THR 28 years old and 5 weeks post-op from a THR

D|2ew

new member
Joined
Jun 12, 2019
Messages
2
Age
33
Country
United States United States
Gender
Male
Hi everyone, I came across this amazing website as I was doing research in anticipation for my surgery. This site has helped me out a lot and I felt the need to share my story.

When I was 13, I fractured my right femoral head in a car accident and the injury went unnoticed until I started experiencing hip pain 8 weeks after the accident.

After putting me on crutches for a long period of time my hip showed no signs of progress. After this, my doctor suggested we try a bone growth stimulation device, which ended up not working.

At this point in time, we had exhausted all of our options and couldn't move forward with a THR because of my age. The only option left was to ride it out until I was older and manage the pain in the mean time.

Early on, the pain wasn't bad, but as I got older it progressed and in the last couple of years it became so bad that I live a sedentary lifestyle to minimize pain. Because of this, my surgeon thought it was in my best interest to move forward with a THR.

Fortunately, I live in Houston and have access to amazing surgeons and consulted with 3 of the best Hip/Knee specialist in town, one being the Doctor I've been seeing since I was 13. All 3 suggested I move forward with the surgery due to impact the injury has had on my quality of life so I set a date with my original surgeon.

My recovery has gone wonderfully and I was up and walking the same day. I was walking without crutches by the second week and driving by the third. I was able to drive longer distances by the 4th week and started going into the office again.

I saw my surgeon last week and he lifted all restrictions and told me to ease into bending. I do have a slight limp still due to muscle atrophy, but it's slowly going away as I gain strength in the leg.

The surgery has been life changing for me and I no longer feel like a 28 year old trapped in a old man's body. I recommend anyone contemplating this surgery to seriously considering moving forward with it!
 
Hello, Welcome to BoneSmart. What a journey you've had! I'm sorry you had to experience it all at such a young age. Thankfully you found a solution and end to your pain through THR.

Please share your exact surgery date below and which hip you had replaced. The information will be applied as your signature.

I'm wondering if your surgeon is okay with you not using an assistive device while you're still limping? We suggest using one until you're no longer limping. Also, heel toe walking is helpful in losing a limp. Let your heel strike the ground first, followed by toes. It takes some concentration initially, but if you're not already doing it, give it a try and see what you think.

Below you will find the Recovery Guidelines which may still be of benefit to you. Pay special attention to the Big Tip toward the bottom.

Stop back often, we'd love to support you as you continue healing.
A great rest of the week to you!


Hip Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
elevate
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​
3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.
4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these
5. At week 4 and after you should follow this
6. Access to these pages on the website

Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery

Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key

Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it

Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

BIG TIP: Hips actually don't need any exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask the at each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.
 
Hi, @D|2ew

I'm glad your hip replacement is proving such a success and I hope that, once it is fully healed, it will give you back an active life.

One small favour I'm asking - I've edited your first post and added paragraphs, so it is easier to read. Unfortunately, a big block of text is hard to read, and many people don't bother. With added paragraphs, it's easier to read and to understand what you're saying. So please, in future, will you use paragraphs when you post? Thank you. :flwrysmile:
 
You might also be interested to look at these cases Teenage hip replacements
They are examples of 15 +/- year olds who had hip replacements. So you're not alone!
 
Glad to hear your surgery went well and you will be back to a full happy life.
I, too, am grateful for this amazing surgery
 
Last edited:
Amazing story. @D12ew So sorry for your long road of pain. Thrilled your THR has given you back your young body. This site has been a tremendous support to me. I’m sure other teens would love to hear more about your surgery success.
 

BoneSmart #1 Best Blog

Staff online

  • Jaycey
    ADMINISTRATOR Staff member since February 2011

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
65,181
Messages
1,597,070
BoneSmarties
39,365
Latest member
Dave4562
Recent bookmarks
0
Back
Top Bottom