THR LMBC's Pre-Op thread

LMBC

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Hi there! I'm having THR on my right hip on 10/20 and super bummed about it. Feel way too young! Also, I'm a huge runner and very depressed I can't run anymore. On the upside, my youngest just turned 16 so at least she can help with driving and my husband is still working from home. I'm very scared.
 
Thanks! Total hip replacement - turns out running marathons on undiagnosed hip dysplasia isn’t a great idea and leads to torn labrum a and early onset arthritis. I’ve been dealing with some flare ups over the past few years. I had an X-ray at the end of June and still had some cartilage. Now three months later it’s bone on bone and necrosis has started. Surgery next Tuesday. Going in using posterior technique so there’s better viability when dealing with the dysplasia. Nervous about spinal block, having movement restrictions for 6weeks and that the recovery will really interfere with my daily life. Also, can you wear a bra during surgery!
 
Hi @LMBC and :welome: to BoneSmart.

I have moved the two posts above from the October Feisties surgery team thread and started this pre-op thread for you. Please continue to post your questions in this thread from now on.

Please remember that the team thread is primarily to allow you to see who has surgery the same month as you. Discussion of issues, comments, and questions regarding surgery must be kept in your individual threads.

I know it must have been a shock to learn that you need a hip replacement, but these are being done more and more on younger people, so they can get back to being active. Hip replacements aren't just for old people now and we have had people in their thirties and forties who had their hips replaced.

Yes, the surgery will affect your daily life for a while, as recovery takes quite a long time, but the end result will be really worth it.

No, you won't be able to wear a bra during surgery. The anaesthetist will need full access to your chest, to listen to your lungs and to put electrical leads on several areas of your chest, to record your heart's activity during surgery - he/she will be there with you, taking are of you right through the procedure.

Here's an article about spinal anesthesia and other types of anaesthetics as well:
Anaesthetics - spinals, femoral blocks, GAs and everything else
 
Here are some more articles to help you prepare for your surgery:

Longevity of implants and revisions: How long will my new joint last?

If you are at the stage where you are planning to have surgery but are looking for information so you can be better prepared for what is to come, take a look at these links:
Recovery Aids: A comprehensive list for hospital and home
Recliner Chairs: Things you need to know if buying one for your recovery
Pre-Op Interviews: What's involved?

And if you want to picture what your life might be like with a replaced hip, take a look at the posts and threads from other BoneSmarties provided in this link:
Stories of amazing hip recoveries
 
I had 2 posteriors both with spinal block. I had many other surgeries with general anesthesia and I'll take spinal anyday over GA. The 6 week restrictions are no big deal, if anything you really don't want to do anything that violates them the first 6 weeks. Following them will make the recovery better in the long run. Recovery will definitely interfere with daily life if you're thinking it's a short term recovery. Read all of the recovery guidelines and things to do to prepare for recovery. I didn't wear a bra if that matters.
 
Hi,
Yeah, it comes as kind of a shock to learn that you need replacement parts. But getting your quality of life back? Priceless! I had my left THR 3 weeks ago. Posterolateral, muscle sparing surgery with spinal anesthesia and twilight sedation. I think I was more nervous about the spinal than anything else — turns out it was a big, fat nothing! You wake up a bit groggy but none of that disorientation you get from a general. I was also nervous about the precautions but they were pretty easy to maintain. There are some good threads about what to do to prepare yourself for the surgery, so you might want to take these next few days and read, read, read. Lots of ice packs, lots of pillows, and LOTS of patience. Your daily life will be impacted for a little while but sitting here now, thinking of how I was doing 3 weeks ago, it’s pretty amazing! I think we were all a little (or a lot) scared but you’ve come to the right place for getting support, venting, and asking questions.
 
Man, I am in pain today! Went for pre-surgery covid test this morning and now I'm on lockdown until my surgery on Tuesday. I'm so scared for this operation because all I think about is the fact that they will be sawing my femur in half! I've been thinking I would be pretty mobile in terms of daily activities within about two weeks but after reading some of the post-op posts, I'm starting to worry about it. What's everyone's experience with stairs after surgery?
 
In many cases, I don’t think they will let you leave the hospital until you can climb their little flight of stairs. I did an up and down of my stairs the first week home, with the physical therapist, using a cane and the bannister. It was fine.
 
@LMBC I too am a runner. I ran my last marathon in January and by March I could not walk a mile. I had right THR on 9/28 and like you that news came as a total shock and many tears were shed. Now at almost 3 weeks post op I am feeling much more positive about the whole thing. I woke up from the surgery with zero arthritis pain, and am confident that once I recover from the procedure I will be able to get back to an active, pain free life (It’s just taking a little longer than 2 weeks - which I also thought would be the timeline)! You’ve come to the right place. The people on these forums are amazing and supportive.
 
I've had a hard time dealing with this as well....cutting my bones etc. But, I've come to the conclusion it's either pain and can't do anything, or be brave and have quality of life. I TOTALLY get how you are feeling!! Then to hammer the stem in my leg......UGH!!!I have to talk myself into the frame of mind that it will all be okay. Best of luck to you!! I know you will be fine.
 
Everyone's idea of mobile can be different and everyone's recovery is different. Usually before leaving the hospital they will make you walk a couple of steps up and down, they had a small practice set of steps. Of course it will be one step at a time type of stair climbing. It takes some time to get the strength to lift yourself up to the next step with the operated leg. I used a block of wood in the house to practice stepping up on. I added a layer at a time to increase the height. It took me a little time to climb stairs with my right, not as long with my left.
What's interesting is it's not the whacking off the end of your femur or the reaming out your pelvis and screwing the cup to it that is the trauma. It's the turning of your leg sideways so they can do all of that is what causes the recovery time.
 
I had my left THR on July 17 with the anterior approach I also was terrified of having surgery and put it off way to long. Both of mine were bad so I chose the worst one first, I’m actually having my left THR on Oct. 20 as well. I’m really more anxious this time than before lol! But it is nice knowing what to expect. It not as bad as I had envisioned but it’s still not easy.i went back to work in 4 weeks but should have taken a couple more weeks. The spinal was great and I went home the same day, I’m just feeling like my old self again and here I go again ugh! Don’t worry you’ll be fine the worst part Is being copped up.
 
LMBC,

I wanted to wish you well tomorrow. Your surgery will be done before you know it and you will be on the road to recovery. I just had a RTHR on 15 October, posterior approach, so I am on Day 5 of recovery. I also was an avid runner with undiagnosed dysplasia for a long time, which completely wore out the joint. I went quickly from being able to grit my teeth and run through the pain, to bone-on-bone and unable to even walk a quarter of a mile.

It’s been a bit of a roller coaster because I had low blood pressure post-surgery and was delayed in being able to get up and move around, but since that resolved, I can tell that I improve a little bit every day in terms of pain level and mobility. It’s so wonderful to not feel any popping or grinding or pain in the joint anymore, even though everything around it is still pretty sore.

Before this I’ve never had any surgeries, and like you I also was nervous about the spinal. But that was literally the easiest/best part of the entire procedure. I was sitting up on the edge of the bed and told to lean over, I remember feeling two very, very tiny shots in my lower back. For comparison sake, these 2 shots hurt less than a flu shot and much less than when they inserted the IVs earlier. I almost didn’t feel the spinal shots. As the second shot of the spinal was being administered, I asked the assistant sitting in front of me and watching me closely what was the next step. He said they would lay me down on my back, and then turn me onto my side and put my arms up in front of my head. That is the last thing I remember ... asking that question. I don’t even remember being laid on my back. The next thing I remember is waking up in the recovery room as they were changing my gown. So, the spinal was really nothing at all to be concerned about after all. And it feels wonderful until it completely wears off, which for me was almost exactly 7 hours after surgery.

I just wanted to share that experience to hopefully ease your anxiety about the spinal. I know everyone is different, but honestly for me as the patient it ended up being the least dramatic aspect by far.
 
@BroncoinVA Omg. Thank you so much for sharing. I’m sorry to hear you had a blood pressure scare but so glad you are feeling a little better now. Your story sounds identical to mine. A few months ago I could still push through the pain while running and xrays showed there was still a teeny bit of cartilage. Within about three months I could hardly walk - cartilage completely gone with necrosis already. Even now When I haven’t yet gotten up I’m lying here is so much pain. It’s been really depressing. But it does help to hear about other people who have had the same thing happen. When I come home from the hospital my plan is to make it up stairs and spend the first couple of days up there. Do you think I’ll be able to make it up there with my husband’s help?
 
When I come home from the hospital my plan is to make it up stairs and spend the first couple of days up there. Do you think I’ll be able to make it up there with my husband’s help?
You will be fully mobile including going up and down stairs before you leave the hospital. In fact, you will be moving around on your own so really no need to park yourself upstairs at home unless it's just more convenient.

All the best tomorrow!
 
I think you will be able to get up the stairs with your husband’s help. Like Jaycey said, they wouldn’t discharge me until the occupational therapist could see that I could walk up and down stairs. Mind you, it was only 2 steps, and they were wide and not as steep as the staircase in my home. This could just be me, but I had a difficult/impossible time lifting my operated leg on the day after surgery. It’s like the message from my brain to my leg just couldn’t get through no matter how hard I tried. It seems odd already now because I can lift that leg fairly easily without much pain on Day 5, but the day after surgery it almost felt like it wasn’t attached. I say this because going up steps for me was difficult with that “dead” leg feeling and I had go very, very slowly and use the strap with a loop on it to lift my operated leg very gently up one step at a time, all the while holding onto the rail with one arm and my wife also holding on to me tightly using a gait belt.
 
I don't think you'll have a problem going up a flight of stairs if you take it slow. They'll teach you about up with the good and down with the bad going 1 step at a time. good time to practice it now. When your good leg is on the next step straightening it will bring your bad leg up naturally. I've got a short flight to get into my house and had no problem with it either time. I'd have to get my hip handbook out for the timeline and recommendation but stairs were part of the suggested PT from my OS.
 
:wave:You are going to do great.
All the best for today....bye bye hip pain.:happydance:
 

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