion, "Questions about total hip replacement," so you could read what others have said about their experiences and talk with others who have discussed similar surgeries as your sister.

I'm sorry to hear about your sister's tendon cut being discovered too late to fix.

I'm hoping members like @carolg @mamie @mrfish will have some thoughts for you with your sister's case. @predictable @lynnmorgan0916 and @bobbielafleur may also have some input.

Will you also share some of the additional problems she is dealing with due to the tendon issue?

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Thank you so much. My sister is 63 and now has complications that may end up putting her in a wheelchair later in life. The only way I can discribe is that she waddles like a duck. Being that the tendon was cut and time elapsed, it was too late to reattach it to the muscle. It has become very painful and there seems to be nothing that can be done for her. She also has sciatica. I wish I knew what to do to help her.

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I have had my right hip replaced in February of this year and just had my left hip done 4 weeks ago. I have osteoarthritis and they were bone on bone. I still have a little pain but stopped using my walker and cane after the first week and feel I’m doing well. I am 7 years older than my sister. We both had the anterior approach as this makes it almost impossible to cut the tendon. I so wish I could give her some hope.

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@carolg

@mamm. Hi there, I also wondered what other issues your sister is having. I had a total hip replacement in 2016...after a fall and subsequent failed fixation. I developed an antalgic gait afterwards. I went for a 2nd opinion a few weeks ag and was told that i likely have a neuroma from cutting through a nerve during surgery. This has left me with groin pain, pain in my buttock and a loping gait. I would suggest that your sister ask her surgeon for a CT scan and blood work, including a CRP to look for inflammation. I probably haven't helped you much but wish you and your sister well.

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Thank you for your time.

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@carolg

@mamm. Hi there, I also wondered what other issues your sister is having. I had a total hip replacement in 2016...after a fall and subsequent failed fixation. I developed an antalgic gait afterwards. I went for a 2nd opinion a few weeks ag and was told that i likely have a neuroma from cutting through a nerve during surgery. This has left me with groin pain, pain in my buttock and a loping gait. I would suggest that your sister ask her surgeon for a CT scan and blood work, including a CRP to look for inflammation. I probably haven't helped you much but wish you and your sister well.

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My sister went to a highly recommended surgeon at Duke. He opened her and did whT he could for the tendon being cut. He said if he could have seen her sooner there would have been a better opportunity to possibly fix it but by the time he saw he the tendon and muscle had deteriorated too much. By the time her original surgeon referred her to the Duke surgeon it was too late.

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Hi ! I had total hip replacement about 4 years ago and just sailed through it without any complications, took me about 2 months before I went back to work.

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@mamm

Thank you for your time.

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@carolg thank you for your kind words. My sister also has severe deterioration of her spine, her discs are smaller (20-40) % now pressing on her nerves causing sciatica which causes pain & numbness down her legs & feet. Also has a buildup of fluid in her spine which also causes pain. She found all of this out after a recent MRI.

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@jfsherley

Hi ! I had total hip replacement about 4 years ago and just sailed through it without any complications, took me about 2 months before I went back to work.

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I also had total hip replacement for both hips. First my right this February and my left just 4 weeks ago. My right was more painful and rehabilitation took a little longer. My left is doing great. I didn’t need to use anything to help with walking after the first week. I believe the left was much easier due to walking, indoor biking and hip exercises prior to surgery. Of course, my surgeon was great! So happy to hear you’re doing so well.

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Much obliged to you such a great amount for this incredible data, yet I have additionally had a proposal for crotch and hip wounds, Medical review pressure that helps with crotch, hamstring, hip and osteitis damage recuperation, and avoidance. Supacore is the main brand for Injury Recovery Medical Device.

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Husband had original judet cementless hip replacement in 1981 at age 26. It went well. In hospital 3 weeks. On crutches for 6 mo. Recommended back then. In fall of 1982 in car accident. Passenger in vehicle hit by drunk driver. Hospitalized 2 weeks with concussion, knee wound. A year later started having issues with hip. Dr thought rejecting ball so he had revision surgery in 1984. Was better for awhile but never great. In 1996 new surgeon did a total revision replacement with cadaver bone, wire, screws and a plate over a cracked pelvis that he felt probably happened in that car accident. It never showed up on xrays/mri when standing
still. Surgery took over 11 hours to pull it all out and replace. Did very well. In hospital 2 days! 2 yrs
Later had other hip replaced. He did dislocate that one 3x before a different woman surgeon fixed. Has been good since. Over 20 yrs. The 1996 hip though is not doing well. Has loosened. His surgeon is partially retired and no longer doing surgery. He sent him to another surgeon who doesn’t want to do any more surgery. He told him to go on disability and get Medicare. No help with pain, no other solutions offered. We don’t think our insurance will pay for him to go to Mayo. Have read about a new procedure that cleans out hip area of any debris and using camera injects cement into loose areas. My husband is 63 and not 83. He doesn’t want to be in pain for rest of his life. Anyone else been told no more revisions?

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@crichown

Much obliged to you such a great amount for this incredible data, yet I have additionally had a proposal for crotch and hip wounds, Medical review pressure that helps with crotch, hamstring, hip and osteitis damage recuperation, and avoidance. Supacore is the main brand for Injury Recovery Medical Device.

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Hi @crichown - Welcome to Connect! Sorry to be so late in responding. When you reference the Supacore product are you talking about cycling shorts or compression leggings? Can you share a little more about your injury? Hope things are improving for you.

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