Core Decompression Help me please with my AVN

[Bonnie91]

Thank you for your support.. I'm so much bored of that electric things that they put on my knees and hips and that stupid exercises. The said you need back your muscles and they don't do anything about that. Ther are playing with my legs like I'm a doll stretching right and left till I can and others hurt me .. I decided to go to fitness and put some weight on my legs not a lot but slowly little by little and to swim. One day pool, another fitness and I think my muscles will back strenght and I'll be able to walk with right leg. And if that won't help it knows what's next that it's not about muscles it's the hip and I'll change it.
These days I'll visit another doctor from private hospital who I visit before the operations to see what is his opiniot and another from another state hospital because another man told me that he made decompression with that orthopedic doctor.
Thank you for all support I'll be posting news.

 

[Bonnie91]

Today I was to my surgeon and he said that in month or two to make hip replacement .. what's happened now? Last month he looked at the same X-ray and when I said for replacement he said loud NO! And now what, why is he saying about hip replacement. I said to him that I'm working now fitness, I'm walking on track, riding bike and orbitrek and some other fitness machines that I can do with a little weight and that I think maybe it's my muscle and he said .. ok than exercise and we'll see in 3 months. What's happening? Should I said to him what to do, should I said to him that my muscles are weak and maybe it's for that my leg so weak?
I'm so stressed and nervous I don't know what to do, should I go to another orthopedic surgeon, or should I wait the results of my exercises, or to make hip replacement in right leg because left is good, he said for the right, I'm so afraid , I don't want that robot in my body, why he waited so long.
I have pain only when I'm spreading my legs, when I walk my left leg is up because of curve pelvis and I don't have so much pain only the leg falls a little and makes me to curve ... I'm so afraid

 

[glmrphy]

Go to another surgeon for a second opinion. First you need to ask, did the core decompression work? If not, then I am sad to tell you that AVN only gets worse and that hip replacement is in your future anyway. The pain from AVN is worse that arthritis pain, and in my case, pain meds did not help. In AVN, there is no blood flow in the bone, therefore the bone begins to die. If your core decompression failed, then you will most likely need a new joint. I know you are young (I am 45) but as soon as my surgery was over and I stood for the first time, the pain from the AVN was GONE. Because they replaced all that. Ask the new surgeon if the pain you are feeling is AVN pain or muscle pain. Also, you could be doing too much by exercising the way you are, esp if the source of your pain has not been truly identified. I am no medical expert, but I AM familiar with AVN. I also have it in my remaining natural hip, but it's not as bad yet.

 

[miaow27]

Bonnie, I am afraid I have nothing useful to add but do listen to Josephine and glmrphy who has personal experience of AVN. I really hope you find answers soon, don't give up! And keep us posted, with very best wishes, Gill


Sent from my iPad using BoneSmart®

 

[Josephine]

I don't want that robot in my body

When you say 'robot' are you referring to the hip replacement or the surgeon?

I'm so stressed and nervous I don't know what to do, should I go to another orthopedic surgeon, or should I wait the results of my exercises, or to make hip replacement in right leg

Yes you should go to another hip surgeon. My confidence in this man would also be severely damaged too.

But don't be scared of having a hip replacement. It will be the beginning of a brand new life for you.

 

[Vetgirl]

I would listen to Josephine @Bonnie91 and get a new opinion

Thinking of you

 

[Bonnie91]

I tried to picture last X-ray can you tell me something about you can see? Your opinion?

 

[Josephine]

Thank you for the xrays - most informative.
I see quite a lot of damage in the socket and in the femoral head where I have indicated with the arrows.
I believe this to be sufficient to require a replacement.

 

[Bonnie91]

Yes I saw space between and for the left is there chance to keep it for long time?

 

[Josephine]

No, it's not the space. The space is actually a good sign as it means you have a good layer of cartilage.
I was indicating where bone is showing white and dense and damaged. That's early arthritis.

You left hip looks fine to me.

 

[Bonnie91]

I went to a another orthopedic surgeon in a private hospital, he said honey don't worry we'll see on a MRI. You'll do first a MRI and then we'll talk I don't want to say anything before MRI. From X-ray I don't like how the other orthopedic surgeon did the operation he said, because he did it till the dead place, he didn't clean the dead place and I need MRI to see clearly. I have a contracture also from non-exercises and laying in bed, that will fix with exercises with time but now he need to see what is happening with right hip. Left is good for now.
I'll update for a couple of days what he said from an MRI.
I want to say that I'm not afraid so of the hip replacement, I'm afraid of how the operation will be, because from the core decompression first time I woke up when they sewing me and I was scared a lot, and the second time they put me spinal anestesia adn I was scared to death whole operation, I thought I can die. For lucky it only last 10-15 minutes so my stress wasn't so long. And I worry about how he will do the operation, but not talk about that now let's see what the doctor will say and then I'll update here.
Thank you again and again for your support.

 

[Josephine]

That 'dead place' in the femur isn't a dead space at all. it's just the bone graft he inserted. They always show up like that. It looks perfectly fine to me.

 

[Bonnie91]

He didn't insert nothing, he made only core decompression without bone graft.
I got some strength from exercises in the gym and I think it's the hip not the muscles because the pain is in the hip and in the knee and makes me to lame.
Do you think there's still chance to save the hip?

 

[Josephine]

He didn't insert nothing, he made only core decompression without bone graft.

REAlly? Oh my gosh - it looks exactly like there's a bone graft in there. How strange to do that and put nothing into the channel. No wonder you are in pain - the bone is weak.

I think it's the hip not the muscles because the pain is in the hip and in the knee and makes me to lame.

I completely agree.

Do you think there's still chance to save the hip?

No, that hip is shot - in the places where I indicated with the red arrows. The thickening is diseased bone and the white is dead bone. And as you can see, it's in the top of the femoral head and the opposing socket. So it's more than just the femoral head. You definitely need a hip replacement (in my humble opinion!)

 

[Bonnie91]

And till I wait for MRI to make, I'll exercise to strength my muscles but curved pelvis is problem with some exercises because my leg is shorter, can you tell me some exercises I can make to get my pelvis in right position?
Doctors said to me that with walking my pelvis will get back but for now I can walk only on fitness track with holding on side.. do you think that fitness track will help me with my pelvis ? I'm so afraid that pelvis won't get back and my leg will be shorter ohhh.. I'm in big depression these days..

 

[Josephine]

I understand you are depressed but you cannot get your pelvic tilt corrected while your hips are still bad and out of alignment. It will have to wait until after things are corrected.