THR Difficulty using toilet after hip surgery

Alice914

new member
Joined
Jul 21, 2021
Messages
3
Age
71
Country
United States United States
Gender
Female
Hello - I had anterior hip surgery 3 1/2 weeks ago and initially was doing ok going to the bathroom. However, now I cannot sit on toilet without extreme pain as the seat hits the back of my thigh. The pain is so bad I begin to shake and need to use ice from my knee to my hip. I’ve tried getting foam padding for the seat which helps marginally. I am ready to try using depends so I can urinate standing up. I am 68 yrs old and this had been extremely difficult. Any suggestions?
 
Hello, :welome:Welcome to BoneSmart and recovery, Thanks for joining us.
I‘m sorry you‘re dealing with such extreme pain suddenly. I’m wondering if you‘ve had your first post op appointment yet…If so, did you mention this to your surgeon? Since you didn’t experience this until recently, you may want to check in with your surgeons office for some ideas to ease this discomfort, if you haven’t already.

Please share your surgery date below and we’ll create a signature for you. This information is helpful for Staff and for any members who stop by to read or comment on your thread.

I’ll leave our Recovery Guidelines of which most will still apply. Please stop back often for support. We’d love to follow your healing journey. I hope you find a remedy that brings you relief soon.

As you begin healing, please keep in mind that each recovery is unique. While the BoneSmart philosophy successfully works for many, there will be exceptions. Between the recommendations found here, your surgeon's recovery protocol and any physical therapy you may engage in, the key is to find what works best for 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
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. Here is a week-by-week guide

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.
 
My surgery date was June 23rd, 2021

Thank you for your response. Walking was coming along fine until a week ago and now I have groin pain, thigh pain, knee pain and of course the sitting pain. This is very discouraging since so many articles say you should be walking in 2 weeks with no problem.
 
You’re welcome. :)

My apologies, Alice, but I forgot to ask you which hip was replaced also. If you will leave that info below, we’ll add it to your signature.

Unless you’re able to pin point the discomfort and pain you describe to a particular activity, I’d touch base with the surgeons office and let a member of his care team determine whether you need to schedule an appointment.

Please don’t compare your recovery to that of others. There a many reasons why we each recover at different rates and comparing can often lead to anxiety and disappointment.
Check out the Activity Progression for THR under Number 5 in the Recovery Guidelines above. It’s only a rough gauge, some excel, some lag behind. See where you feel you fall using that as a guideline.

Also, ice any / all areas of discomfort, rest and use OTC pain relievers until you speak with someone from your surgeons office.

Wishing you comfort and relief.
@Alice914
 
Hi,
Thanks for sharing your recovery story...sorry you're having
so much pain, and I hope things
get MUCH better! :)
 
UPDATE 8/2/21

After struggling with my groin and knee pain for 5 weeks after right hip replacement, I saw my Orthopedic Surgeon who informed me my pain is coming from my L4 disc. He has ordered an MRI, which I'm waiting to take, and prescribed methylprednisolone pack which I have completed. Still the pain remains the same. My understanding is the next step would be an injection under X-Ray. Unfortunately, I am now at 12 weeks of pain with no improvement in sight. Initially, I had sciatica and was seen by a spine doctor who prescribed meloxicam for 4 weeks, the spine doctor did not see me again but said it was fine to proceed with my hip surgery. Seems to me the spine doctor should have seen me again and ask how I was doing before hip surgery. My back is now what is hurting even though they say that is where the problem starts. If anyone has suggestions on how I can alleviate this horrible pain, I would be greatly appreciative.
 
@Alice914 You do need to see a spinal specialist again. Your hip surgeon can not diagnose spinal problems. THR can often aggravate spinal issues. Please contact your spinal surgeon again to get this addressed.
 

BoneSmart #1 Best Blog

Staff online

  • Jaycey
    ADMINISTRATOR Staff member since February 2011

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
65,167
Messages
1,596,863
BoneSmarties
39,356
Latest member
JanieMarie
Recent bookmarks
0
Back
Top Bottom