Revision THR Golfer67 Recovery Thread

Happy new year to everyone I know it is bound to be better than 2020. I just want to give an update on my situation. As I have posted before I am having pain and swelling in the entire area around my replaced hip along with pain in the front of my thigh. I went back to my surgeon December 8th and he told me everything looked good and ordered blood test to check for an infection. The blood test came back negative for infection so he prescribed a six day round of Prednisone which did no good at all. So my surgeon has now prescribed a twelve day treatment of Prednisone that is four times more powerful than the first round. I just started the more powerful dose of Prednisone yesterday so I don’t know yet if it will work. I am trying to be positive and take the attitude that it will work and that this is the beginning of the end of this recovery.
 
@golfer67 wish I had something more to tell you other than I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers that this round of prednisone does the trick. :fingersx::praying:
 
I am on my 10th day of a twelve day treatment of a strong dose of Prednisone and so far I am getting worst instead of better. The dosing tapers down and it has gone from three pills a day to one so I don't expect the treatment to work if it has not worked so far. I have been doing all the research that I can to try to understand why this pain and swelling developed at around the three month mark after my surgery. A possible condition that I keep coming back to is Hypertrophic Oscillation (HO) or Myositis. the reason that I am suspecting this condition is that my body already has a history of growing bone in places that it is not supposed to be. In 2014 I had to have an operation on my neck to make room for my spinal cord due to a condition Ossification of the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament (OPLL) also HO seems to be a common occurrence after hip replacement surgery. Has anyone here had a problem with HO or Myositis? If you have could tell me what was done about it and how it turned out for you?
 
Hello golfer, I’m sorry you’re still struggling and in search of answers. My heart goes out to you as you research possibilities with hopes of resolution. Have you shared your medical history and suspicions in regard to HO with your surgeon? That would be my first step. There is an article I can share from the BoneSmart Library -


I will look for some threads of others who’ve dealt with the same and post below.
@golfer67
 
Here are a few to begin with.
Please stay in touch, we’re here for you.



 
Sometimes this abnormal bone growth occurs with no rhyme or reason. You may not be able to drill down and find out exactly why it's happening. Since you had a history of it, I would imagine you might be more susceptible to it. It would always be something you should discuss with your surgeons prior to any procedure as there are some things that can be done immediately post-op to try and reduce the risk of it occurring. If this treatment doesn't work, you may want to get some additional opinions about what to do next. You want doctors who are used to dealing with this problem AND who have had success in treating it. Please continue to let us know how you're doing.

One thing to remember is that the result from this round of cortisone may not be seen for a while. It's usually not an "immediate cure." So, wait a bit before you judge that it's not working.
 
Thanks Layla for that information I will be sure and study it. I am not sure yet just what is wrong but both myself and my Doctor are in agreement that something unusual is going on with my left hip and glute area and that is why he ordered the very powerful dose of Prednisone to try and reduce the swelling. I will be calling him back around the middle of next week to see where we go from here. My problem may very well not be HO but something is wrong and we are running out of possible diagnosis.
 
I have reached my five month mark since my hip replacement. I still am not doing very well I still have pain and swelling that gets worst with activity. I have just finished my second round of Prednisone and the Prednisone did not help the swelling even a small bit. I do have a new development in that I can feel looseness and a pop when I move a certain way that was not there earlier. I am scheduled to see my Doctor on 02/02/2021 but I may wait until I can get a covid-19 vaccine before I go back in person and try to change this appointment to an over the phone appointment. Anyway maybe I am just a slow healer and all these problems will go away with time.
 
Hey @golfer67
I just read a post of yours elsewhere and you mentioned the following -

I developed swelling again at about the three month mark and I still have it now at five months. My doctor tells me that it is not normal but so far he does not know why the swelling came back.

I am not a medical professional, but my surgeon did mention that swelling can last up until a full year. I assume he meant slowly decreasing over time. You’re only at the five month point. I’m wondering what you’re doing for exercise, or therapy and if something you’re engaging in is causing the swelling? Have you tried some dedicated icing and elevation in an effort to remedy the swelling? If not, please consider it.
I hope today is a good day. :SUNsmile:
 
Yes I have tried all the normal remedies of nsaids even high doses of prednisone and of course icing. My swelling is not a general swelling like we get due to surgery it is around the implant but extends farther to the back and also runs down the front of my thigh. I have been working with my doctor remotely in an effort to resolve it but to no avail. I have an in person appointment on February 02 so maybe with new x-rays and examination we will start to come up with a reason for my problem. Personally I would love for the prognosis to be that all is okay and I just need to wait longer and it will get better but I know better because I can feel that something is wrong and this is not just the normal progression from the surgery. Thanks for all the help and advice that you give me I take it very seriously and respect any help and opinions I can get.
 
Well I had my much awaited appointment with my surgeon yesterday. The results are very encouraging as he could find nothing wrong with the implants and no evidence of any of the normal complications that can arise from a hip replacement surgery. He did tell me that I have a very bad case of bursitis and administered two pain and inflammation relieving injections into the bursa. The injections are to try and get the inflammation to subside but so far that has not worked. I asked my surgeon if the pain and inflammation would go away if I just give it enough time. His answer was “it will go away, I promise you that”. So my plan is to just try to go on as if the pain and swelling is not there with the assumption that someday it will go away.
 
The injections are to try and get the inflammation to subside but so far that has not worked.
Bursitis can be very stubborn and the injections don't always work instantly. Give it time and a bit of patience. See if icing helps.

Hope this eases for you @golfer67 !
 
How did the injections work out? Hopefully your swelling went down.

Thanks,

Larry
 
Thanks Larry for the concern but I am not doing well with my recovery, the cortisone shot did not help, as soon as it wore off all the pain and swelling came back just as bad as it was before. I don’t know what the problem is and it is obvious that my Doctor does not know either. The actual joint looks great on my x-rays with no sign of problems and the stem in my femur looks great however I still have pain and swelling. I am starting to suspect that I could be having a reaction to the mental in the new joint as the new joint contains cobalt. Larry could you tell me just exactly what your symptoms were when you were having a reaction to the mental in your hip resurfacing? I hope you are still recovering well from your hip replacement.



Golfer67
 
I know that I am late to the party but I had my surgery on 08/19/2020 and from the looks of it I will be around a lot longer due to my problems so please join me in the August club.
Hello golfer67. Nice to meet you. Had my hip replaced back on 8/8/2020. I feel a lot better. I still have some tightness and some aching. My surgeon told me I have muscle spasms and recommended a foam muscle massage roller. I have a plastic one that seems to help. I do my physical therapy exercises daily too.
 
Today is my seventh month mark since my hip replacement and I am in about the same shape as I have been since my incision healed and my body got over the surgery. I still have unexplained swelling and pain across behind and over the top of my new hip joint. I have great range of motion in the new joint but I just can’t get to a point where I can enjoy life again due to whatever this unusual condition is that I have. My condition is not like anything I can find on this forum or the internet. At my last appointment my Doctor said that it was bursitis but he was wrong. The spot he gave me a shot in wasn't even the main area that my pain and swelling resides so the shot ended up not helping at all. I am scheduled to go back in May but I am thinking hard about getting a second opinion from some kind of sports medical place to see if they can help me. Where would you guys go if you had a situation like I have?

Thanks

Golfer67
 
Where would you guys go if you had a situation like I have?
Seek a second opinion for your THR, from a surgeon specializing in Revisions, they have the education and background to determine what is happening with troubled hips. Look for a surgeon specializing in complex joint reconstruction or revisions. They should have no relationship with your present OS, not even golf buddies.
You can use our Surgeon Locator at the top of he page in the blue banner.
 

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