Hello, everyone...
I'm so happy to have this support but unfortunate to also realize I’m among too many with ungoing unresolved problems; never thought I would be one of them!!
Now for my story.....underwent anterior hip replacement surgery on my left hip on September 22. I'm now eight months post op and still dealing with pain, swelling and nerve damage. I have so many issues and I feel like a ping pong ball, going back and forth from doctor to doctor, starting with my evasive hip surgeon. I also visited an orthopedic urgent care three weeks ago.
A spine surgeon took a new X-ray (I have lumbar and cervical stenosis) and even though lumbar is not nearly as serious as cervical, surgeon noted irritation, more on left lumbar and suggested a transforaminal epidural at L4/5 and L5/S1. I had that done and the pain immediately disappeared but it was only temporary lasting until the lidocaine wore off.
In addition, since surgery I I have been diagnosed with severe trochanter bursitis, psoas syndrome, piriformis tendinitis, glute muscle atrophy and weakness, hip flexor and iliotibial band problems, and now a baker’s cyst behind my left knee.
My hip surgeon finally agreed for me to get a corticosteroid injection without x-ray guidance for the trochanter bursitis because I told him the spine surgeon was willing to do it. He was worried about his implant being disturbed! Nothing has really helped so far and my spine surgeon ordered a lumbar an MRI which I’m going to have this week.
The hip surgeon keeps telling me it’s my spine. The spine surgeon is pretty certain it’s my hip. What a nightmare!! So much for thinking a hip replacement would solve the problems of labrum tears. I am 77 years old and because I had osteoarthritis in my hip, no surgeon would just repair labral tears.
So I no longer have a limp, my shoulders look completely straight, I can lift my leg up when dressing, but a cruel joke since I can’t bend down. I have groin pain, thigh is always swollen and can’t even touch my thigh because of sensitivity pins and needles and numbness. I have extreme pain at the bone, pelvic bone on the left side of my back and it clicks and is swollen. I'm wondering if now is the time to seek opinion from another surgeon.
Every X-ray shows the implant is perfect. The surgeon, just for a precaution, inserted two iliac screws and a cerclage cable because my bone tissue was so thin. I have osteopenia and there was no fracture but he noted a very slight crack during surgery, so that was the reason for screws and cable being implanted. The implant was cemented.
So much for him telling me I’d be back to walking my four miles a day after a few months.
In addition, I started PT in November when the pain seemed to accelerate. PT has only made things worse. The PT was stretching glutes, as well as the psoas and piriformis. Initially things felt better for a day or so at a time. But I totally stopped going a month ago after a grueling hour session left me in tears. I couldn’t walk for a week. My surgeon is supposedly the best in California - not one negative review, except for me!
I'm totally depressed and wishing I never had this procedure!!
I'm so happy to have this support but unfortunate to also realize I’m among too many with ungoing unresolved problems; never thought I would be one of them!!
Now for my story.....underwent anterior hip replacement surgery on my left hip on September 22. I'm now eight months post op and still dealing with pain, swelling and nerve damage. I have so many issues and I feel like a ping pong ball, going back and forth from doctor to doctor, starting with my evasive hip surgeon. I also visited an orthopedic urgent care three weeks ago.
A spine surgeon took a new X-ray (I have lumbar and cervical stenosis) and even though lumbar is not nearly as serious as cervical, surgeon noted irritation, more on left lumbar and suggested a transforaminal epidural at L4/5 and L5/S1. I had that done and the pain immediately disappeared but it was only temporary lasting until the lidocaine wore off.
In addition, since surgery I I have been diagnosed with severe trochanter bursitis, psoas syndrome, piriformis tendinitis, glute muscle atrophy and weakness, hip flexor and iliotibial band problems, and now a baker’s cyst behind my left knee.
My hip surgeon finally agreed for me to get a corticosteroid injection without x-ray guidance for the trochanter bursitis because I told him the spine surgeon was willing to do it. He was worried about his implant being disturbed! Nothing has really helped so far and my spine surgeon ordered a lumbar an MRI which I’m going to have this week.
The hip surgeon keeps telling me it’s my spine. The spine surgeon is pretty certain it’s my hip. What a nightmare!! So much for thinking a hip replacement would solve the problems of labrum tears. I am 77 years old and because I had osteoarthritis in my hip, no surgeon would just repair labral tears.
So I no longer have a limp, my shoulders look completely straight, I can lift my leg up when dressing, but a cruel joke since I can’t bend down. I have groin pain, thigh is always swollen and can’t even touch my thigh because of sensitivity pins and needles and numbness. I have extreme pain at the bone, pelvic bone on the left side of my back and it clicks and is swollen. I'm wondering if now is the time to seek opinion from another surgeon.
Every X-ray shows the implant is perfect. The surgeon, just for a precaution, inserted two iliac screws and a cerclage cable because my bone tissue was so thin. I have osteopenia and there was no fracture but he noted a very slight crack during surgery, so that was the reason for screws and cable being implanted. The implant was cemented.
So much for him telling me I’d be back to walking my four miles a day after a few months.
In addition, I started PT in November when the pain seemed to accelerate. PT has only made things worse. The PT was stretching glutes, as well as the psoas and piriformis. Initially things felt better for a day or so at a time. But I totally stopped going a month ago after a grueling hour session left me in tears. I couldn’t walk for a week. My surgeon is supposedly the best in California - not one negative review, except for me!
I'm totally depressed and wishing I never had this procedure!!
Last edited by a moderator: