Both hips at same time?

There are one or two people here who have done this but I would suggest that it would be less stressful to your body to have one at a time especially if you do not have someone to look after you for at least the first week and longer if possible.

Good luck Richard

There are one or two people here who have done this but I would suggest that it would be less stressful to your body to have one at a time especially if you do not have someone to look after you for at least the first week and longer if possible.

Good luck Richard

I dreaded two surgeries also but my surgeon would not do both at the same time, he did them 6 months apart. I have heard of people getting both at the same time though so it all depends on the surgeon. One issue I've heard with doing both at the same time is the increased blood loss could require a blood transfusion. That isn't generally an issue when doing one at a time.

Hi Eileen, I'm 62 and having my left hip replaced in 2 weeks and my right one 4/6 months later, my surgeon refused my request to do both as he said recovery is easier one at a time, ask the question and be guided by your surgeon's decision. X

Eileen,

I had both hips done at once, anterior method, and that really worked out well for me this past December. I was 45 at the time and otherwise healthy. I was still up on my feet the same day as surgery and left the hospital the next day. I was able to navigate stairs in our house with the help of a walker, moved to a cane at 4 days post op, and didn't even use the cane much after about a week more. I started working from home after 2 and a half weeks, started driving again at 4 weeks. My only complaint has been lingering middle soreness sometimes even now 7 months later in my right hip area. I just came back from a 10-day trip to Alaska involving lots of hiking, including uneven terrain on a Glacier. I would not have been able to enjoy that trip in the year leading up to surgery with terrible pain and a bad limp the last several months. This literally gave me my life back, and I even hope to run a little again. I'm already back to fast walking 10k's and plan to fast walk a half marathon this fall.

I know a lot of surgeons won't do both at once, but it has certainly worked well for me. Lots of folks have had great results doing one at a time though, too. Best of luck!

I had both hips replaced nearly three years ago when I was 71. Both hips were equally bad, and the suggestion for this approach came from the hospital. Obviously the operation is longer and requires a general anasthetic, but I had no problems and lost very little blood. Initial recovery is probably a bit slower, and I remained in hospital for 9 days after surgery whereas people who had one hip done were leaving after 4 or 5. Thereafter recovery was pretty normal - I was driving after 7 weeks for example. My main problem was fatigue, which I think is common to all surgery. 

Let me know if you have specific queries.

Best wishes,

Judy

Hi Eileen,

I had both hips done at the same time and am 3 years on now. Like you I was so scared and it all happened so quick. Yes, it's a lot to get you're head around but it was the best decision I made. It's a lot of hard work afterwards but one off all the medication I have not had to take another painkiller since. It has given me a new lease of life with quality. It is so worth doing plus you only have to go through one recover. Hope this helps.

Dear eileen, 

Great responses from members who had bilateral hip replacement surgery - there are actually many here on the forum -

I would discuss it with my surgeon and go with what his/her decision is .. If he doesn't think it is an option for you, ask him why not?

Do you trust and like your surgeon ?

I had 2 THR surgeries 6 months apart as only one hip was bad at first - the other hip followed unexpectedly - 

how are you doing so far ?

please let us know how you are getting on ...

big warm hug

renee

I need both hips done but wasn't given the option of having them done at the same time. I don't know what I would have chosen if I had been given the option.

I'm a bit surprised at those who started driving fairly soon after surgery; I spoke to my insurer and they said they would not cover me until at least six weeks after surgery and only then if the surgeon was happy with my progress. It turnns out he wasn't and signed me off for another two weeks, so eight weeks and no driving.

I'll see about having the other hip done some time next year.