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mdakota

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hi everyone. i havent been on in a while but i have some questions.

i went to my two week check up and the surgeon went over my surgery.
Jo i've searched the internet from top to bottom so you may be the only one i know that can answer some of this.

My first replacement june 22nd which was supposed to be the bad leg wasnt. when he went in this time on aug 17th here is what he found. my femur which is normally rotated 20 degrees because of the underlying hip dysplasia was rotated 45 degrees. he said the normally vertical muscles were horizontal. they were all detached and reinserted. there was no anterior acetabulum and the femoral head was collapsed. he had to build a shelf in the acetabulum to insert the cup.

ok. there is the history now here are my questions.

this surgery was alot different therefore the recovery is alot different. with the muscle insertions. i'm 3 weeks out today i'm still unable to do a leg raise and the leg is very weak. the right i could do that the third day after surgery. what time period should i be thinking about realistically for the muscle strength to come back? i'm in phisio 3 times a week and do my at home exercises.

when i went to pt i found i was the talk of the place the surgeon had a dinner the friday before i started and all the physical therapists were briefed on my surgery. i'm being taken care of by the head therapist due to the extensive work and reconstruction.

i'm still not weight bearing and due to the right being done just a few weeks earlier i'm taking it easy. ( hard to believe but i'm being very good).
eventhough i'm not weightbearing at this time is the 12 mark still something i should be looking at as far as being healed enough to walk on my own?

jo, in your experience have you seen many cases that have gone to this extreme?

now i have to tell yall. this had been a very long recovery for me. the limitations after the second surgery give me good and bad days. i still will never regret my decision to have them both done nor the fact they were done so close together. i dont have hip pain. without putting weight on it i havent even taken a pain pill in three days. i get really excited when i think about the day when i wake up and realize i'm just walking no pain and without thought. here is somthing really cool. the external rotation which i formerly had 30 degrees on the right is now almost 80 degrees. my right had zero. it now gets about 40. 11 weeks out from my right i have 120 degree flexion and i actually go long periods without even thinking about it being replaced, i can tell you six weeks ago i didnt think that day would be for a long time.

love to hear from yall

monique
 
Hi, Monique....wow, you've certainly had a time, haven't you!!!

I think Jo will be your best bet for reponses to your specific questions. Your situation sounds so unique, I'm not surprised you were not able to see anything on the internet about it.

Normally I would say it was not cool of your doc to talk so extensively about your case at a dinner party, but in this case I think it will give you an added boost in therapy by having everyone know what you have been through.

It makes complete sense to me that recovery on your second hip will be much slower than the first surgery. My gosh....they completely rebuilt it!!! And those rebuilt muscles will need time to adjust not only to the surgery that was done, but their new position in life. But with consistent work, things will normalize and you'll begin gaining strength.

I am in awe of your surgeon for completing such a complex reconstruction. God bless him.....and God bless you for keeping such a positive attitude. Please continue to let us know how you're getting along!!
 
Better u take a second opinion from any other surgeon.
 
Hey Monique,
Im so sorry to hear you're having a rough time - if it helps Ive been through similar with mine (we PM'd each other after mine) I have dysplasia, my muscles were all wrong too and leg had to be lengthened, then they made it too long and apparently had to go in again and redo it. It took me ages before I could do anything, but Im on week 5 and can finally do a side lift and a leg raise (that was week 3/4) Im still on a stick and in a lot of pain when I walk. Hang in there honey, our recovery will take a lot longer (and yours sounds even worse than mine). I found that week 4 was the turning point as far as mobility went, but Im still in more pain now than I was before the op!! Please keep in touch and let me know how you get on [email protected] take care and chin up xxxx
 
hi everyone. i havent been on in a while but i have some questions.

i went to my two week check up and the surgeon went over my surgery.
Jo i've searched the internet from top to bottom so you may be the only one i know that can answer some of this.

My first replacement june 22nd which was supposed to be the bad leg wasnt. when he went in this time on aug 17th here is what he found. my femur which is normally rotated 20 degrees because of the underlying hip dysplasia was rotated 45 degrees. he said the normally vertical muscles were horizontal. they were all detached and reinserted. there was no anterior acetabulum and the femoral head was collapsed. he had to build a shelf in the acetabulum to insert the cup.

Well, that was some surgery! I've actually scrubbed for similar ones on a couple of occasions in my time. It's very demanding work.

ok. there is the history now here are my questions.

this surgery was alot different therefore the recovery is alot different. with the muscle insertions. i'm 3 weeks out today i'm still unable to do a leg raise and the leg is very weak. the right i could do that the third day after surgery. what time period should i be thinking about realistically for the muscle strength to come back? i'm in phisio 3 times a week and do my at home exercises.

At a very rough guess, I'd say you were looking at a time scale between 8 and 12 weeks. It takes bone about 12 weeks to heal and you've had bone grafts and muscle reattachments which work pretty much the same. Not only that, but the grafts are in the site of greatest loading so more cause not to be in too much of a hurry to start fully weight bearing.

When we did tendon transplants, patients had to be in casts for around 10-12 weeks until they'd healed properly so that's where I'm taking my 'guesstimate' from.


when i went to pt i found i was the talk of the place the surgeon had a dinner the friday before i started and all the physical therapists were briefed on my surgery. i'm being taken care of by the head therapist due to the extensive work and reconstruction.

That's the usual protocol when a surgeon has a complex case - hold a case conference and make sure everyone's up to speed so you get tip-top treatment and care. Wonderful to know he was prepared to do that! He's obviously a really good surgeon. And he held a dinner to do it too, so he's obviously a great boss as well!

i'm still not weight bearing and due to the right being done just a few weeks earlier i'm taking it easy. ( hard to believe but i'm being very good).
even though i'm not weight bearing at this time is the 12 mark still something i should be looking at as far as being healed enough to walk on my own?

jo, in your experience have you seen many cases that have gone to this extreme?

For sure I have but not often! I've scrubbed for about 2 in my career.

now i have to tell yall. this had been a very long recovery for me. the limitations after the second surgery give me good and bad days. i still will never regret my decision to have them both done nor the fact they were done so close together. i dont have hip pain. without putting weight on it i havent even taken a pain pill in three days. i get really excited when i think about the day when i wake up and realize i'm just walking no pain and without thought. here is somthing really cool. the external rotation which i formerly had 30 degrees on the right is now almost 80 degrees. my right had zero. it now gets about 40. 11 weeks out from my right i have 120 degree flexion and i actually go long periods without even thinking about it being replaced, i can tell you six weeks ago i didnt think that day would be for a long time.

love to hear from yall

monique

Well, good for you, Monique! You continue being good and following orders and I'll be as pleased as punch the day you post on here that you've been out walking without aids of any kind! Won't that be a blast?
 
thank you all. and jo you are priceless. there are very few surgeons much less nurses that have seen all you have and to know you makes me feel truly blessed.
the last two days have made me feel much better. some times i have to catch a second wind.
all the information was very beneficial. im an investigator by nature i have to know in order to feel comfortable.
this time after the surgery i got out of bed and my os and i went over the exact amt of weight he wanted me to put on my leg. i wanted to know exactly how loadbearing the graft was. but with all the other questions they couldnt all be answered when i saw him. i coldnt remember all at the time. lol it was alot of questions. just getting the correct information about what was done was good becuase i knew i had a place to ask any others.

the physical therapist did say if i didnt listen i could end up in a brace. that i do not want

tracy, the leg length was a very big concern with the second surgery he had it within 1-2 mm after the first and i think with the amt of blood i'd lost and all the work he was truly pleased when they were the same at my 2 week check up. and i cant wait till i can enjoy walking with it.
i appreciate all of you
thanks monique
 
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