when and where for hip replacement

Posted by bluegill @bluegill, 2 days ago

It's complicated. The orthopedic surgeon said I needed it 3 years ago. It will be tricky, because he has to yank out 20 year-old hardware (rod and screws), but he thinks he can do it. That's the local surgeon, with a good reputation.

Or, I could have it done at Mayo (11 hours away). They might do a little better job, but what about recovery time and follow-up? What about the 11-hour drive back home?

I've been putting it off, relying mainly on hip exercises and limping. But it's getting worse.

Meanwhile, I'm a Gleason 10. That's right, 10 out of 10, a perfect score. According to AI I should have died 3 years ago.

The main reason I've been putting it off is that I want to put in flooring in our summer home, which is under construction. Yes, I know, that's crazy. But I fear that with a new hip I might pop it out of joint while kneeling over the tile flooring.

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Had my right hip replaced in September 23 within 4 months everything was like normal, I was 76.. I go to the gym three times a week walk on the track twice a day every day my hip Isn’t an issue. Had my knee replaced in March 24 and that took a year and three months to get over. I do a hip any time.

Maybe you don’t have four months to recover.

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Thanks Jeff. Maybe my question isn't so much when (I need to get it done soon) but where.

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Good luck on both the PC and hip journeys!
You don't mention your approximate location but anything less than an 11-hour drive from Mayo takes in a lot of civilization that should have an excellent orthopedic surgeon.
My best plan to find a good doc is to get appointment/s and see what they have to say (take or send your X-rays).
Ask the surgeon how soon you can get to your floor project. If you get thorough answers, don't detect any BS, they have experience, and show they LOVE their work - then go for it.
I had right hip done 11 years ago (age 67) and left done last November (age 78). My hip recoveries were pretty much done in 4-weeks. My surgeon loves his work; he said, "I make people feel better every day!!!!"
My doc's main directive was DON'T CROSS your legs! Even at the ankles. Then, after the 4-weeks, he said I was ok for full range of motion; hope you can as well.
Your situation and surgeon might be different but your outlook seems good and you must be fairly active now since you're planning to install a floor.
So go for it!
Get all you can out of your 'bonus years' of PC.
We're all pulling for you

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Profile picture for jeff Marchi @jeffmarc

Had my right hip replaced in September 23 within 4 months everything was like normal, I was 76.. I go to the gym three times a week walk on the track twice a day every day my hip Isn’t an issue. Had my knee replaced in March 24 and that took a year and three months to get over. I do a hip any time.

Maybe you don’t have four months to recover.

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Jeff, thanks for the knee and hip report. We're really close to the same age FWIW.
Had left hip replaced Nov '24 and left Knee replaced Dec '24. Hip was no big deal.
But knee is still sore though improving so slowly. I guess I'm on the same ~15 month road as you followed. I'm glad to know I'm not such an outlier with this knee.

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Profile picture for bluegill @bluegill

Thanks Jeff. Maybe my question isn't so much when (I need to get it done soon) but where.

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Blue, going thru this now with my wife. Do we do it literally 5 minutes from home or drive 3 hrs to NYC to the best: Hospital for Special Surgery.
The docs out here are good. The one at HSS is better. He uses 3 different images/scans and does the whole procedure virtually (using surgical software) before he ever picks up a scalpel.
He told us that he never has anything unexpected happen once he goes in because he’s already “done it” virtually.
All rehab/therapy is done at/near home. But 3 hrs is not 11 and that kind of drive could be a dealbreaker.
But again, a surgeon who says ‘he thinks he can do it’ is a far cry from someone who knows exactly what has to be done and how he’s going to do it.
Good luck with your hip - and your floor!
Phil

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Thanks for the encouragement.

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❝Meanwhile, I'm a Gleason 10. That's right, 10 out of 10, a perfect score. According to AI I should have died 3 years ago.❞

That's AI for you. When I first tried out ChatGPT, it told me I'd written one book I had, one book I hadn't, and tragically, had died in 2012.

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North, for being dead your writing skills seem quite good.

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.. Consider taking an airplane to MAYO. They were fabricating computerized custom hip replacements 40!! years ago when the rest of the world was using the 'by guess and by golly' off the shelf approximation of the best hip for you. There are still surgeons using a posterior approach which is quicker for them to do. It has a greater rehab burden than the longer anterior approach. [ One local 'saw bones' (LOL) in the Boston area said he did not play golf like some of his colleagues who wanted to get on the links earlier! ] This surgeon even occasionally did hip surgeries under 'saddle block' rather than general anesthesia for a patients afraid of or at greater risk otherwise.

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Profile picture for grandpun @grandpun

Jeff, thanks for the knee and hip report. We're really close to the same age FWIW.
Had left hip replaced Nov '24 and left Knee replaced Dec '24. Hip was no big deal.
But knee is still sore though improving so slowly. I guess I'm on the same ~15 month road as you followed. I'm glad to know I'm not such an outlier with this knee.

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I had not been able to run or jog for at least three or four years. After that 15 month knee recovery, I can now run and jog. It’s incredible. The track I run on is right next to a school. One of the coaches said to me wow you’re running. He’s seen me on that track twice a day for a couple of years and it sure surprised him.

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