Debating hip replacement

Your analysis is right on - many surgeons use the opportunity of joint replacement to equalize long-term leg inequalities. Mine manifested as back pain. The ortho doc referred me for PT and "gait training" to retrain my body, and the issue eventually went away. There are other possibilities as well, related to nerves healing or another issue, so it is important to have it evaluated.
Sue

I'm at the point where I may need to think about a hip replacement. I don't have pain during the day but I do when I'm sleeping due to being a side sleeper. It's mostly with my right hip. I've concentrated on losing weight which I know should help and I'm sorry I didn't focus on weight loss earlier in my life. I subscribe to emails from McMaster Optimal Aging Portal and saw this one this morning that might be helpful for those of us with osteoarthritis of the hips. It's a free online course plus you can download and print exercises for the knees and hips.

Osteoarthritis and Exercise - Learn how to best manage osteoarthritis of the hip and knee with exercise. Reduce your symptoms and improve your mobility.
- https://www.mcmasteroptimalaging.org/e-learning/mobility

Hello, the only thing I would suggest prior to hip replacement would be to hove allergy testing done. I am 70 and never had any allergies. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the testing done prior to surgery. I never thought it. Turned out I am allergic to two things, neomycin sulfate, and methyl methacrylate. Which is in the bone cement! All cements have this ingredient! If you don’t have pain while walking, I’d say stay away from surgery until it has totally interfered with the quality of your life. Good luck.

I agree about when to seek surgery - when it interferes with mobility, time to do it. If it's merely uncomfortable, try less drastic measures first. I couldn't walk up steps without pulling myself up on the railing before mine were done.

I will tell you, rehabbing from a hip replacement is a piece of cake compared to knee surgery. I had a "rebuild" not a replacement at 44, and the rehab took over 6 months of twice a day exercise - by 6 months I rehabbed both hips completely after surgeries 8 weeks apart and was swing dancing often.

Sue

I also never thought of having allergies relating to a hip replacement. Thank you so much for the info, I will surely keep that in mind.

How did your second replacement go?

I had my left hip done nearly 6 years ago and I regret ever having it done. I am in pain all the time. I can walk and use stairs but nothing really helps..I use tramadol and gabapentiine as well as Advil, Aleve ,Tylenol, hot and cold packs and hip exexercises. No doctor has helped me.

Wow, that is awful news. So sorry to hear that. Makes me very nervous to have mine done.

That is too bad. Just had my right hip done in August of this year. Great results - just got back from a three mile no limp and no pain walk. Most folks I talk to now that have had it done have been well pleased. Would be curious as to how doctors assessed your issue.

@popolopo I too am sorry to hear of your continuing issues - what do the docs say are causing it, since this ie extremely unusual for hip replacements.

@lgal Please don't be frightened by one person's poor result - many of us have had successful hip replacements. In my experience, the best predictors of success are an extremely experienced ortho, being in the best possible physical and mental state for surgery, and following the recovery guidelines. I also believe that you need at least a couple of real PT sessions to get you on track - most who have had long term hip issues have a limp or other gait issue that need to be addressed and corrected for the best results.

After a period of good time, I had a poor result from my first hip replacement surgeries, but it was because of bad implants (no longer on market), no PT and a bad doctor. Once I had a new surgeon, replacement implants and proper PT, life has been wonderful for the past 8 years.

Be sure to choose an ortho who keeps up on the latest techniques and does MANY hip replacement surgeries.
Sue