Afraid of dislocation!

Gettysburg

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i am in abject fear of dislocation of the hip I am having done on May 9th. Is there any kind of brace out there that the doctor can give me that would prohibit a dislocation? This fear consumes me. My biggest fear than the surgery itself? Any one know of such a contraption?

Thank you
Patty
 
I have never heard of anything like that. I think you are over thinking it tho. As long as you follow your Drs restrictions and take it slow and easy I think you will be fine. Just had my 2nd hip done and havent even thought about dislocation.
 
It really is crazy the rabbit holes we can go down and where we choose to focus our concern. It can be consuming... There are many risks in everything... Know this surgery is very successful. There are some major risks but the possibilities are small... Try to worry about what you can control like selecting a good surgeon and following the precautions for the first six weeks. Otherwise you can drive yourself crazy (I know...)... :)
 
Try not to worry too much, its like life worries---how can we be safe crossing the road. Just follow your surgeons advice and always think--don't take any risks. Im sure you will be fine, you will soon be on the way. Look forward to hearing about your recovery.Hugs to you, I do know what you are going throughxx
 
Here's a bit of information about dislocation from our Library.
Are Postop Precautions Necessary for THA Patients?
Dislocation: incidence of dislocation after THR
Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Dislocations: what are the risks?


I know it's scary but the chance of you dislocating is very slim. In any case you would not want to wear any type of brace post op unless it is specified by your surgeon. A brace would seriously limit your range of motion and impact your recovery.

I changed your thread title so that members can come here and give you support. And there is no such thing as a "silly question" on this forum.
 
Hi .. though my experience is about learning about you're new hip and feeling the limitations. You are having the exact worries as me. I am now 6 weeks post op and doing great. At the beginning I had lots of movement and moments of almost dislocation or so I thought. Now, yes my hip pops in and out of the socket if my leg is in a funny position but nothing scary as I've learnt this is now just part of life. Good luck and try not to worry too much ..
 
now yes my hip pops in and out of the socket if my leg is in a funny position
It doesn't really pop in and out of the socket. You would be on the floor screaming if that were the case. The popping sensation is due to soft tissues and muscles around the hip still needing to firm up after all the trauma of the procedure. This will ease fairly soon.
 
I am scheduled for surgery the day before you and I have the same worries. I talked to my dr about it at length and he assured me dislocations were few and far between if I allow my hip to heal. So I have been concentrating on strengthening my muscles to help with that recovery.
 
I understand your fear. I had the same fear. Until I talked to my OS. He does 300+ hips a year. He said he’s never had a dislocation. He said the old way of smaller balls vs the larger size he uses today. He gave me the numbers, I can’t remember now.
As long as you follow restrictions you will be fine. I think you are so aware of consequences you won’t break the cardinal rules. I can tell you at 4 weeks out now I feel so good now. Just remember the 3 cardinal rules.
You’ll do fine. I had a lot of anxiety before surgery. Obsessive almost. We who’ve been through this really get the worry and fears.
 
It's a funny thing, I was worried terribly about the restrictions and breaking them. Trust me, you're going to be fine. It will be on your mind and if it's not your leg will remind you. It's not that hard to be good. I actually know someone that dislocated and they had to do something dumb to do it. DON'T FALL DOWN!, THAT'S THE #1 RULE, which is why you prep and practice.
 
Hi Patty,
Often times the very thing you stress about pre-op is replaced with some other obsession post op.
Move slowly and carefully with an awareness of your surroundings. If something hurts, STOP.
You'll do just fine.

Concentrate on other aspects of recovery as a distraction from negative thinking.
Figure out the place in your home where you'll rest, sleep in the early days.
Make sure you have all you need close by. A Command Central of sorts.
Water bottle, Lip balm, hand lotion, chargers for your devices, outlet strip, magazines, books, whatever you entertain yourself with. A variety of pillows. Soft loose comfy clothing.
Make sure you have all the Recovery Aids you'll need or use.
http://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/recovery-aids-a-comprehensive-list-for-hospital-and-home.12499/
Plan meals, cook / freeze...if that's your thing.
Schedule any hair maintenance you regularly engage in as it may be awhile between visits.
Same for mani / pedi if you're into that. Usually nail, polish isn't allowed for surgery.
If you occupy your mind with what you'll need post op you'll have less time to worry about something that
will most likely never happen. You'll do great and you're going to love losing the hip pain!
@Gettysburg

Please sign up for Joint Replacement Awareness Day which is next weekend. It's free and will be very informative. You'll find a link in my signature below.
 
Patty, as you can see, I have moved your thread into the Pr-op area. You will get lots of answers here.
 
he assured me dislocations were few and far between
This is very, very true. Considering that the US does something in the order of 2,500 per year, the number of dislocations that happen are barely into double digits. Besides which, there are almost as many dislocations in people who haven't even had a hip replacement! Look at this chart and you'll see that we an never at zero risk of dislocation!

dislocation risk small.jpg


Oh yes, and also, using a brace after the surgery is actually the very worst thing a person could do because it will interfere with the healing and restoration of the muscles around the hip which is the key issue.

Stay strong and try not to obsess about something that is so low on your risk list as to be almost invisible!
 
@Layla your right. It is not going to change my mind about having this surgery because I am in so much pain. I can’t worry what might happen. I’m getting ready! Thank you.

@Josephine . Your knowledge is invaluable to us here. I hope you know how much your appreciated!

Patty

@skigirl , thank you for putting my thread in the proper place.
 
Hooray!!! So glad you will be joining us for Joint Replacement Awareness Day on April 14th. The FREE live streaming event should have a lot of good information for you! See you there!!!
 
@Jamie is it going to stream here? How do I find it?

Thanks
Patty
 
The live stream will be accessed through the JRAD website. You'll be sent specific instructions before the event with a request to check out your login to be sure you can access everything correctly.
 
Great news! Happy to hear it. As long as surgery is scheduled and you know you're not going to back out,
trying to get into a positive mindset Is the best you can do. You're going to lose the pain. It's going to be awesome. You'll be feeling so much better this Summer. You're going to love it! :happydance:
Rooting for you :yay:
@Gettysburg
 

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