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2nd Hip?

Posted , 8 users are following.

tracyhipLA3UK
tracyhipLA3UK

Hi,

I had a hip replacement 13 years ago (I was 37 then) I have been back to see consultant over a year ago as at that time I had a loosning of the hip and it just didnt feel right. However I have monitered it over the last year and its not right i know that, but its not feeling so Loose - Not much pain, more uncomfortable. Went 2 weeks ago and the consultant says its will only get worse. I am not in pain really and they want to put in a new hip. I am having tests at the moment (xray, bone injection etc) to check the old hip and bone around it then will go in for the new hip replacement. I am wondering if its better to hang on or better to get it over with? Due to my age - I will probably have to fo this operation 3rd time. By the way my consultant says the new hip will last 20 years!! Yeah right!!! thanks.

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • amy371978
    amy371978 tracyhipLA3UK

    Posted

    Oh blimey. I'm 37 and had mine done on Tue, not good that they can fail so soon. What type did you have and are you hugely active? I feel for you, what an annoyance.
    • tracyhipLA3UK
      tracyhipLA3UK amy371978

      Posted

      Hi Amy,

      well the consultant I saw said the new hip i will be having next will be uncemeneted ceramic one which he says will last much longer than my previous one. My last one was uncemented but had the plastic on the top of it which is what has worn away, causing problems to the bone around it. He says I should get 20 years from the next one!!!! 

  • sarah1996
    sarah1996 tracyhipLA3UK

    Posted

    I think in the end all of us will need both hips doing because the good hip has been compsenating for the bad one for so long. That makes me really worried due to my age tbh. Why cant hips be simple haha
    • tracyhipLA3UK
      tracyhipLA3UK sarah1996

      Posted

      My left hip is the one with problems, my right one is fine - no problems at all.
  • annedi
    annedi tracyhipLA3UK

    Posted

    What are they proposing to do - a whole replacement stem as well as socket - or partial revision? I've got a 15 year old one and there is a bit of wear but if it does loosen because of wear to the plastic liner I won't have to have the stem replaced as there is nothing wrong with that. Are they worried about metal rubbing on metal? Do they think if you wait there may be other complications? I think you need to get some more details. Perhaps they think it will get worse quickly?
    • tracyhipLA3UK
      tracyhipLA3UK annedi

      Posted

      Hi,

      Because the plastic has worn away it has cause some osteolysis - this I was told is due to the plastic bits being worn away they cause this to attach to the surrounding bone. It will be a total hip replacement because the new ones are much better than the ones they used 13 years ago on me - I was told! The reason why they have taken Xrays, CT scan and I am going for a small operation where they inject into the bone next week - is so they can fully access the surrounding bones to see is they are strong enough for a new hip and also to check there is no infection.

  • MichaelTN1UK
    MichaelTN1UK tracyhipLA3UK

    Posted

    Hi

    I had my R THR last Thursday. I was given a whole set of new (and I hope, unused lol)  ceramics. The surgeon thought that, with care, they should last me 30 years. 

    In another thread (Would I know if a new hip is dislocated) Lyn mentioned that in a little over a 12 month period, the surgeons in Australia had learned that the largers prosthetics dislocate less often that smaller ones. That shows just one aspect of how fast the sceince is advancing.

    Have faith in the doctors and with a positive attitude, this will be a distant memory. Especially in someone of your youthful age.

    Michael 

  • Tech78
    Tech78 tracyhipLA3UK

    Posted

    I'm 37 and already on my 3rd, I guess it all depends on how much pain you are in and whether or not you can manage. As my 2nd came loose I struggled putting weight on it over time and ended up on crutches for over a year. Difficult decision as you say likely hood is that you will need a 3rd maybe even a 4th!

    Good luck

    • tracyhipLA3UK
      tracyhipLA3UK Tech78

      Posted

      Thanks for the info, yes its a hard decision to make, if they said it will last you 30 years - thats a better answer!!! You are already on your 3rd at 37 - thats not good at all.
  • lyn1951
    lyn1951 tracyhipLA3UK

    Posted

    Tracy - Sooner is better I think, you know what you are going to get from the whole procedure, I'm still in two minds about knowing is good or bad, having had two hips done, I think better to know, even if it is not particularly good knowing, but also that you do get over the whole thing reasonably length of time.

    Also a loose hip as i understand it can wear away the bone underneath, and eventually leave them with very little bone to work with, thats a disaster area, and you may then need a bone graft, and thats a whole level of complications over and above the normal straight foward THR.

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