THR What would you do? Please help

nazo12

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I hope someone can help me please! I had really bad pain and length distance with my right hip. Walking was hard and I had thr in 2017! I had left and right hip repositioning when I was 2 years old so I had problems with my hip all my life! I am 43 years old. I am very happy that I had THR with my right. Surgeon told me I should get my left one as it is bone on bone. I have waited 2 years but I dont have pain. I only get pain if I walk too long however my hip gave way twice last year in April but nothing happened since!
I am scheduled to have a surgery but I am not sure if I am doing the right thing as I havent had pain since last April.
What would you do?
thank you
 
Honestly it's all up to you, no one can tell you what to do or when it's right to do it. I'm not sure what you mean by your hip giving way twice. Was it just a very jolting pain? My hips were bad for most of my life. They were worn out decades ago and had worn where there was no cartilage. When they acted up it was mostly aches in the bone at night but when active they would cause an incredible jolt of sharp pain in the joint.
The one convincing statement to me was from my GP. My situation in life was right and he told me I was in good health and would recover much better than if I kept waiting and possibly my health declined. Now bear in mind I am older and was able to retire right after my first THR. That aided in my recovery also.
 
@nazo12 I can only give you my experience having had both hips replaced. I waited far too long before having my LTHR. If you limp around for a long time it does have an impact on other parts of your body. My recovery from LTHR was very long and complicated.

When my right hip started to complain I ran to the surgeon. The hip wasn't anywhere near as bad as my left had been. But my surgeon was fine about going ahead with RTHR. That recovery was like night and day. A matter of weeks versus over 12 months.

So if I was in your situation I would go for it and not look back.
 
Thank you both
Jaycey hi! I learned a lot from you in the past when I had my right hip replaced in 2017!
I dont want to wait that long I certainly dont want my hip effecting my knee and also hip joint would get much worse in time that would mean recovery would be challenging, Am I correct?! I am probably comparing how my right one was before the op. I am ready for the op (13th Feb-delayed) just overthinking.
 
I learned a lot from you in the past when I had my right hip replaced in 2017!
Aw - I'm glad I could help!
I dont want to wait that long I certainly dont want my hip effecting my knee and also hip joint would get much worse in time that would mean recovery would be challenging, Am I correct?!
My left hip collapsed before I even got a diagnosis. Not fun and it made for a very challenging recovery.

We all doubted the need for surgery. And there is something about facing the second one that makes it a bit tougher. But I can tell you the feeling is great when you wake up in recovery and realise both are done and dusted!
 
I was lucky enough to have a surgeon from Yale when I had mine done at the VA. On my 2 week follow up I expressed how happy I was to have the pain so greatly diminished. My hip had fused from Ankylosing Spondylitis. She said that some people have no pain, even when bone on bone, and that she always counsels those folks to avoid surgery. She said surgery should be done when your hip affects your quality of life and mobility. That's a very individual determination and so is the choice to have surgery. You could always postpone and take time to think about it.
 
:wave: @nazo12
I am also one who doesn't think you should delay this surgery. Bone on bone means no cushion for the joint and lucky for you that you are not in excruciating pain which I'm sure would cause you to second guess.
I suppose it's like a dentist telling you that you have a rotten tooth that is yet to cause you pain. It isn't going to regenerate and you would have a worse time of it if you waited.
Bone on bone wearing will eventually cause deformity of the joint which can make replacement more complicated.
It also can shorten leg length which causes other issues like back problems.
Overcompensating can also cause problems.
Getting this done while you are in good health is a smart choice, in my opinion.
 
@nazo12 :wave:
Add me to the queue of hippies that thinks you should follow through with your plan.
I recently did my right hip for the reasons you are giving.
I originally was just having pain when taking long walks, then it began giving out. But not in a consistent way, then I realized I was avoiding my long walks and decided that I didn't want my world becoming smaller like it did with the first hip.
Ironically, since it takes time to get scheduled with my surgeon, the hip began giving me more pain as I waited.. Which helped me stay resolute in my decision.
Now that it's over I realize just how much better I feel. Apparently the second hip was complaining but in a much different way than the first hip.

I also am very aware that I feel much more balanced and sure footed. :walking:
 
Me, too. Me, three! I waited way too long. I was probably bone on bone way before anyone finally realized it (when I was in agony.) Knowing that now, I would’ve done the surgery so much sooner to avoid that. No one should have to go through that. I’m sure my recovery was more delayed and circuitous because I waited, as well. Follow your plan. You’ll be glad you did. All the best moving forward to wholeness. :)
 
Hello! You are scheduled for surgery in five days it looks like. I imagine you have seen images of your hip and your surgeon discussed these images with you, before surgery.

......so I had problems with my hip all my life!
And then...
I only get pain if I walk too long

Walking too long means different things to different people. Too long, for me can mean an hour trying to do chores around the house.

It’s an elective surgery. Apparently your surgeon believes you qualify for the surgery. All your testing is done. You seem to have had a successful right hip surgery.

I do know someone who put it off so long, there was barely any acetabular bone left to accept the implant, it had been bone on bone so long.

Everyone is different in finding what brings them to the point of seeing a hip surgeon and scheduling surgery. My surgeon has me focused on a goal for having my hip surgery. It’s one of the things I miss doing for more than a few years.

I hope you have a goal, for something you wish to do, after healing from your surgery, too, that may help you with this decision.
 
As some others have already said, and as my surgeon said, if you are clinically a candidate you have to decide if you are in enough pain or if quality of life has been impacted enough.

When you state "repositioning" do you mean surgery (osteotomy?). I had that on both hips when around 10. I don't think I waited too long for my RTHR. I was still fairly active but quality of life was definitely impacted and many concessions were made over the few years preceding. My left hip is following along the same way the right hip went, only about 10 years behind. Feeling pretty sure it will eventually need to be done. I'm still active and my right is no problem but my left often is. For me, I'm not at the point where I feel the need to have it done. I know implants are lasting very long these days but I still don't want to do it sooner than I have to.

Replacement with the right has been fantastic and the surgery and recovery all went very well, so I'm not afraid - I'm just not there yet.
 

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