THR I'm a chicken and not proud

[scaredincayce]

Hi. I cancelled hip replacement surgery sceduled on March 2, 2026 with Dr. Yerasimides who is considered to be one of the top surgeons in the country. I feel very defeated. Here is my huge fear. I'm afraid that the joint will get infected and then the revision implant will get infected and that I will be told that in order to clear the infection that I will be told that I have to live without a hip joint. I know that I am being totally irrational, but I can't help it. I have an appointment on Tuesday with a Psychiatrist. I really want to get back to living again but I'm so afraid. Any advice?

 

[Jamie]

Good for you for recognizing that you need help in dealing with this very irrational fear. A psychiatrist may be able to help, but you might also want to seek assistance from a Psychologist trained in cognitive behavior tools.

 

[Jamie]

As you work through this (and you need to in order to get your life back), you may benefit from one of our Insiders Club options so we can more fully advise and support you. You can check out the options by clicking on your username/avatar and selecting MEMBERSHIP from the drop down menu.

 

[scaredincayce]

Thanks. I am going to seek counseling too. I made the mistake of reading about a very small percentage of people who have to learn how to live without a hip joint due to to persistent hip joint replacement infections.

 

[benne68]

I'm so sorry you are dealing with this fear. First-time surgery is scary even without reading articles on the internet.

a very small percentage of people

Yes, it is exceedingly small. In fact, infection rates in hip replacements are also very low, because the pre-operative and intra-operative protocols for infection management are so good.

I didn't know this prior to my first THR, but hip replacement surgery has an incredibly high satisfaction rate -- well above 93%. It's second only to kidney replacement in terms of improvement in quality of life for the patient.

I understand your fear -- I almost cancelled my first hip replacement the night before surgery out of fear; my husband had to force me to go to the hospital on the day of. In the end, it was the best thing that could have happened. As you can see from my signature, I had my other hip done this past year. (I've also had both knees replaced). It is amazing to be able to get back to life.

I hope your therapist will be able to help you put the fear in perspective so you can benefit from this life-changing surgery.

Meanwhile, we are here to help -- feel free to talk about your concerns here. This is a safe space.

 

[scaredincayce]

Thank you.

 

[Jamie]

As you work through this (and you need to in order to get your life back), you may benefit from one of our Insiders Club options so we can more fully advise and support you. You can check out the options by clicking on your username/avatar and selecting MEMBERSHIP from the drop down menu.

Forgive me…..I somehow overlooked that you already have an Insider membership. This is great and we appreciate your willingness to help support BoneSmart in this way.

I just looked over your posts from last October and my heart goes out to you with all you’ve had to deal with. You’ve made a big step forward by recognizing that you need help and then actually making the appointments to get it. Please know we’re here for you whenever you need to talk. There is almost always someone on the forum 24/7. You are not the first person to have these feelings. We’ve helped many folks who had crippling fears about the replacement surgery. We’ll be with you every step of the way.

 

[scaredincayce]

How were you able to help those with crippling fears?

 

[Layla]

Good Morning,
I am sorry this feels so overwhelming for you. I do understand because I was also very fearful since I'd never experienced surgery before my THR. If you haven't already, even though it may be difficult, try to replace the negative thoughts with positive ones of all the benefits of the surgery. You have a lot to gain. You'll be able to engage in activities you may be missing out on, you'll lose the pain and likely gain more independence. In most cases they have you walking within hours of surgery and the pain will be well managed. Knowing the surgery is behind you will be a relief and you'll be able to focus on your recovery and be amazed at all you can do within a short time frame.

It's great that you're willing to see a mental health professional for guidance. There is certainly no shame in doing so. It may benefit you to inquire about taking something short term for anxiety. Doing so may help take the edge off allowing for relaxation and possibly better sleep if you are in need.

Personally, I avoided reading articles online, or threads on this forum that involved a scenario I feared, assuming it would only raise my stress level. You mentioned you've already experienced this, but I'll assume you've also read about all of the positive outcomes of THR and somehow need to turn your focus to all you have to gain. Hopefully a therapist will help with that. None of us get through life without taking some risks. Driving a car, having surgery, even ignoring surgery when needed all carry risks. You'll need to decide whether your quality of life feels worth it to you.

Joint replacement surgery is one of the most prevalent surgeries performed worldwide, with excellent outcomes based on techniques changing over the years. The implants are durable and long lasting, with longevity much greater than before offering an increase in the likelihood you’ll never have to experience this procedure again.

Infection seems to be your biggest fear, which is understandable because nobody wants complications. However, infection is uncommon. They have prevention protocol and treatment in place for this and maybe an additional meeting to discuss this with your surgeon will help with your fears.

Know that we're here and the we'll do our best to help, so stay in touch. I hope you have a good day.

 

[Jamie]

One of the best ways to cope with fears is to reduce or eliminate reading about the surgery on the web....except for BoneSmart or other trusted medical sites. There is just too much junk out there and you can really scare yourself by reading things that are either false or extremely unlikely to occur.

Over a million hips and knees are replaced in the US alone each year. The vast majority of people don't have any out-of-the-ordinary issues at all. In fact, their recoveries are so normal that they just get on with their lives and never even think to search out a site like BoneSmart to tell their story.

It will help if you find a psychologist who can teach you how to refocus your thoughts to the positive instead of the negative. That is something cognitive therapy can do.

 

[eaglemom]

I think its very healthy of you, mentally and physically to have cancelled your surgery. You weren't ready, and that's fine. You are making wonderful choices / decisions to understand your fear. I do hope you understand that I would venture to guess everyone is fearful of surgery on some level. Your fear is very specific and can be dealt with. I'm proud of how your handling this. Good job.

 

[Eman85]

Can't help you overcome your fears, I had to deal with mine but everyone is different. I knew of all the possible complications and just had to weight it all out. It's an elective surgery and look at quality of life and your current health. My PCP weighed in and let me know I was healthy and probably as healthy as I was going to be going forward so recovery would be better than if I waited any longer, I waited 30 years. I discussed all possibilities with my OS and he was very good at what he does and the whole staff was very concerned with the long term outcome and infection prevention.
I didn't sign on for my THR with the first OS and even with the one I chose I didn't sign on the first visit even though I walked in knowing I needed one. Same OS for my 2nd and the day of the surgery after signing in I asked if I could cancel, they said sure. I walked back to my chair sat down and my hip locked. I didn't cancel and I'm glad I didn't.

 

[nodnerb135]

are you happy to live with the pain and loss of mobility

you need to push the boat out and take the small risk for the greater gain

if you dont change it nothing will change

Good luck

 

[Morgan Le Fay]

Hi there

I can totally relate to this.

Prior to my surgery back in Nov 2024 I was given a 30 page document from my surgeon. One page was all about the risks, which included the possibility of infection and having the implant removed.

I was so scared and anxious, just like you.

But here I am living a wonderful pain free life. No infection and a brilliant new body part that has made life great again.

My surgeon was massive on infection control to mitigate all risks. I had to wash with an antibacterial body wash daily for 2 weeks prior to surgery. And after surgery I was not allowed to shower until the dressing was removed which was 2 weeks later. Hello shower wipes.

I totally understand your anxiety.

Morgan

 

[spaniel]

I am glad you are preparing yourself for a less fearful experience. As others have noted, infection is certainly not common. Researching from valid sites can be very worthwhile. I did the opposite of your approach. I did only very very rudimentary research and got myself into a bad situation. But it had nothing to do with infection. First off it looks like you did verify the surgeons credentials . If a practice website cites “ authorship” of a physician and magnifies experience, do some due diligence and check for example when the person was licensed. It sounds like you’ve done things such as this. Make sure the person who gives you pre- op infection protection instructions is licensed. Ditto re post-op. Make sure that your office actually picks up the phone if you have concerns. With all that said, you really should do well! Seeing a licensed professional with good CBT expertise is great. I bet you will be fine.

 

[Jayhawk]

First.....knowledge is power

I believe first way to help alllay your fear it to be as knowledgeable as possible. It appears you have selected a highly skilled doctor who has a history of thousands of cases.......would therfore assume he practices at a facility that has an outstanding record with infection control. Would also assume he performs the anterior approach procedure. The odds of some catastrophic accident or injury happening to you in life is expontially higher than an infection in a joint replacement procedure.

I battled a shoulder condition for over eight years. While I was not afraid of the procedure, nor was I concerned about the discomfort of the procedure.......had overwhelming "dread" of the outcome. I was very worried about how my activities would be negatively affected after a replacement. My concerns were compounded by the opinions of many people who I spoke with about thier shoulder replacemenet......the overwhelming consensus was from bad to that it was "the worst thing I have ever done".

I tried everything outside of surgery to keep from having my shoulder replaced. I was adamantly against a replacxement. However, I lost the battle, and succumbed to surgery in Feburary. I am 3+ weeks post procedure and no issues at this point. It is my HOPE that my years of dread were moot.

Alll the best to you going forward


Steve
Klein, Tx.

@scaredincayce

 

[PolarIce]

Your feelings about something are always valid because they are important to you. Having said that, you could also get hit by a car on the way home to the grocery store. My point is there will always be the "what if" in every decision and aspect of life.
What you have to remember is that replacements are probably one of the most common operations. There is always a risk in any procedure, but it you being able to be healthy, active and happy again will always be worth taking the risk. The great thing is that you are lucky to have one of the best surgeons in the country-and that is impressive.

Getting some therapy to overcome your fears is a great idea. You've got this. We will always be behind you

 

[Hip4life]

@scaredincayce I totally empathize with you. Finding the help you need to be able to move forward is important. It’s a difficult place to be in- paralyzed by fear. I find when I’m in that situation, it helps to follow my line of thinking to its logical conclusion. However, I also challenge myself to follow the positive line of thinking to its logical conclusion. Which feels better? Which gets me to my goal? Which is the most realistic scenario? It’s fine to be cautious. It’s human to be fearful. I’ve always like the idea that fear is an anagram for: False Evidence Appearing Real. I’ve also like my family doc’s encouragement from his mother: courage is fear that has said its prayers.

I had the added push that I really no longer had a choice. I was getting to the point of not being able to work or do anything without extreme pain. I knew I couldn’t live like that. It didn’t eliminate my trepidation but it certainly quieted its voice. I hope you don’t get to that point. Knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t hesitate at the opportunity to get that relief and getting back to my life.

The truth of the matter is: degenerative joint disease does NOT get better and its decline can pick up surprising momentum. Maybe focusing on actual, overwhelmingly positive statistics and the support from so many of us here who have been where you are and walked through the fear to the healing side will help you. We just want the best and healthiest you. We know it’s possible and we’re here to help you get there. Blessings as you continue your journey.

 

[Layla]

Hi there!
I noticed you on the forum so thought I'd stop by and see how you're doing? Any closer to scheduling surgery?
I know it's a tough decision, but it's not as frightening as we think it is when we're pre-op. And...it's life changing! You'll feel so much better and be able to get back to the life you're missing and knew before your hip began deteriorating. We're here if you want to talk or have any questions.
A great rest of the week to you!
@scaredincayce

 

[Layla]

Going back to your first post you mentioned your fear of post op infection.
Please read this article on ways to ramp up any nutritional deficiencies you may be dealing with -
Tap anywhere on article for it to unfold in its entirety.

Thread 'Nutritional deficiencies increase your risk of surgical complications'

Mar 25, 2026

One in three joint replacement patients
go into surgery malnourished,

putting them a risk of infection and slowing recovery.

Are you one of them? And, if so, what you can do about it?

Scientific studies over the past decade have found surprising evidence that between 25-35% of patients undergoing total hip or knee replacement have some degree of preoperative malnutrition or nutritional deficiency. The most common deficiencies are protein malnutrition, vitamin D deficiency, and iron...

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@scaredincayce