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Please help 29 year old patient!

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BCOLE

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I am a 29 year old female. I had a total hip replacement 3 months ago and am still experiencing pain and am unable to walk with a normal gait. The trouble is, I cannot seem to find very much information for patients my age out there. I had AVN and suffered for 2 years prior to the surgery. At surgery time I was at 40% involved, there were free floating bone fragments and a cyst in the pelvis from bone-on-bone action....any suggestions?
 
I have to ask - what does your surgeon and/or your physiotherapist have to say about it?

Seems to me you have some unresolved conditions there need seeing to.Care to give me a little more information?
 
surgeon says that I am still "early out" and have "unrealistic expectations"...I didn't think to be pain free and walking normally after a $40,000 surgery was all that unexpected...I also have a lot of clicking and popping in the joint with normal movement....
 
Well, he's right - 3 months is no time at all, actually. The only thing I can really say is it doesn't matter how much you paid for the op, your body will still take its own time to heal and a THR is major surgery. You don't get over it in 12 weeks. Wait till it's been a year - then, if you wake one morning and find yourself thinking "Wow, I never thought about my op last night!" then you'll know you are making progress!
 
BCOLE,
You are not alone. I am a 35 yr old female.... I've had a hard time finding info for people our age. I'm scheduled to have surgery in Jan; THR Lef hip. My Doc. recommended THR Metal on metal; he wasn't a fan of hip resurf or ceramic. I'm concerned about the recovery too. Sorry I'm not much help in the recovery side...but know you are not alone.
~Ginny
 
What's your worry about the recovery, Ginny? Anything I can help with?
 
Josephine,
I had thorough discussion with my doctor during our initial consultation. however, we didn't have an indepth discussion about my post-op exercises. I'm a very active person, I work-out 6 days per week; cardio/weights and do yoga 3 days per week. I understand I will be able to walk, but when can I go back and start doing yoga again? Weeks? Months?

~Ginny
 
I believe the usual routine is that you need about 6 weeks "restricted duties" which will bar things like getting in and out of a bath, not sitting in a low chair, going up and down stairs and no driving - all these activities flex the hip at 90 degrees or so and increase the risk of dislocation. It is the time period required for the flexor and extensor muscles to heal and tighten up. There after these activities can be phased back in as the surgeon and therapist decree. So I would suggest that you might be looking at a delay of around 2-3 months for a traditional replacement and 2 months if minimally invasive. But basically, it's your therapist that decides.
 
Thank you...I have visions of being laid up in bed and not moving. But from what I've read moving/walking is a large part of the recovery period. True?
 
To Ginny, I can say from my expereince that it doesn't really matter what you do before the surgery.....the recovery will still be longer than you are hoping for.....I was running 7 minute miles and very strong...I did all kinds of strength training (squats, lunges, etc) prior to the procedure.....I still had "severe strength deficits" after the surgery which I am just now starting to resolve 12 weeks post-op...the problem is, when they cut through those muscles, you are just kind of screwed....I am still battling a trendelenburg gait and weakness....I am finally ahead of the curve, though (I think)...good luck!
 
Hi,

I am 43 and just had my hip replaced last year. I am running 10 miles per week, and working out regularly. My advice: see a physical therapist and a massage therapist, exercise regularly including strength training and take fish oil supplements. I have won a 5K and place 2nd in a triathalon follwoing this advice. Good Luck!
 
Lisa Marie!
Congratulations! Thanks for sharing your story. it's great news. Hearing it gives me so much hope. I am scheduled for surgery 14 Jan 08. I'm feeling hopeful about the surgery and believe this time next year I'll be 110% better than I am now.

I had my pre-op appointment last week w/ the surgeon, I feel comfortable with him and believe he will take good care of me.

Thanks again for sharing your story.

~Ginny
 
Hi:
I just had my second hip replacement on Dec. 18th, so I am about a week out from surgery. I had my other hip replaced this past May. This recovery is going a bit more slowly than I would like, but I'm making progress - and that's what's important. I try to look for small successes each day -- I walk a little further, the exercise repetitions extend a bit each day, I can now get in and out of bed without help, and I try to add one activity a day to my schedule. If you concentrate on what you are able to do, it will help you over the long haul. Prior to surgery, build your upper body strength - you'll need it. Do lots of walking; it helps before and after surgery. I try to walk at least three or four times a day and my goal is a mile by week 3 -- we'll see if I can do it!
Remember, concentrate on what you can do during recovery. Push yourself a little more each day and you'll start to see steady progress. Good Luck to you!

PT109
 
Hi everyone!

I just had my right hip replaced last Tuesday (Dec 18th). I found out about my AVN about 7 years ago after 13 years of intensive Karate training and competitions. It developed to the point where had so much difficultly putting on my right pant leg without practically doing some form of yoga balancing exercise. I also started to wear laceless shoes because not only putting them on was an ordeal, having to deal with the right laces become untied while walking was a complete exercise on it's own.

I appreciate reading everyone's thoughts on this board. I was very nervous about getting mine done to because of one, I'm pretty good with hiding pain and ignoring it, hence the long wait and secondly, I'm a total wimp when it comes to medicine, blood, needles...embarrassingly, i have to look away from the gross parts on Grey's Anatomy.

Although I missed out on 7 years of being fully active, I think it was good for me to wait and get it now. My brother is an ER Doc and scared me from having it done with horror stories of having to deal with dislocated hips in the ER from hip-replaced patients. I was scared of not being able to run again or kick the soccer ball around when i finally have little daughter soccer girl. It wasn't until a friend told me about his buddy who had his hip replaced with the new Metal on Metal hip and is now running marathons that i finally decided to bite the bullet.

I have to say that it was the best Christmas present that my health insurance gave me!

I had consults with two different surgeon and decided to choose the surgeon that specialized in the Wright Conserve BFH hip. It also used some technique called PATH that my brother felt was the best choice for me. Also, the surgeon was a long time colleague of my brother's and was able to quickly set up surgery within 2 weeks for me.

I can't say that I can already do round house kicks yet but i do feel pretty darn good. I left the hospital the next afternoon walking without much as a cane. I canceled the walker they ordered for me and have already moved away from my cane.

I have to say that the nagging ache in my hip that once rippled down my leg muscles and ankle is no longer there. The only pain i feel is from the bruising on the back of my knee, the base of my hamstring and top of my calf. I'm having to reteach myself how to walk without hobbling or favoring my left side. I stopped taking pain meds (Percocet) about 2 days ago and am just taking a couple extra strength Tylenols every 8 hours. What's weird is i do kinda feel my new acetabulum if i press deeply into my inside hip and the skin area on the outside of my hip bruised the other day when i was trying to walk too fast. Guess I was trying to push myself too hard too soon.

Anyways, thanks for all your postings and best of luck to all of you who will have it done soon.

If anyone is interested, i posted my surgical experiences from Day 0 on my blog yesterday. you can find it here: danqpham.blogspot.com

Good luck!
 
Thank you Dqp for your post! I'm so encouraged from reading positive results. I'm a 35 yr old ACTIVE female, and it has been so hard and painful trying to move these last few months. The pain shoots down my leg to the tips of my toes. I'm ready for surgery, and to begin the healing process. My surgery day is 14 Jan 08. I'm going to read your blog next. Thanks again, good luck.

~Ginny
 
Ginny said:
Thank you Dqp for your post! I'm so encouraged from reading positive results. I'm a 35 yr old ACTIVE female, and it has been so hard and painful trying to move these last few months. The pain shoots down my leg to the tips of my toes. I'm ready for surgery, and to begin the healing process. My surgery day is 14 Jan 08. I'm going to read your blog next. Thanks again, good luck.

~Ginny
Click to expand...

Hi Ginny!

I forgot to mention that I just turned 38 this year. My AVN showed signs on my MRI when i was 33. I ignored it until this year when it got so bad that replacement was my only option. I was extremely active. 6 day a week exercise/activity was no exaggeration. I can't believe i lost the last 5 years of being able to do things.

Today, I've been walking around without a cane and other than having to retrain my walking habits and just basic movements, it feels great!

Best of luck to you!
 
Hey Ginny!
Keep Moving! Keep exercising as much as you can tolerate - this is the best thing you can do in 'layman's language'. With as much as you do now, you're likely in the best place you can be for pre-surg. However, look online for advice and exercises for THR - Try the Amer. Orthopedic website. You doc likely also has pre-surg exercise regimen.
 
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