THR for 25 years old female.

[liveinPluto]

Hi, i am new here! I I have been suffering from the arthritis since when I was 13 years old. I turned 25 this year.

When I was 13 years old, I was diagnosed as arthritis. The first bout of my disease was I got a hardened fluid in my knees and a stiff neck. I took Arthrocentesis. However I’ve experienced all kinds of physical examination, Doctor wouldn’t categorize my symptoms and my results as a specific kind of disease. And my symptoms were so remittent.

I have never got a name of the disease. When I entered high school, I often got a high fever which wouldn’t go down. I was in and out of the hospital. Around that time, i was diagnosed as possibly having an ‘Adult onset still disease’ once; still I haven’t ever got a pathognomonical salmon-pink rash. There was also the time I was in hospital as I got irritation of stomach and intestinum from the IV antibiotic drugs with which I was treated, while I was in hospital. I took an examination of intestinum with an endoscope and a gastro camera as well. And the cartilage in my hip joints has been worn and torn and now it’s all gone. The problem now is attrition between bone and bone. Well, now “Bone and bone arthritis” is happening here.

I can’t walk without clutches; still I can take a seat but have a difficulty to do that. ROM is getting narrow and I have been in so much but now pain is gone as they stick together. Now I can’t even drive a car unable me to go to work. I have been working full time but now it seems to difficult to work. Now I am on a sickness pay. I have been worrying about undergoing an operation.

I have been studying about the total hip replacement. I have been collecting the information from zimmer co., and the other home page. I am so interested in the young people who took the operation and also who can’t decide for the operation like me. The Doctor told me that he can’t perform hip resurfacing to me because of my born quantity problem. When i took the synovectomy at the age 20, I could talk to the patients who took THR for fifth times while i was in hospital and I thought I don’t want to be like them…

I first thought that I should undergo an operation to get higher QOL than now, so that I can back to work. But even if it stays in my hip for 30 years long, my age would be 55. And I guess 55 is still considerably young considering it’s before reaching the mandatory retirement age 60. I can’t be happy in a bed at the hospital with a severance pay. Thinking like that way, I feel like procrastinating an operation as long as possible. I don’t know how I make a decision considering the future. I can’t even sleep thinking about this ultimate choice ‘do’ or ’not to do’; since the doctor let me make a decision. My family doesn’t know much about this operation. No one is on my side. It is totally my problems and my responsibility.

The good product is only proved when it is actually placed in someone’s hip and if it works with no problem for more than 30 years in hip. But it doesn’t mean it goes well for everyone.In speculation, cutting edge products don’t always mean good. I am guessing because of the weakness of my hip joint and bone by walking on clutches for a long time, I will have a stability problem and it won’t be in my hip for a long time than I expect.

Why I can’t decide for the operation is because of the age 25 mainly. I don’t want to regret that I take an operation. Now I am in the situation where I can chose by myself ‘do’ or ’not to do’. Then, if something bad should happen to me, I don’t think I can take care of myself. And I won’t take any responsible for my life and myself. That’s why I need to understand before I really take an operation. Once it’s done there is no going back.
Do you think i should take an operation?
Thank you.

 

[kim1313]

I can't say what is right for you. I can only tell you about my successful experience. I am 40 and just had a right THR 4 weeks ago. I, too, was worried about doing this at a young age (compared to the average THR age of 65). My doctor, like yours, left it up to me. I had the option of another type of surgery for a cartilage tear (the source of my problem), which if successful, may have bought me 10 years; however, it may not have entirely solved my problem and I might have had to have the THR within months. I fretted about this decision for awhile and my husband put it all into perspective for me. He said, "This (replacement) should last for about 20-25 years, right? Well, would you rather have the next replacement (when this one wears out) at the age of 60 or 65 or (if I had the other surgery and bought myself 10 years) at 70 or 75?" Well, certainly, I would more than likely be better able to recuperate at 60 or 65 from a second replacement, and that helped me make my decision. Besides, who knows what kind of new technologies might be available then? No doubt, your quality of life will be remarkably better! I recovered very quickly and was able to walk free of a walker or cane about 2 weeks post-op. I was released from care with a 10 year follow up at 4 weeks! This isn't the case for everyone, obviously, but if you're young and strong, you should be just fine. Hope this helps!

 

[gavin]

Hi
This is my first reply on this forum, so if you've already had the op, well done. If not, here's my opinion...

I recently had my hip replaced last December after 22 years of gradually increasing pain due to a road accident when I was 17. I'm 39 now.

I could have got a replacement 5 years ago but I turned it down because as I can relate to it 'My head wasn't right'. Last summer, when I looked at it objectively again, it was time to do it.

I know it sounds vague, but you'll know in my experience when it's the right time. In my case it was because I could no longer do the sports and activities I enjoy because of restricted movement and intense pain. In fact, I wish I had done the deed years ago, as I believe my recovery would be better

Hope it helps

GAV

 

[Karen]

Hi

Remember at 25 you've got a lot ahead of you and you need to enjoy your life.

I had my total hip replacement at 27 and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I turned from a miserable grumpy woman in constant pain with poor mobility into a 'younger' smiling pain free 'girl'. I did things that I thought were never possible and began to enjoy my life.

I knew that revision surgery would be needed in the future, but that was an age away. But after 5 years I fell, it broke (or it broke & I fell) - So I had to have a revision. It was never as good as the first operation but it kept me mobile and pain free.

Another 5 years down the line it failed, now I was told that it was due to my bone deficency on my pelvis and the surgeons were unsure whether they could operate again - They did - Again not as good as the 2nd but still worth the operation, I was told to look after this as my surgeon felt there was nothing more that could be done.

About another 5 years and it failed again, you can imagine my horror thinking that this was it! - I was 44. When I went back to my surgeon, he'd retired and I was to see his replacement. Lucky for me - he was young (44) and had new ideas, he didn't want to give up on me and asked if he could try something new to him. I had an allograft (bone that wasn't mine) to 'plug' the gap and revise the hip yet again, if this was to work it would give me a reasonable quality of life without pain & the use of crutches etc. I agreed, I had to give up work due to the recovery period - BUT IT WORKED. I got back to work (after 3 years) and have worked full time for nearly 6 years, it's had it's limitations, but nothing too dramatic; it's the muscle weakness that's been the worst.

I am now 51 and have recently been told that my hip is failing again, I'm back to cruthches and pain if I do too much (which isn't a lot). BUT technology has moved on yet again and he is looking at some new metal implant to 'plug' the gap yet again. I am currently researching as much as I can and intend to put a question on this site to see if anyone else has had any similar revision sugery. I need a CT Scan first before my surgeon can see if it is possible, but although the chance to have another operation is daunting, it's most probably worth it.

BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION: Only you can make the decision about any surgery, other people can influence you, talk to your surgeon and to your family and friends.

Good luck xx Karen

 

[hamster]

Hi,

Sorry to hear of your problem of decision making, I went through the same thing and finally decided that if I have restrictions, so be it, I can't do anything now anyway. I am now 6 weeks post-op and feeling good, I am 42 years old and had arthritis so bad from a car accident back in 1983 that I just couldn't go anymore. I realize that you have worse issues than just arthritis but from the things that I've read there are several people out there that have ahd THR done in their early teens, the quality of life is the issue. You don't realize how much mental stress is being put on you until the pain is gone, it sure brought me back to the attitude I used to have.

It will continue to be a rough decision until you go into the operating room, the biggest thing is if you do decide to have it done, make sure you feel 100% confident and comfortable with your doctor. The first doctor I went to I just never felt right about and met with another one. Later I found out the first doctor I went to was kicked out of the hospital for unknown reasons but I sure am glad I didn't stay with him!

Good luck on your choice, don't read the forums too much, you will always find horror stories about peole that had a bad experience, but think of all the people that have it done that you dont read about, my OS does around 300 per year alone. It's good to be informed, but not scared.

Just an FYI, I have the Zimmer titanium implant, this was the unit of choice for my OS, he said based on past results and my age this would be the one that would give me the best performance, life expectancy is 15 to 20 years which seems short, but by that time my daughter will be old enough that I don't have to chase her around any more hopefully!

Don

 

[HME]

Don't be scared, Karen's experience is very unusual. I haven't had my THR yet but I'm looking forward to it. It sounds like you have no choice -- if your hip is bone on bone it will only get worse the longer you wait. But you have reason to be optimistic. I've read extensively and the record shows that THR (in this country, I don't know about other countries) has a very high success rate, most replacements last for years, and most lives are changed for the better. So because of this record it's worth taking the chance. Look at it this way: you can hardly be worse than you are now, and most likely you will be much better. You can go back to work, you can enjoy life. Most likely you will have 15 good years or possibly more. Even if you need another replacement years from now (most people do), in the meantime you've enjoyed your youth!

 

[jude]

I have 8 days post thr iwishi hadnt put it off for the 2years i did my hip disintegrated further during thattime.itis sogreat tobe able to stand straight and know its getting better everyday good luck

 

[dids]

Have courage - hip surgery is so advanced these days and I know whereof I speak as I have worked in it from the beginning. I have seen lots of 20 yr olds have hip replacements and the very great majority have done extremely well. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that you will need revisions but the gap for revision is getting larger and larger all the time as the quality of the prostheses gets better. The grand father of hip replacment, Professor Sir John Charnley, was doing replacements on young adults and he's been dead these past 25 years!!

Look at it this way - your quality of life at the moment is ghastly and even if you're one of the unlucky ones like Karen, you'll still have a lot of a better quality of life and revision is getting more and more sophisticated and dependable as well.

Go for it gal - you'll wonder why you hesitated afterwards!

BTW - if you can possibly afford it, go for the ceramic hips - at your age they're the best choice.