THR Second hip recovery different from the first

spongemum

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Hi I'm feeling anxious as this LTHR is progressing very differently to the RTHR I had in 2013.
Firstly I came home at 3 days and we had long journey. I prepared well in advance as it was in the back seat of our camper van and I bought a large bean bag for extra padding it being a wide seat so I was well supported under the seat belt.
Unfortunately we came upon a car on fire and the vehicle in front chose to without warning do a u turn! My son driving had to do an emergency stop.
I was jolted but stayed put. It was not a great start home.
Managed the stairs once home much to my surprise and relief.
Next day asked hubby to inspected dressing to find it fit to burst with blood! I panicked and phoned hospital where a nurse told my not to worry it was probably a haematoma. I sent her a photo taken by OH and she said surgeon would get back.
It started to leak so I had to ask son to put new dressing on and used Internet for instruction on how!
Two days later Registrar phoned to ask if it was still a problem. As there was still new bleeding he told me not to take aspirin for day or so.
I was concerned about infections went to GP and nurse reassured me it was fine and when to have staples removed.
Scar is fine now at 4 weeks but I am still limping and back of my knee is paInful and locks. I was not feeing pain but now aching again.
I was warned it may not progress the same as the previous operation I suppose.
 
Unfortunately we have these odd events, no two days are ever the same and things along the road just rise to scare us. In the end…whether we do something or not…mostly it all manages to resolve itself. The trick is always knowing which we need to do something about and which to ignore!
 
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Hi @spongemum
:welome:to Bonesmart.

Can you please supply your surgery date for Lefty?
We will add your THRs to your signature and add you to a recovery group.

I am sorry you have had a few concerning hiccups, hopefully resolving, but we do caution folks not to compare recoveries...not even your own two hips!

Your left hip hung in there for 8 years longer and likely has its own unique anatomy and set of soft tissue issues.

We do hear new hippys complain of knee pain...I hope you are still using an assistive device and plenty of ice.:ice:

I will leave you our Recovery Guidelines. Each article is short but very informative. Following these guidelines will help you have a less painful recovery.

Just keep in mind all people are different, as are the approaches to this recovery and rehab. The key is, “Find what works for you.“ Your doctors, PTs and BoneSmart are available to help, but you are the final judge as to the recovery approach you choose.

Hip Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary​
2. Control discomfort
rest
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​

3. Do what you want to do BUT​
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you​
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​

4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

5. At week 4 and after you should follow this

6. Access to these pages on the website


BIG TIP: Hips actually don't need any exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.
 
Hi
I'm struggling to walk without a limp whereas I don't recall this being an issue with my RTHR in 2013.Guess I'm 8 years older, (thanks for reminder hubby!) Waited 20 months for op due to pandemic so my gait was pretty bad by the time I had the op.
What also concerns me is I was given insoles after suffering painful swelling with severe arthritis on the top of my right foot. The insoles really helped but if I walk in the house in slippers then wear my shoes with the insoles I'm walking differently.
I asked the surgeon before discharge as the Podiatrist I was referred to in June said I would need bespoke insoles after my hip replacement. My surgeon took the hump and stated categorically my legs are the same length. As my insoles were not to do with leg length but more connected with flat feet and the arthritis on the top of right foot I think he misunderstood what I was asking.
Should I continue using the inserts?
 
@spongemum....you'll see some additional posts in this thread you just started. They are posts moved here from other threads because they specifically pertain to your recovery. We prefer to keep all your updates and concerns about your surgery in your recovery thread so we have a journal of your issues to refer back to if needed.

If the inserts were provided to you because of leg length differences prior to your surgery, your surgeon is definitely correct that you should not be using any inserts right now while your body is readjusting itself to normal after your hip replacement. This can be a slow process, so patience is required.

You might consider looking into OneStep gait therapy to go along with any in-person therapy you have started or plan to start. BoneSmart recommends this program (it's a smart phone app plus use of a personal therapist to develop exercises to improve your gait) because our members have seen many positive benefits from it. Right now, OneStep is offering a 2-week free trial to our members so you can get an idea of how well it might work for you. Click on the link I provided and read more about it. Be sure an register from our web page that I linked so you get our discounts.
 
My inserts were definitely not provided as I had limbs of different lengths.
I think my surgeon had the view that the podiatrist believed that could or might be the case after my second replacement. My surgeon having just operated on me, was adamant my legs will continue to be the same length.
If I stop using the inserts the lump/swelling on the top of the right foot may become really painful again.
 
My 2 hips were very different from each other in recovery. Before my right THR I started having problems with the top of my right foot. My GP diagnosed it as arthritis. I just put up with it until I had my right done. Surprisingly my right foot has not hurt me since my THR and I can do a lot of walking now and it doesn't bother me at all. For many of us a new pair of shoes that don't have any wear patterns from pre-op bad habits make a difference.
 
Hi Eman
It's great to hear from you as I don't know of anyone who has this issue. My arthritis is the opposite to you as it is my right foot and I've just had the left hip replacement.
It was so bad that in the evening I had terrific pain when at rest or in bed at night when there is no distraction. Worse than walking on it, TBH.
The xray showed severe arthritis on the top where it swells into a lump.
I had a phone consultation in the lock down and was asked if I had flat feet. Then these L&R inserts arrived in the post which are each exactly the same height but specific to each foot.
They gave relief on wearing straight away which was amazing but I needed everyday shoes with a good height in the heel and a size larger to accommodate them, tho my walking boots & wellies were OK.
I'm not sure what this new pain in my left knee is about. Just turning in bed gave me a sharp pain but it doesn't last fortunately.
I've been able to sleep on my unoperated side for over a week now which has been wonderful as I find I can't sleep on my back at all well.
 
Hi @spongemum
We ask that you please provide your surgery date below so we‘re able to create a signature for you. All members have one and it’s really helpful for those stopping by to comment to be able to glance at your surgery date and see how far along you are in the healing process, before offering advice.
Thanks in advance for your cooperation.
 
Hi Layla
I couldn't work out how to do it and emailed back which was not what I should. I was operated on Saturday 25 September. :)
 
Thank you! We’ll add you to the September Sapphires surgery list also which you can reference to see who is recovering right along with you.
Have a good day!
@spongemum
 
I never ever had any problems with my feet. After my left THR I walked to rehab and for some reason started having plantar fascitis in my left foot. Even before my THR my right foot was hurting on the top, even lying in bed or sitting with my foot elevated. Luckily with my right the pain went away with my right THR. Having it on the opposite side is a different story. I don't doubt there is arthritis in my right foot as I have it plenty of other places too.
 
I thought it is worth mentioning my surgeon has set up a recovery app which his patients can use. As he is setting up a specific veterans hospital for UK veterans I wasn't sure it was directed at me not being one but I joined it netherless. A great idea for lprogrsmmed support, learning, training and improving pre op and post op care and very personalised being for his own patients.
I didn't use it as much as I could have being nervous of such new ideas but I can see it has similarities to the programme being promoted on Bonesmart only mine is free. Other orthopedic consultants may decide it is useful to them but my surgeon mainly deals with ex armed services folk. I think people can get obsessed with pedometers and the such like and can get competitive when really it's often just our impatience and really time is our most valuable friend.
 
A positive I have never seen mentioned is that prior to surgery when you are handed your operating gown you also are given a pair of paper pants.With my first THR in 2013 I recall overhearing somebody say that these knickers just get ripped off during the operation.
As I remained awake albeit with music from headphones to listen to, I was aware of this and quite frankly it's maybe rather an extreme length to go to but it's one hell of a longtime since I've had my undies ripped off!

On my last recent op I had a laugh with fellow patient that I should graffiti a message on these said pants. She suggested an arrow with Please - - - - ↘️ RIP HERE
Sadly I was whisked off before having time!
 
@spongemum I moved your post from the monthly team thread to your recovery thread. The monthly thread is reserved for members seeing who else has surgery that month. We prefer other comments and questions to be kept in pre op or recovery threads.
 
@spongemum LOL love the "rip here" story! When I went in to have my hips replaced (nearly 10 years ago) after getting all set up for surgery, the nurse approached me with a marker pen in her hand (it's fairly standard practice here in the US to mark which body part is to be operated on) and asked "so which hip is being replaced today?" She got quite flustered when I said "both!". She then went back to my chart and having verified what I said, she put her marker pen away. No need to designate which hip for this patient :heehee:
 
And a hospital ID bracelet on the unoperated leg this time which was new.
My OH had a cataract removed less than a week after my THR!
He had the black marker pen applied over the eye to be operated on.
Our 3 days isolation prior to surgery almost crashed him collecting me from hospital just before his 3 days isolation. Luckily for us we have an adult son living at home at present who not only changed my dressing but did all of the driving!
 
Had an uncomfortable day yesterday loads of aching of the operated hip.
We did go out and I stood and walked a lot which I'd have struggled with before the op and I would have experienced different and worse pain.
Today much better and the aching has thankfully subsided.
I did find the top of my right foot swollen again and very painful last night so I have gone back to wearing my shoes with the inserts inside again today which seems to help stopping that happening.
 
My LHR was done in NYC at a specialty orthopedic hospital. Even w the wrist bracelet I was asked numerous times by various different people “what are we doing today”

My surgeon came into preop and asked the same thing……and initialed my left hip. When someone has a bilateral hip or knee replacement, he asks “if for some unknown reason we can only do one, which should be done first?” Then he initials SF#1 and SF#2. Happened w my husband when he had both knees done.

The initialing etc stems from some gruesome situations some years ago where drs operated on the wrong side of someone’s brain.
 

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