My THR

Sakura7869

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May 11, 2019
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22
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India India
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Hi I'm suffering from osteonecrosis of right hip. My age is 17 yrs.

5 yrs ago I was diagnosed with infection in my right hip so I had undergone 1 open surgery. After that my leg didn't actually recover. I started limping and it kept on increasing and now the pain at times is really terrible.

I still limp and my doctor says we probably should do THR. But he says we will do it when I feel it's completely unbearable because of my young age and the risk of revisions. But the thing is the pain keeps on increasing and its getting really difficult for me to bear it

Do you guys think should I go for it?
 
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What do your parents say? And have you ever gotten a second opinion about THR from another surgeon?

And most important, what do you want? How do you think your life would change if you had recovered from surgery and had a hip that works the way it’s supposed to?

So very sorry to hear about this kind of pain and limitation troubling your young life. Wishing you far better health in the days ahead.
 
if the pain is becoming unbearable, I would say to go ahead and have the surgery. It doesn’t sound like it is going to get any better, and in fact will get worse, so why suffer just because you might have to have a revision some day?
 
@Sakura7869
Welcome to BoneSmart, glad you joined us!
We have had a good number of teenagers on the forum who have had hip replacements
Teenage hip replacements

Joint replacements are lasting longer and longer, you may need a revision, or maybe not.

Be sure to fill out the Score Chart so you, your Doctor, and your parents can see just how limited your life has become. Often Surgeon think, "It's not that limiting", when it fact your hip is very limiting.

If you are at the stage where you have joint pain but don't know for sure if you are ready to have surgery, these links may help:
Score Chart: How bad is my arthritic hip?
Choosing a surgeon and a prosthesis
BMI Calculator - What to do if your surgeon says you're too heavy for joint replacement 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
 
But he says we will do it when I feel it's completely unbearable because of my young age and the risk of revisions.
Tell him you'd like the opinion of a good hip surgeon (rather than his!). He's not a hip specialist so you should get the opinion of a specialist.

As for this issue about 'risk' of revisions, that's not a reality any more. Modern hip replacements last 30-40 years but that's based on statistics that were 30-40 years ago! Now, who knows how long they will last. My guess is probably around 40-50 years so you'd be a good age before you needed to worry about it!

In the meantime, you deserve to have a decent life, not bourn down by this awful pain. You tell your doctor that you don't want to waste your young years in agony.
 
It is so sad that you are spending your teen years in so much pain. That is zero quality of life in my opinion and you deserve more. This is a time when you should be excited about joining in with your friends on all kinds of activites. Make yourself a list of all the things you feel you are missing right now; then think about how it would feel if you could do 95% of those things in one year. Then you have your answer! I would agree with Josephine about a second opinion as well. Putting you off like that sounds like he is not terribly confident in doing THR on young patients. All the best luck to you!
 
If you were my daughter, I would definitely look for the orthopedic surgeons, specifically hip specialists, with the best qualifications in your area, and make appointments with two or three. I would have questions about hip replacement in young people before and/or after they finish growing. It’s possible you’ve finished growing, but it’s also possible you haven’t. I would want to understand this consideration clearly and its possible effect on timing. I would also want to plan this surgery and recuperation so that it did not interrupt your education at a time that would create other difficulties for you. But all of these considerations (a) finding the best surgeon (b) considering the overall development of your bones/skeleton and the impact of joint replacement on that development and (c) attempting to minimize the impact of this surgery on your education are steps in planning and executing this surgery in the best way for you.

No one can predict what the future will hold. That means no one knows how long your replacement hip will last. So, it’s not logical to make this decision based on something we can’t predict: how many revisions you might need.

What we do know for sure is that your hip can’t heal itself, your pain will get worse, and you are not free to enjoy your life in the way that suits you best. If you are healthy in every other way and you have a great surgeon, you will also never have a better chance at a stellar recovery. Your age will be an incredible advantage while you recuperate.

So it really comes down to what you want for yourself. It’s a recovery that takes patience, discipline, and the willingness to put up with frustration and discomfort for a lot longer than most of us want to because that’s the way to a long term solution to hip pain. At 17, it’s possible this will be the longest project you have ever undertaken to achieve a goal. Only you can judge if you are ready to make this commitment.
 
Good evening @Sakura7869. I whole heartily agree strongly with @Josephine. You do need to see a good hip specialist to get the best updated information concerning your condition and age. There's too much life ahead of you to live with pain that "rules" your every move. Stay and read everything you can here with us. We are here to encourage, inform and support you and your parents. Big hugs to you:console2:
 
Thanks a lot everyone I am really overwhelmed to see the responses. Whenever I told people about my condition they always sympathised but I knew no-one could understand what I am going through but here. Even though I haven't met any of you, you guys do actually care for me. The courage you are building in me is something I will always be grateful for. Thanks a lot again lots of love.❤
 
That's because we know what you are experiencing @Sakura7869. Only those that have been there understand. Bonesmart members know and you can be totally honest with us about fears, concerns and hopes. We are here for you.
 
@Sakura7869 It was so nice to read your comment. It took courage to post here. And it will take courage to make your decision about surgery. You have it! And now you can feel that you do. I am so happy for you.

BoneSmart will be here for you along the way. Please keep posting. We’re rooting for you!
 
@Sakura7869 We're here to support you along the way. We are all scared, nervous, uncertain and in pain (at prior to surgery) so we get it. And as young as you are, barring a couple of really good points that @Ptarmigan brought up about growth, education, etc, you shouldn't have to live your life like this. Wishing you all the best going forward.
:loveshwr:
 
I want to ask one thing. Can exercising cure my osteonecrosis?? Because many people say that I have made my condition worse by not exercising. If I would have exercised I might be in a better condition. But I personally disagree with it what do you guys think?
 
@Sakura7869 Have you looked at your X-rays yourself? And, equally important, do you know what a “healthy” hip looks like as a basis of comparison? I think it’s possible that your other hip might be just fine, based on what you’ve said so far, so you might be able to compare your own two hips.

If you haven’t had a good long look for yourself, it’s time for you to do it. And I hope you will have a doctor help you understand what you’re looking at - one of those excellent specialists we all hope you’ll be meeting quite soon.

Exercise can fix many things. But it can’t fix others. And it can even make some things worse. Until you see a specialist who can explain the details of your hip to you, you really can’t know if exercise will help or hurt the problem you’re trying to solve.

And, I can tell you that once I saw my own X-ray and talked to my own surgeon, I really didn’t have the information I needed to make any kind of good decision about what to do.

Now. The most important bit. No more talk about what you should have done or might have changed. Remember the Lion King? You’ve truly got to “put your behind in the past.” It’s healthy in every way to approach this as a new problem you are going to solve starting today, particularly because it sounds as though you will be looking for new doctors to help you.

So, I realize I didn’t answer your question. I truly believe you will soon be able to answer this one for yourself - that is, if you don’t already know the answer!

Best wishes for a lovely weekend. It’s a joy to watch you think all these things through. You will come out the other side much stronger and wiser!
 
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Can exercising cure my osteonecrosis?
No it cannot but it can make the adverse consequences worse such as those skin to osteoarthritis. People do come up with all these crackpot notions which as mostly intended to make the patient feel guilty! No-one knows why O/N occurs but we do know that activity makes it worse.
 
Morning @Sakura7869. I whole heartily agree with @Josephine. I was told I needed to strengthen the muscles to stabilize the joint, so I walked, cycled at the gym and weight machines. Then I got my dream dog and we were going walk all over streets, parks and bike trails and live happy ever after. :roseshwr: Wrong... Within a year I couldn't walk one square block with my new best friend let alone waiting for her to do her duty during walks. @Josephine is correct in what she said. Exercise helps "somethings", not this. Be careful of "well meaning" advice which usually comes from those who have no experience of the topic. Let's say, you dream of climbing Mt. Everase. Do you take lessons from someone that tried it and failed or one that actually did it and can guide you through to the top? As a community, bonesmart has those who have been to the mountain top and are here to guide you and give encouragement through the rough spots and celebrate your success with you. Be wise where you get information from. If it does sit well with you, set it aside. If it comes from experience, listen. We're pulling for you we're all in this together. :console2:
 
With my last hip I went through multiple sessions of PT (much pain) trying to solve my movement issues and ability to walk. The only thing that was painfree was some of the water moves -yes it felt great but then you are suspended and not full weight bearing- it made me feel human but the minute I stepped out back to normal. I even had spinal injections (2)because they (multiple medical professionals) thought it was back related. No relief till I was ready to cry and my world had shrunk and I was unable to walk or sit normally. My husband who had retired ended up driving me to and from work so I would not have to walk from the parking lot. Finally my PC who I had not seen but was seeing his PA saw me and within minutes ordered a MRI and I was on my way to my OS and getting my hip replaced.

Many people including PT kept telling me to just work harder at the motions - not listening to me and that it was pain. I actually called my PT after my diagnosis and told her that it was my hip needing replacing and not my muscles which though not strong were not injured. I was hoping that next time she saw someone with similar symptoms she would think that she should encourage them to see her OS and get checked out for hip arthritis. I hope this took for her future patients.

You are the only one that knows what you are feeling and how it hurts. Read, learn and trust yourself.:flwrysmile:
 
@leejaa! You've been to the mountain top and now you are a guide for those who have not been there.... Bam!! Now that's what I'm talking about:happyfeet:
 

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