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Bilateral Hip Replacement Questions

Posted , 5 users are following.

jimbone
jimbone

Hello All,

I am beginning to suspect I might be a candidate for bilateral replacement.  Left hip x ray indicated severe OA in Sept. 2015.  Chiro, PT, deep tissue and exercise has allowed me to manage the decline but barely.  In recent weeks I've noticed pain developing in right hip, joint getting "stuck", painful enough to wake me when sleeping and most recently when weight bearing on right hip it will suddenly "give out" with a nasty shot of pain.  I'll re-balance and move on but it doesn't seem promising.  I'm moving from resisting the whole idea of one replacement to accepting both need to be done.  Bummer for me.

Currently waiting here in the US for the insurance plans to be rolled out as I have no insurance now and will be selecting my coverage to insure the surgeons I have focused on accept that carrier.  Been researching several surgeons but have yet to schedule appointments.  A recent poster who had undergone bilateral replacement was covered by Kaiser and had to fight to get bilateral covered and succeeded despite the insurance company's resistance to cover bilateral.  My apologies, but I don't remember that persons handle and if they come across this post would be very interested in discussing this situation with them, both the insurance issue and their surgical issues.  Any and all others are also more than welcome to make their contributions.

Onward.

Thanks,

Jimbone

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • Dav1953
    Dav1953 jimbone

    Posted

    Jimbone

    Don’t depend on insurance being changed any time soon. All it’s going be is a mess no matter what  ” they”  do or claim to do. 

    Who is kaiser never heard of them. I live in Tennessee & don’t have many choices as of now !!! They’re all screwed up at this time & don’t see them changing for a few yrs !!

    Good luck with your insurance & Great luck with your replacements hope & pray they go well 🙏🏼😀??😀

       Luv to all

          David 

    • RichardKen
      RichardKen Dav1953

      Posted

      Golly Dave.

      Your post reminds me of a wonderful hang gliding holiday in Tennessee many years ago at a place called Lookout Mountain.

      I remember the folk were very friendly and the wonderful huge avocados.

      All the best, Richard

  • RichardKen
    RichardKen jimbone

    Posted

    Dear Jim

    Sounds as if you need to get your surgery scheduled as soon as your insurance is sorted or sooner as it does not sound good .With two hips going wrong the odds for one going bad fast is increased.

    Best wishes

    Richard

  • pat43245
    pat43245 jimbone

    Posted

    I think I'm the bilateral THR person you were referring to.  I'm 2.5 weeks post surgery and I'm doing great.  I have my PO follow up visit next Monday, where according to my PT nurse, I should expect to get my socks off and start driving again.  I am very pleased that my Surgeon at the big K accepted me as a candidate for bilateral.  I did not have any fight or difficult time with Kaiser or insurance company.  It was just their matter of fact statement to me that "Kaiser will due two knees but NOT two hips".  I thought that was a fait accompli until I went to my pre op hippie class where the nurse asked the class if anyone was getting both hips done.  That's when I first found out that it was possible. Through further investigation I found my surgeon was the only one there that did BTHR and that he did 3 or 4 per year.  After that, it was all about physical conditioning.  Dr. told me he has excellent results with surfers and as soon as he found out that I surfed, it was on.

    In my case the recovery for BTHR has been no more difficult than one.  I also have good help at home. The first day or two maybe a little more challenging but not much.  

    If you're in active and in good shape, I'd recommend you look into it.  Start with finding out who on the OS team will do BTHR and make sure they're your doctor.

    Good luck!  Let me know if you have any further questions.

    • jimbone
      jimbone pat43245

      Posted

      Hello Pat,

      Thanks for getting back.  Questions?  Yeah, got a barrel full.  Can I assume you are at least surfing in warm water somewhere in CA?  HI?  We've got cold water surfers here in the PNW I've seen out on their boards in Jan.  Wet suit or not those guys are stone crazy for my money but then I'm not a surfer.  I do however swim laps regularly, currently my primary exercise along with some machines and weights. 6' 173# 62 yo and always kept in shape although I relied on upper body strength and my lower body strength/legs/hips/glutes probably not as strong.

      I'd like to PM you and get some more information about your procedure, surgical team, hospital, approach used and both pre- operative physical evaluations and post operative physical therapy.  I'd like to have a professional's opinion regarding my pre- operative state of physical conditioning [lower body] so I am as up to strength going in to operation which I am shooting for in Late Jan./early Feb.  3 months of hard training will get me as far as I'd ever get at my age so a baseline evaluation would be helpful.  Did anyone provide that for you?

      I don't think individual surgeons/hospitals can be discussed freely on the site and wonder if it would be too much of an inconvenience to get some phone time with you.  Might be able to cover more ground in a shorter time.

      Thanks for getting back so quick- yeah you were the poster I was looking to speak with.

      Jim

  • pat43245
    pat43245 jimbone

    Posted

    I'd be happy to talk with you and answer any questions you might have, at least to the best of my ability.  As you've seen be being a part of this blog, we are all different when it comes to THR and recovery.  Let me have a number I can I can get in touch with you and preferable time.  I'd be happy to text you before calling to make sure timing is good.       /Pat

  • renee01952
    renee01952 jimbone

    Posted

    dear Jim .

    So great to see how this forum works !!!!  

    Good luck and please keep us posted -

    big warm hug for you and Pat

    renee

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