Anyone else had THR after failed hip repair?

Posted , 8 users are following.

I had 2 labral tears, pseudo gout, synovitis. One tear was repaired with 2anchors, lots of scraping of crystals, bone shaving, and l also had a microfracture done. I was bone on bone. I felt as if the surgery was successful , and the pain I was feeling was surgery recovery pain...until about the 8 th week when I began putting some weight on my leg.. and then the pain up my buttocks, the sensation of sitting on sharp rocks along with deep pelvic and groin pain and spasms came back full force. Only now I also have outer hip pain.

Cortisone shots didn't help.

Surgeon sent me to a rheumatoid arthritis specialist who says I do not have rheumatoid arthritis. Surgeon says I probably have a hip replacement in my future.

I am now back at the pain clinic where they've had to raise my dose from 5 to 10 _325 hydrocodone

2 times a day and I'm constantly icing. My pain dr says he is my last stop until i decide on a hip replacement.

After the hell I just went through - 12 weeks of painful PT so I could walk again, I cannot face surgery. Not now anyway.

Also my stepmother told me she had a THR and it was a piece of cake, she was up walking without crutches in just a few days and doing aerobics and kickboxing in a couple of weeks. So, I was shocked when I researched and read through the posts here... It certainly doesn't sound like the piece of cake she made it out to be.

Has anyone had a THR after hip repair? How long after? Can you compare the experience?

I'm only 58 years old, am in severe pain, but I've got a bit of PTSD about going under the knife again. My repair surgery was in October. It was supposed to be a simple anchor, but after going in, the surgeon discovered a mess, and he had to do quite a bit more than expected. It was exhausting for me.

Thanks,

Al

1 like, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • Posted

    You sound like a good candidate for THR. As long as you stay in good shape with good muscle tone and tendon strength. It will be over with before you know it.

    I have had THR and each one is different. Be sure to remember when your ready that is is important for the surgeon to have healthy bone and tissue for the best out come for THR patients.so don't wait till your in so much pain your in a wheel chair. Keep in mind that necrosis of the tissue and Spurs on the femor bone can cause complications .

    sure it will take psio and working with a positive outlook to get thru THR. We are lucky to have THR as a option. It has brought many back from severe pain to a better quality of life and a future to look foreword to!

    I wish you well and hope to hear from you soon with any decision you have been thru a lot. 

    Make it a goal when you feel comfortable to set a date.

    H4C

     

  • Posted

    I don't think anybody's doing kick boxing in two weeks, two months would be pushing it. I know a guy who had both hips replaced as a result of years of full contact karate. I'm at day 31 RTHR, walking without crutches now and getting stronger daily. Sounds like you've been through a lot without any positive results. The recovery from hip replacement is a better alternative than living with pain. Takes some time, but I've been through two knee replacement and the hip is easier. Sooner you start the sooner you'll be pain free. Dave

  • Posted

    hi al,  warm welcome to this wonderful hippies forum where we share our personal stories and experiences - I am so sorry that you are in this situation and understand your apprehension to have another surgery .... there might not be an alternative, Al - it will get worse -no pain medicatin will help anymore or the cortisone shots, as you already know - Your mother-in-law probably is trying to play it down a bit, and who knows, she might have recovered brilliantly ... remember also that people come to this forum when they have a concern or question ...  this is not what you want to hear, is it ...  did your surgeon tell you why the repair failed? would he be the on doing the hip replacement?maybe you can get a 2nd opinion ? I am sure that there are members who had THR after failed hip repair and hopefully they will come forward - please let us know what is going on okay --- you are not alone  big warm hugrenee  
  • Posted

    Hi..... i had a a hip arthroscopy July 2015 to repair a labral tear. I was really happy withe the recovery and operation. I was up walking without aid in a few days. My surgeon informed me though that i had grade 3 osteoarthritis and may need a thp at some point. I didnt expect this as i was only 40 at the time and just had groin pain! Anyway by christmas the groin pain had come back and was far worse and on occasion by leg would just give way..

    I saw my surgeon agaoin who sent me for xray and an mri which confirmed the femoral joint had detiorated a lot and their was little if any cartilage left. My surgeon sent me home with all the info around thp and said he would put me on the waiting list if that is what i decided. The next day I phoned up and asked to be put on the waiting list. (Jan 2016). I had my thp surgery last tuesday, 23rd August and its now Sunday. The first few days were very hard and i questioned what id done but today i feel lots better. Im on crutches/sticks but the swelling around my thigh and the aching pain has eased off. This is a completely different ball game to labral tear repair and much longer recovery but long term im hoping it was the right choice.

    • Posted

      Hi Karen,

      warm welcome to our hippies forum and thank you for sharing your valuable experience -

      come back here anytime you have a concern, question or whenever you feel like sharing, okay ...

      big warm hug

      renee

    • Posted

      Smart woman to make the decision quickly. I am sorry to hear it took so long for you to get the surgery though.

      You have a great attitude and I am delighted for you that swelling and pain are easing. The first week is tough though isn't - likely as much as I have faced other than a bad fall that ended with six bones broken on my left side - the physio from that was even more gruelling. But I consider that we are immemsely luck to have this option available as it would have meant lifelong pain in a wheelchair for me otherwise.

      It does get easier with the thr recovery and I am feeling well enough that I am tackling the other hip in three weeks. Whooeee what fun!🏇🏇🏇🏇🏇

      Best wishes for a smooth and full recovery.

      L

  • Posted

    Hi Al,

    I had a repair (debridement and osteotomy) for hip impingement. I had a torn and largely disintegrated labrum (sort of repaired with two anchors) and extensive synovitis, and the socket was shaved back and ball of femur chiselled back to form a more normal shape. It was pretty epic and extremely painful. That was june 2015, in april this year I had it replaced. Like you it seemed to be going well then it just got mega painful. I had cortisone injections, which helped a bit. In terms of pain/ recovery, in my case the thr has been a walk in the park compared to the debridement. That is not to say it will be the same for you and I am still a long way off full recovery, which I am certain has been made worse/harder by the original repair. The thr has defo sorted the post op debridement problems. Good luck and feel free to ask any more questions.

    • Posted

      What an extensive journey you've been on! It is good to hear that the thr is helping 'sort out' earlier efforts. I really don't envy you this entire process and I sincerely hope you reach 100 % and pain-free living before long.

      Regards,

      L

    • Posted

      Try this for 'extensive journey' I first saw a specialist for hip and back pain in 2000 aged 20....several ops and 15 years later I get to the bottom of it with a correct diagnosis. Hopefully on the way back now, second hip 'due' on 10th Oct. More than anything is the mental stress, and I can't get those 15 wasted years back! Could be worse though

  • Posted

    Unfortunately yes. I broke my hip in a cycling accident at the beginning of April. I had a vertical fracture in my left Femur, leaving the ball separated. The surgeon reattached it with 3 titanium bolts, with hope of the bone fusing back together.

    Even though the repair was completed only nine hours after the accident and me following the non use if the leg for six weeks, followed by six weeks of touch bearing only. The bone did not fuse.

    I had a CT scan at the end of July to check progress and the straight of the Femur was beginning to callous over and the ball was starting to collapse.

    Like you I was in a lot of pain, with a cocktail of painkillers and other medication to counter side effects. My quality if life was much reduced and I was unable to do many things that I would do normally.

    I am now two weeks post full hip replacement. With an uncemented ceramic hip. The op was done just two weeks after the decision was made.

    My quality of life is already improved. Pain control is just paracetamol, I do get occasional pains the full length of my thigh, but that is after prolonged exercise. I am down to a single crutch for the majority if the time.

    The hip replacement wasn't the original choice of my consultant as I am only 38. Sadly this has added to the problem. With four months of limited use, I have lost a lot of muscle mass in my left leg. The bone of my pelvis has reduced on my left side and will take time to get back to strength.

    I can fully appreciate the pain and discomfort you are in. Given the option I would have had the hip replacement sooner. The operation was much more scary in my head than the actual event. Plus, I am now on the road to recovery, maybe not as quick as I would like. But, it is preferable to suffering the pain I was in before the operation.

  • Posted

    I want to thank everyone for taking the time to reply to my thread. I see I'm not alone. After reading, it appears that the pain and recovery of THR lies somewhere between a simple labral tear with anchor repair and a synovectomy/microfracture. 

    I believe now my stepmother was exagerating :-)  I suppose she was trying to make a point that I should have skipped directly to hip replacement (which I was trying to avoid) and not bothered with the repair.

    The contrast MRIs showed a simple tear. I guess the surgeon had no idea of the extent of damage, or he may not have taken me on. A simple 45 minute repair turned into several hours. A certain percentage of repairs fail.  

    Mentally, I as of yet cannot deal with another surgery. I am also terrified that I will go through all of this again and still be in pain. It took 5 years before I was diagnosed (most of my pain was in pelvis and groin.. so they were thinking hernia, kidneys, etc.) and I'm just tired. I'm a bit shell shocked.

    My arthritis doctor said the worst thing I can do is stay still - so I am in the pool walking/swimming for a half hour to an hour every day to keep my hip from freezing up.

     

    I wanted to go to Colorado and try the new strains of THC because I don't want to be so reliant on opiates, but my pain doctor warned me that if THC shows up in my urine test, I'll be blacklisted. So opiates it is.

    I am going to read through the posts on this site, and get a better idea of what a THR entails.  

    Thanks again for taking the time,

    Regards,

    Al

    • Posted

      Good luck in whatever you decide.

      It is a shame that THC options are out for you as they can be better than opiates. TBH I wasn't even aware they would check.

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