leg shorter due to hip needing replacement

[[email protected]]

hi all,
was just wondering if any of you suffered with this problem before your surgery. my left leg has shortened so much now that my body when im stood up is completely lop sided.my left buttock is nearly up to my waist, well that might be a bit of exageration but if any of you have suffered the same youll know what i mean.what i want to know is after surgery does it go back to normal or will it always be like this. please reply someone as i need to know if after surgery will i still be left like this.
thanks maz

 

[merciejo]

hi, don't worry I had the same problem on the right side of my body, even my shoulder was lower. all my pants were too long my almost 1" I had surgery on January 24th, and I am very square. completely even as a matter of fact, I feel really tall.and everything is ok.

 

[TimT]

I think that is a question only YOUR O.S. can address, but he/she should want to get you back to square.

 

[[email protected]]

thanks for your replies both of you
maz

 

[Aussiehippy]

I had the same problem, my pants were long on my right ride prior surgery but now they are longer and I, too, do feel taller however nature made sure that this feeling was short lived as now my left hip has given up and i am loop sided to the left. I will be having the left hip done on the 18th of April. After my first operation which was on the 6 December 2006, I lost a lot of blood (2 litres and I only got back the two units that I donated prior to the operation, so I was too weak for a while which is justifiable however has anybody experienced a bad, but I mean really bad case of reflux after surgery?. Frankly the operation scares me but to only think what i have to go with the reflux scares me even more. Doctors do not seem very concerned about something that was really distressing for me as the gastroenterologist that I saw said that is common after orthopaedic surgery.

 

[[email protected]]

hi aussiehippy,
thanks for your reply i went to see my consultant in feb and said i feel ready for the op now the pain has got that bad,but because im that lop sided now he wants a second opinion first,is this usual do you know as im terrifed as it is at the thought of the op anyway. i go for the second opinion on the 2nd april, how long were you in hospital and is it very painful when they get you out of bed the first time can you tell me what to expect. i wish you all the best on your next op, and hope you dont go through what happened on your first op.
wishing you all the best
maz

 

[Aussiehippy]

Dear Maz

I left the THR to the point I could hardly walk, just getting out bed of or sitting you could hear my bones rubbing against each other. I will not lie to you, I woke up screaming pain, pain, however I wasn"t in pain. The pain hit me the next day when the anesthetic block wore off, but was quickly managed with medication. It was difficult to use the pan in bed as rolling over was too painful, partly it was my fault as I wasn't pressing the Patient Controlled Analgesia button often enough. The physiotherapist made me get out of bed the next day, again it was painful, however I have been living in pain for the past three years. My leg was swollen and numb but this gradually subsided. My situation was a bit complicated because my HB went down to 78 and I was too weak. However when this was under control I started to feel better but the reflux was the main after effect of the operation. The only thing that the OS said because my leg was so much shorter than the other was that I no longer was a candidate for hip resurfacing which was an option three years ago. All in all based on my experience, I only took "heavy pain killers" for four weeks after the operation and I could get by with OTC medication. The OS was very realistic about my expectation and so far all his predictions come true. He said that I would come back in three months to do my Left hip, which, i did. He said that would take between 6 to 12 months to get better, I am on my fourth month and I can feel my leg getting better week by week. I had a metal on metal, uncemented , bigger head and neck prosthesis. Again I trusted my surgeon with this as I told him that I would like to go back to work in the future and I led a fairly active life.
As I told you I am having my left hip done in April, all the pain is forgotten and the experience wasn't too bad without being easy. Will I do it again? yes I am doing it.

Good luck and if you need more encouragement I am here.

Aussiehippy

 

[[email protected]]

hi again aussiehippy,
thanks for your reply it makes it a bit easier when you know that there are other people out there suffering the same as ones self.
im still very frightened at the thought of the op, but i know i will have to have it done. what is reflux after surgery or am i being a bit dim not knowing. could i just ask where you are as i am in the u.k. and was wondering is there different procedures depending on which part of the world we live.
many thanks again
maz

 

[dixieodoodles]

Don't know if my legs were the same length before surgery, but after surgery there was over a half inch difference. For years I wasn't aware of this and my whole body was kinda crooked. When I tried orthodics there was another problem. It was so high in the shoe that my foot kept coming out.

That replacement has been in since 1988 and I'm going in to get a new lining. I also need a replacement on my other hip so I'm hoping that the OS can even my legs up this time.