THR Hip surgery under 40 years

[sandee]

Hi @sandee
ha ha I guess we are somewhat sync'd. Glad to meet you. I slipped on water and totally dislocated it.
I had an open procedure because currently my right hip was pinned to stay in place.
On my thread, I posted a pic of my x-rays from 2006 and from this year.
When compared, you can see that the femoral head is so flat. I, too will have my THR in August.

Yep, I slipped on wet grass in 1989. I remember getting up and falling back down and every kid said "Funny sandra" since I said "I've fallen and I can't get up" and I was crying when I said it as a 13 year old. I got up three times and I feel down three times. It was very scary for a 13 year old not knowing why I couldn't walk.

The femoral head flattening is just what is expected. I asked my doctor to take a picture of my femoral head after it was out and instead of being a nice round shape/circle, mine was an oval shape and - it looked like the moon with hills, valleys and big huge craters in it. I think they are called bone spurs. Bone on bone.

I didn't know you will be having a THR. Glad I caught that . . in your signature. Be sure to ask for anti nausea meds meds when you wake up. you may feel like puking when you wake up. . .and - also - ask if the nurses can put the IV in your arm - not back of your hand. It will hurt if they put it in the back of your hand. I also asked for a chaser right before the anesthetic goes into your veins (IV). The nite nite stuff that goes through the IV - burns like hell and in 2012 (for another surgery) I screamed like hell right before I was put out.

In 2013 for my THR, I asked for lanacane or something like that and the doctors were wonderful. I had no pre-op burning in my arm. It is important to advocate for your pre-op care (many nurses are good about this, but sometimes the nurses are student nurses and are learning how to put needles into hands). I was also told from my surgeon right before I went into the OR that when I'd wake up - I'd find myself with more than one IV. When I went into the OR I had one IV in my left arm underneath . .when I woke up I had 2 IVs in my arm and I was told there was an IV in my right leg/groin area for something else. Not sure what, I think it may have been draining blood or something. I know I didn't have blood transfusion, but when I woke up I had many IVs in me and - to be frank - I was a bit overwhelmed with all of the IVs in me.

Oh, drat. I just remembered, this is the post op care board, not the pre-op care board. @rettabetta , I may have to continue this with you in the pre-op board

 

[sandee]

Many times what one does before surgery is what continues after. I have read that many people that live very active lives before surgery - want to continue this and can actually return to their active/limber lifestyle after a THR. What I found out is that if there is some issue that caused low range of motion years before the THR - then it may make range of motion much more difficult after having the THR. I know I would never be able to do poses like this . . .with my leg straight up in the air since I haven't been practicing this before my THR.

But this shows how good science is with surgery. Returning people to doing what they love (gymnastics or dance or other sports) and having them do it all - without the pain they once had. I'm excited that she had her baby 10 months post op. Now I have hope that I'd be able to give birth someday with this new hip. Always been concerned about "how will my hips expand with this new metal thing in there?" (but I better hurry up if I want to get pregnant since I'm almost 40, don't have much time left).

 

[rettabetta]

Lol you are right @sandee ! I have a thread in pre-op called "on the fence but I've set the date"...


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[busymum]

Hiya, I'm only 30 too and due to have hip replacement in a couple of weeks - very daunting but hopefully will finally get rid of the pain x

 

[rettabetta]

Hey @busymum! Welcome to Bonesmart! When is your big day? How did you become an candidate for THR?


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[busymum]

Hiya - I've had pain for about yrs in my hip and leg but docs just kept saying it was nothing - finally got an x Ray and turns out its really bad arthritis - bit of a shock. Big day is 15th May - dreading being in hospital away from kids! Feel bit better about operation after reading some of stories on here though x

 

[Josephine]

Oh, which surgeon is doing it for you? Not Mr Manktelow by any chance?

 

[busymum]

No, I think his name is McDermott x

 

[mommymuscle]

Ok new question for you all. Sorry I didn't reply to anyone's responses- I guess I'm not set up to receive emails when there are comments left on my threads. I am 6 weeks out on monday next week. My dr is super conservative about restrictions and is having me use a pillow (the big goofy foam kind) till my 6 week. I just dropped my pain meds a week ago. The pain is fine, but I am getting super stiff at night because of this pillow! A couple nights ago I tried a regular old pillow between my legs and the pain/stiffness was so much better! My husband found out I had switched and freaked out on me. So last night I went back to the awful foam thing. I woke up at 3:30 am in bad stiffness/pain and stayed awake a full hour because of it. So my question is- is it really all that bad to use the normal pillow? I'm only sleeping on my back. Today I'm sore, and tired so I know my sleep didn't help my overall health. Did those pillows cause anyone else this kind of trouble? Man I can't wait till Tuesday, but I hate to think I have 4 more nights of stiffness and pain and bad sleep.

 

[younghippie]

Hi @mommymuscle Do you mean putting the pillow between your legs while you lay flat on your back so that you don't cross your operated leg over to the other side? If so, I doubt it matters if you use a regular pillow. I was not told to use one at all and I don't. I am only 10 days out from THR and I've never used a pillow or anything between my legs.

 

[Dmcfad2]

I switched from the big foam pillow to a regular pillow between my legs while I laid on my back at about 3 weeks. It was fine.

 

[Michelle1976]

@mommymuscle - welcome!
I'm young too (well, young in the spence if THR). I'm 37 now & have just had my left hip replaced for the third time! I should really on be in 2 replacements, but the second one fractured meaning a 3rd replacement just 6 months after the 2nd!
I agree with @rettabetta - there does seem to be more and more younger 'hippies' I personally think we recover quicker & can cope with the trauma better (but that's prob just what I tell myself to make me feel better)
As for sleeping, I didn't use a wedge (the last two times, I think I did for my first THR), but I did lay on my back for as long as I could manage (4-5 weeks), then I moved onto my 'good' side with a pillow between my legs!
I don't want to worry you, but after my second THR I slept on my front (at about 5 weeks post op), & that caused me to dislocate it - not pleasant at all!!! I have since been told by my consultant that I shouldn't lie on my front! Others on this forum haven't been given this advice & have slept quite happily on their fronts without issue, so this advice might only be applicable for the type of replacement I had - Antero-lateral(?) I think that's right!
Anyway, I wish you every luck for for a full & speedy recovery.
Michelle


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[Josephine]

A couple nights ago I tried a regular old pillow between my legs and the pain/stiffness was so much better! My husband found out I had switched and freaked out on me.

Then tell him to take a chill-pill! It's perfectly all right to use an ordinary pillow as long as it has some 'body' to it! Much better you should get a decent night's sleep.

I have since been told by my consultant that I shouldn't lie on my front! Others on this forum haven't been given this advice & have slept quite happily on their fronts without issue, so this advice might only be applicable for the type of replacement I had

It's nothing to do with approaches or implants. And I would imagine that those who have slept on their tummies weren't told because, to be quite frank, the surgeon wouldn't imagine anyone would want to even try! And to be even more frank, they were just lucky to get away with it!

Generally speaking, it's unwise to attempt this, not because it's dangerous to lie on your tum but because the act of rolling onto your front and back again are what causes dislocations. It's mighty difficult to do this without internally or externally rotating your leg and therefore the hip joint. External rotation (turning the foot outwards) is a hazard for those who have had anterior or anterolateral approaches and internal rotation (turning foot inwards) is a hazard for posterior or posterolateral approaches. And in case you still don't get the risk, internal rotation is how the surgeon dislocates the hip during an anterior approach and external is how they do it in posterior approaches. Therefore, repeating the manoeuvre puts you at risk.

 

[PuppyLove]

Welcome @mommymuscle ! I'm a bit older than you and live in the same area (surgery in Fort Worth). I had to laugh when I saw your picture- my daughter thought the novelty of crutches and power chairs was fun and took a pic of me in JoAnn's! I had posterior approach, no wedge came home with me, and my hospital's mantra was "the 90 rule, don't cross your legs, and don't point your toes together." I'm on postop day 4 and my worst pain is after I've been lying in bed, sleeping or trying to. I feel like I need to " stretch it out" as soon as I get my walker. I also have some itching. My skin is very sensitive so I'm not surprised about the itching. My doc's office is great and the physician assistant (PA) will call me back to answer questions. He was in surgery and did the closing- I have surgical glue. I would suggest calling the office and asking for a PA or nurse to call you back. Best of luck!