Anyone have hip surgery? How did it work out?

[BruceH]

So I've been having upper thigh and hip pain for almost a year. Tried steroid shots for the bursa, rest, and physical therapy. PT made it much worse. I finally progressed to seeing a sports Doctor who ordered a dye injection MRI.

The MRI results are back and I've been referred to a Surgeon. Won't see the Surgeon for a few weeks but the sports Doctor is thinking that hip resurfacing surgery is for me (the femoral head is reshaped and capped instead of being removed and replaced with a ball that extends into the femur). FWIW the Surgeon I was referred to is a specialist in hip sparing surgery.

My mind is working overtime and I'm wondering how many have had hip surgery of any sort and how did it work out for you? The Radiologist report was arthritis (major loss of cartilage on the femur head and hip socket) and labral defects.

From what I understand the only options are reshaping and cleaning up the femur and hip socket or total replacement. I'll surely know more once I have the surgery consult but right now my head is spinning. I would really like to hear anyone's hip surgery story from beginning to end.

Thanks,
Bruce

 

[BruceH]

I'm shamelessly bumping this. Surely there are hip replacement or hip resurfacing recipients on this forum who would share their experience.

For now all I can do is research the subject. Knowledge is a good thing, I'm educating myself but personal experiences are far better than theories imo.

 

[govner1]

I’ve not had a hip replacement but when my uncle did at almost eighty after years of urging him to do so he swore he should have done it ten years earlier! He had both done& lived 20 years more.

 

[S-Met]

Resurfacing is a bandaid but can last 5-10yrs or more.

If getting a Total Hip Arthroplasty (TKA) be sure to get a PSI (patient specific implant). These start with a CT or MRI and a custom model is made for you.

Im familiar with Signature, Bio-met, Robo-doc and Smith&Nephew. No opinion as to which is better, just that you need a good surgeon. Longterm outcomes with PSI are far better than the other methods. The joints are 3d printed and modeled to limit malrotation of the hip, knee and ankle and so leg lenth are equal.

 

[Sailingeric]

A co-worker of mine had it at 52 after putting up with hip pain for years. Like governr said, he wishes he had done it sooner. He was to take 6 weeks off from work but back after about 4 but YMMV

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Hey Bruce my husband had hip joint trouble at a young age. Docs reserve the replacement procedure for older folks because they wear out. When he was in his thirties the cortisone injection helped for many years, but once the pain returned his hip socket was heart shaped and the femoral head had no cartilage. I honestly don’t know how he was still walking. He had a full hip replacement in his 50s. Once he was finished with PT he was moving good and had a full recovery.

Your proposed work should resolve the discomfort of that thinning cartilage and I imagine the recovery may move along more quickly since you are keeping most of your bone. Just follow the post op directions and keep up with PT. Be well.

 

[BruceH]

Thank you for the replies. FWIW I'm 53 soon to be 54. I'm reading about people who have had artificial hips last past 20 years provided they stay healthy and avoid certain activities.

I would like to be able to walk 18 holes carrying my bag. I'd also like to be able to do occasional day hikes and walk my dogs for several miles and be able to ride a mountain bike on trails. I'm not sure if that's too much to expect.

I'd much rather be able to do things now and reserve a sedentary lifestyle for when I'm older if it has to be that way.

 

[Sailingeric]

Just do it, a few weeks of pain and recovery is worth it.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Thank you for the replies. FWIW I'm 53 soon to be 54. I'm reading about people who have had artificial hips last past 20 years provided they stay healthy and avoid certain activities.

I would like to be able to walk 18 holes carrying my bag. I'd also like to be able to do occasional day hikes and walk my dogs for several miles and be able to ride a mountain bike on trails. I'm not sure if that's too much to expect.

I'd much rather be able to do things now and reserve a sedentary lifestyle for when I'm older if it has to be that way.

I guess those questions are best answered by your team, keep in mind they tend to keep the answers on the conservative side. Your activity level is also up to you. Right now I’m guessing the discomfort is limiting your activity and perhaps causing you to use medication. Whatever you gain following the procedure may be more than you’re doing comfortably now.

 

[BruceH]

I guess those questions are best answered by your team, keep in mind they tend to keep the answers on the conservative side. Your activity level is also up to you. Right now I’m guessing the discomfort is limiting your activity and perhaps causing you to use medication. Whatever you gain following the procedure may be more than you’re doing comfortably now.

In the last two months my activity level has plummeted. I've kept to only using otc nsaids but at prescription strength levels (with the ok of my pcp). I'll follow whatever the surgeon prescribes for me. My own personal plan is to abstain from alcohol, eat right, and do everything I can to benefit/maintain my cardiovascular health prior to surgery. I want this to be as easy as possible for the surgeon, pt, my poor wife who will have to take care of me for awhile, and myself.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

^^^ you’ve got this Bruce! They will probably have you up for your first walk the next day or sooner. Just remember as soon as the site is closed your body begins to heal and it does so without you thinking about it. You give your body what it needs and it will heal fully and quickly.

 

[day_trippr]

Being of a certain age I'm familiar with a number of my generation that have gone through joint replacement.
Hips seem to take less recovery than knees, and recovery does depend on the specific modification, but it's still not "a few weeks".
Knees are worse - expect a good six months of rehab.

I have a DIL surgeon and a BIL doc and they both say the biggest thing the patient can do is get the specific limb muscles etc in shape before surgery. If that involves a month or two of steady gym visits, so be it. It'll pay off "bigly" in the end...

Cheers - and here's hoping for a succesful pain-free outcome

 

[Kent88]

My sister in law had hip surgery of some type. Only problem I've heard her bring up is that she can't ride horses anymore.

Neighbor had a bad hip that made him walk with noticable pain issues and he had that done a couple of weeks ago. He said that it immediately felt better, that the incision hurt but he didn't have any of the pain he had been dealing with before anymore. He is walking around a lot smoother now and making good progress in PT, and hopes to be back to work in a couple of weeks.

 

[BruceH]

Resurfacing is a bandaid but can last 5-10yrs or more.

If getting a Total Hip Arthroplasty (TKA) be sure to get a PSI (patient specific implant). These start with a CT or MRI and a custom model is made for you.

Im familiar with Signature, Bio-met, Robo-doc and Smith&Nephew. No opinion as to which is better, just that you need a good surgeon. Longterm outcomes with PSI are far better than the other methods. The joints are 3d printed and modeled to limit malrotation of the hip, knee and ankle and so leg lenth are equal.

I finally had the Ortho appointment. I decided against resurfacing and chose a different OS, like you said resurfacing is a band aid. The more I looked into it the more I found that resurfacing leads to necrosis and an eventual conversion surgery to THR. I decided to consult with a local OS who has a very good reputation (the older I get the more I hear friends and others talk about medical procedures, who did them and how it worked out).

I'm signed up to have a robotic assist total replacement. It requires a mapping CT scan that the computer will use to help select the correct parts and to guide the surgeon. I watched a few videos of it on youtube and I'm confident that it and the surgeon are the right choices for me.

Thanks again for all the replies.

 

[Still Brewn]

I'm a little late to this conversation..... and I know nothing about all the acronyms you are using or anything about joint replacement but have you looked into stem cell injections for the problem? It has been on the local news around here a number of times over the last year as an alternative to surgery. I didn't pay much attention because nobody in the family has any issues like this but I bet that if I did I would choose a non surgical approach if I could.

 

[BruceH]

I'm a little late to this conversation..... and I know nothing about all the acronyms you are using or anything about joint replacement but have you looked into stem cell injections for the problem? It has been on the local news around here a number of times over the last year as an alternative to surgery. I didn't pay much attention because nobody in the family has any issues like this but I bet that if I did I would choose a non surgical approach if I could.

I've looked into stem cells, micro ablation, and labrum repair (I also have a torn labrum). The reported success rate isn't good and they require being on crutches for an extended time vs limited walking soon after a THR (total hip replacement).

Thanks for the reply, I'm still a few months out on the surgery due to a steroid injection that was done in the hip joint for final diagnostics.

Bruce

 

[boggie]

It was a year long recovery . But at the end of the day it was worth it.
Need to get the other hip replaced next year.
Good luck

 

[matt_m]

I had labral tear repair last year which is totally different but wasn’t too bad. For fun, they also found a sports hernia which was a separate procedure. When I recovered from those I realized I had the same symptoms on the other side without the pain so I ended up having it done too. Near 100% a year later. Mainly just get soreness.

if you are anywhere near SE Michigan I highly recommend Dr Laith Farjo in Brighton. Leader in the field and a super nice guy to boot.

 

[BruceH]

To date I'm signed up for the surgery and have had the "Mako robotic assist" CT scan that maps my pelvis and femur.

Edit: TMI

 

[BruceH]

Well that was a long wait. I was more than ready by the time the surgery date came around. Just had the two week post op check up and everything is good.

To anyone from the future who is reading this thread the surgery wasn't that big of a deal from my viewpoint. I had watched several of the surgeries on you tube and had a good idea of what to expect.

I was fully awake just prior to the surgery, no meds until after the spinal had taken affect (my request). Once my legs were numb I noticed white fluid had started in the iv and then I woke up being wheeled into recovery very happy and relieved. No general, just the spinal and iv. I was up walking with a walker just a few hours later.

Two weeks later I'm walking with a cane, pain meds were tapered down pretty quick. I can drive and do light household chores. Post op pain wasn't that bad after day 2.

I'm still a few months away from being able to golf. Once I'm cleared for golf I'll consider the whole thing a success.

 

[cabron99]

So I've been having upper thigh and hip pain for almost a year. Tried steroid shots for the bursa, rest, and physical therapy. PT made it much worse. I finally progressed to seeing a sports Doctor who ordered a dye injection MRI.

The MRI results are back and I've been referred to a Surgeon. Won't see the Surgeon for a few weeks but the sports Doctor is thinking that hip resurfacing surgery is for me (the femoral head is reshaped and capped instead of being removed and replaced with a ball that extends into the femur). FWIW the Surgeon I was referred to is a specialist in hip sparing surgery.

My mind is working overtime and I'm wondering how many have had hip surgery of any sort and how did it work out for you? The Radiologist report was arthritis (major loss of cartilage on the femur head and hip socket) and labral defects.

From what I understand the only options are reshaping and cleaning up the femur and hip socket or total replacement. I'll surely know more once I have the surgery consult but right now my head is spinning. I would really like to hear anyone's hip surgery story from beginning to end.

Thanks,
Bruce

Hope I'm not too late to help some folks. Needed some hip help and got scheduled for replacement surgery last Oct. One day at the VA (I'm there for pain management unrelated to hip) my doctor asked how I was and I replied that my hip was bothering me. He offered a treatment of mono-visque (sp), an injection into the hip; it had just been okayed for hip treatments. I went for it as my surgery was 45 days away. The next day the pain receded drastically and over the next week, disappeared. I almost cancelled my surgery and in retrospect, I wish I would have. (After the surgery, my hip dislocated and they decided to go in and have another go at it. Same day! During the second operation, my heart stopped and they performed CPR on me, crushing my sternum and breaking three ribs. The recovery from the hip was nothing, but the chest was agonizing.) My brother had the same treatment for his knees and reports great results, as does a very good friend of mine. If you are considering surgery, do yourself a favor and look into the shot. Its not a steroid; its a lubricant. It may have to be repeated periodically, but so what? Office visit and go home. Just my two cents.

pao

 

[myelo]

Holy crap, Cabron, that sounds terrible. Hope you get better soon.

If anyone is interested, the product is Monovisc, a form of hyaluronan. Fun fact ... it's made by fermentation, using bacteria not yeast.

 

[cabron99]

Holy crap, Cabron, that sounds terrible. Hope you get better soon.

If anyone is interested, the product is Monovisc, a form of hyaluronan. Fun fact ... it's made by fermentation, using bacteria not yeast.

Am doing quite well, back at the gym working out three days a week. Thanks for your well wishes and the correction on spelling. Now I'll know what to ask for on my knee! Thanks again.

 

[LAHammer]

Well that was a long wait. I was more than ready by the time the surgery date came around. Just had the two week post op check up and everything is good.

To anyone from the future who is reading this thread the surgery wasn't that big of a deal from my viewpoint. I had watched several of the surgeries on you tube and had a good idea of what to expect.

I was fully awake just prior to the surgery, no meds until after the spinal had taken affect (my request). Once my legs were numb I noticed white fluid had started in the iv and then I woke up being wheeled into recovery very happy and relieved. No general, just the spinal and iv. I was up walking with a walker just a few hours later.

Two weeks later I'm walking with a cane, pain meds were tapered down pretty quick. I can drive and do light household chores. Post op pain wasn't that bad after day 2.

I'm still a few months away from being able to golf. Once I'm cleared for golf I'll consider the whole thing a success.

Sorry I didn’t find this thread earlier. My sister had one replaced a little over a year ago and a brother had both replaced about a year apart. Both highly recommend it.
I’m 1 week post op from total knee replacement and went through process similar to yours. Recovery is going well so far. Pretty good improvements each day at this point. I’ll be “recovered” when I can play golf again. Shooting for March 26[emoji41]

 

[BruceH]

Sorry I didn’t find this thread earlier. My sister had one replaced a little over a year ago and a brother had both replaced about a year apart. Both highly recommend it.
I’m 1 week post op from total knee replacement and went through process similar to yours. Recovery is going well so far. Pretty good improvements each day at this point. I’ll be “recovered” when I can play golf again. Shooting for March 26[emoji41]

Had my 6 week follow up today. Cleared to do anything provided it doesn't hurt but I'm supposed to start easy. I can start chipping and progress from there as tolerated. If I can make 50% swings I'm back on the course. In fact the shots will probably go higher, farther, and straighter with a half shot, lol.

 

[LAHammer]

Had my 6 week follow up today. Cleared to do anything provided it doesn't hurt but I'm supposed to start easy. I can start chipping and progress from there as tolerated. If I can make 50% swings I'm back on the course. In fact the shots will probably go higher, farther, and straighter with a half shot, lol.

For some reason I seem to play better when I’m babying an injury. Probably smoother swings and such that people make such a big deal about.
Sounds like you’re making great progress! First round’s not far away!!