Revision THR 7 days home does it get better

[leejaa]

Listen to your body. I would get exhausted from any outings and especially seeing the doctor. Good news that all is going well. Have a peaceful night.

 

[laurendallastx]

Just an update on my Left Hip Replacement Posterior after 3 weeks. All good. Fatigue is slowly going away and sleeping normal at night. No leg cramps. Very little pain. I went to the park and walked one fourth of a mile with trekking poles on a soft flat trail. Ugh...it wiped me out. PT going well. Weight loss is slow.

Stitches out, incision healing well no issues.

My left leg is one quarter inch longer which is very hard to get used to. I have searched this web site for LLD and the operated leg. I am stuck with a walking stick for now. Only been 3 weeks so I cannot expect miracles.

I will keep posting progress!

 

[Mojo333]

Hi @laurendallastx
Glad to hear you are healing and please try not to worry too much about leg length differential as many new hippys perceive this issue and it can take several months for this to settle out.
You can find our library article about LLD by clicking on the link here.
I hope you are doing gentle stretching and icing after activity.
Tightness is a normal occurance after THR so keep all slow and steady.
Early days indeed. Lots of healing still happening and lots of improvement still to come.
Keep the faith and stay patient...it gets better.

 

[Layla]

Hi Lauren,
Happy One Month Anniversary!
I hope you have a lovely weekend and do something to celebrate this mini milestone.
Best Wishes for fantastic progress in the month to come!
@laurendallastx

 

[laurendallastx]

Hello I've been lurking and reading and enjoy reading everyone progress. Unfortunately I have a dislocation out of nowhere and in the hospital again and they were unable to put it back. Now waiting for the surgeon to help me. I am exasperated! I was doing well and Trail hiking with sticks about 4 to 5 days a week two to three miles a day. I am so bummed and I don't know why my hip gave out but it just popped up.

 

[Mojo333]

Oh my stars...I really hate to hear that you suffered a dislocation.
Hopefully you pain is being managed well while they make a plan.
I can only imagine how anxious you must be.
Please let us know how you are.
Hugsxxxxx

 

[laurendallastx]

Y'all I had an entire new replacement yesterday and home. The experience was horrible I was laying in the emergency room with a dangled leg for 12 hours and they couldn't put it back they tried twice my surgeon was in surgeries all day the next day so they gave me lots of pain medicine. When I was doing physical therapy in October I kept telling them I feel a pinch after certain exercises and they told me to keep going and to work through it. I'm not blaming them at all no one knows what happened but just a lesson with physical therapy if it hurts in a certain way to stop. I am posting this for good information.

 

[Layla]

The experience was horrible I was laying in the emergency room with a dangled leg for 12 hours and they couldn't put it back they tried twice my surgeon was in surgeries all day the next day so they gave me lots of pain medicine

I HAVE NO WORDS. I’m so sorry, this is difficult to fathom. Thankfully you’re back home and on your way to healing. Please consider skipping PT this time around as it’s unnecessary. I hope you’re resting comfortably and any pain is well managed.
Wishing you comfort and a peaceful evening as you begin the journey again.

 

[Pumpkin]

I am so sorry you had to go through dislocation and revision.
I see you found Casper01, a fellow traveler with revision so soon after the primary THR.

Agree with Layla, skip PT.

Here is a second copy of the Hip Recovery Guidelines for you, pay particular attention to the Big Tip.

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

​

BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy​

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

​

Activity progression for THRs​

6. Access these pages on the website

​

Oral And Intravenous Pain Medications​

Wound Care In Hospital​

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 the majority of BoneSmart’s forums, we ask that each member have only One Recovery Thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.

 

[Pumpkin]

You mentioned a leg length discrepancy in an earlier post, here is a link to an article in the library.
Leg length differential - LLD

If you would like a different thread title post it here, a moderator will update the title for you.
Thanks!

 

[laurendallastx]

Thank you all for all information. My surgeon said skip PT as well. I became so strong simply hiking 2 flat miles a day. I am so happy to be home in my own bed leg cramps and all!

 

[Mojo333]

Hi @laurendallastx
Hoping you are improving and might pop by with an update when you are up to it.
Continued good wishes for rapid healing.

 

[Dibbers64]

Hi Lauren, I am supposed to have hip revision surgery in February. I had posterior, total left hip replacement in September 2019. Since then, it has been horrible. I am so afraid of getting the revision surgery because risk of dislocation. I just don't know what to do.

 

[Dibbers64]

I thought you had a revision surgery, sorry about your dislocation. I sure hope you start feeling better soon.

 

[laurendallastx]

Been very depressed but still reading posts for encouragement.

Total Left Hip Replacement 9/30/2020 posterior approach
Dislocation 12/07/2020
Revision 12/09/2020 new cup and head only

Was feeling great up until last week. Now intense pain unable to lift leg into bed without severe pain. Was cleared last week to go back to work before this pain.
Pain radiates from groin to inner thigh. It is excruciating. Surgeon will not return my call. Very upset. Called practically every surgeon in Dallas covered under my insurance and none want to touch me after 2 surgeries in 3 months. You never think it is going to happen to you.
A slightly larger head and cup were replaced with longer screws.
It hurts bad.
Other than this mess I am enjoying reading happier recoveries. It is encouraging!

 

[Dibbers64]

Hi Lauren, I am so sorry you are going through this. I can definitely understand your frustration and pain. I am still very hesitant to have hip revision surgery even though I am in pain and my hip, leg does not work right. So afraid of more problems. Again, you are in my thoughts, hang in there.

 

[Mojo333]

Hi @laurendallastx
I hate that your OS office had not returned your call.
Shouldn't you have a follow up very soon?
I hope your activity level has been minimal and you are still icing, elevating and babying that hip. One month out of a revision and as you say, 2 surgeries in 3 months...
It is early days in this recovery.

Revision 12/09/2020 new cup and head only

Was cleared last week to go back to work before this pain

I'm sorry, but this sounds crazy to me!
I hope you haven't been trying too hard to get back to activity in anticipation of going back to work.
It sounds like you need some better pain management and certainly for your surgeon's office to not ignore your calls.
Hopefully you are icing and elevating often?
Sincerest sympathies for your pain and having to struggle right now on top of feeling ignored.

 

[laurendallastx]

Y'all I have had such a fear of any activity. I feel like a lump in my chair! Walking only with a cane. At my 2 week follow up they took x rays all was great no pain or issues getting in and out of car and bed. Now all of a sudden pain severe groin pain.
I did find a new surgeon willing to see me Monday and take new xrays and go through my operative report and records. I will post his findings. I could have pulled something but watching Cagney and Lacey reruns all day doesn't take any effort. Ha!

My original surgeon never returned my call. Sad....

 

[Mojo333]

So sorry...I had alot of groin pain the first month post op also....I am glad you have someone to look at it for you though.
Please update when you can

 

[Mojo333]

P.S. Ioved Cagney & Lacey.
for answers.