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Compression stockings, "blood thinners" and anticoagulants

Posted , 13 users are following.

tony_88888
tony_88888

On many of these threads, members refer to whether or not you should wear compression stockings and for how long. They also refer to taking blood thinners. These two areas of treatment seem to be very misunderstood. All patients undergoing a hip replacement should in the first instance ask their surgeon what is advised but if in doubt the following may help.

Compression stockings are used after surgery to prevent blood clots developing in the leg which is known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). They are normally recommended if it is likely that you will be unable to move around much after surgery; either due to the after-effects of surgery or having another medical condition affecting your mobility.

When you're admitted to hospital, your risk of DVT will be assessed by your surgeon to decide whether you need compression stockings. You may need to wear stockings even if you're able to leave hospital on the same day as your operation. They should normally be worn until you are mobile and have stopped taking the anticoagulant drugs

Anticoagulants such as Pradaxa work by interrupting the process involved in the formation of blood clots. They're sometimes called "blood-thinning" medicines, although they don't actually make the blood thinner. Used for similar purposes, anticoagulants are different to blood thinners, such as low-dose aspirin.

Always ask your surgeon about these issues.

2 likes, 23 replies

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  • mary75553
    mary75553 tony_88888

    Posted

    What country are you in ? 
    • tony_88888
      tony_88888 mary75553

      Posted

      UK, as per personal; details.

      My main point is always to ask your surgeon everything about the operation. It's your body and you need to know. Too many people never ask the surgeon a single question. Many do not even know what type of prosthesis they have or what type of surgery.

       

  • carol26733
    carol26733 tony_88888

    Posted

    Hi Tony. I didn't have stocking but woke up from surgery with these devices on my legs that filled with air every few minutes and squeezed the lower leg. I had to wear them for 30 days as well as an aspirin a day. I am in the USA

    • ptolemy
      ptolemy carol26733

      Posted

      Hi Carol, we had the Sequential Compression Device for around twenty four hours after the op only. It was plugged into the electricity and was really noisy at night I thought. How did you manage to get around with it for 30 days? 
    • carol26733
      carol26733 ptolemy

      Posted

      They were battery operated and not noisy at all. However, at night they had to be plugged in to recharge. It was very inconvenient because the plug in was down by the ankle so had to wake my husband up to unplug me if I needed to get up. Very poor design. If the plug was at least at the knee, I might have been able to do it. Maybe. Haha.
    • RichardKen
      RichardKen carol26733

      Posted

      Dear Carol

      Yes I had the pump things too for a couple of days only.....quite nice! The stockings too but for longer

      Cheers Richard

    • ptolemy
      ptolemy carol26733

      Posted

      HimCarol

      Obviously designed by someone who had not had a new hip! Our SCDs were plugged in the mains and made a sort of breathing sound. 

  • ptolemy
    ptolemy tony_88888

    Posted

    At the hospital I went to we had a pre op talk in which we were told everyone would have to wear stockings for six weeks, take anti coagulants (rivoraxiban) for five weeks, not drive for six weeks and a load of other things which were documented. It was not a matter of should you. We were also given a choice between a spinal and a general anaesthetic. I suppose some people may then have been told not to do some things for medical reasons.  
  • sandra67350
    sandra67350 tony_88888

    Posted

    Hi Tony

    I had the compression pump things on my feet but they were disconnected next morning and just turned on the next night again. I went home next day with just anticoagulant injections to inject myself in stomach every day for 4 weeks. That was it. No stockings at all.

    Sandra

  • lyn1951
    lyn1951 tony_88888

    Posted

    I was given Xalrelto, before my first surgery, I developed a DVT as I could not move about, due to pain levels, 4 days before my booked surgery.

    Well what a fuss that caused, public hospital, as Xalrelto was not on the approved list for the hospital I was booked into.

    Surgery cancelled completely, I got a phone call from the hospital saying I had been removed from the surgery lists, not re-booked for a future date.

    GP was not amused at all and contacted consultant specialist who had told me my surgery was urgent and needed doing ASAP.

    GP who had consulted with a vascular specialist before putting me on Xalrelto, due to all the other meds I was on for my RA, many in conflict.

    To the best of my knowledge a letter was written to the hospital for me to be given Xalrelto from vascular specialist weather it was on the approved lists or not, nurses mentioned to me I had a special letter on my file, and told me I was the only patient in the hospital on Xalrelto.

    15 months later I noticed the Zalrelto was being given to other patients in my room, so it must have been approved for use in post THR patients.

    Stockings, I was told to wear them until I was walking about the house.

    Post surgery leg pumps, I quiet enjoyed having them, reminded me of sitting on the beach and allowing the waves to break over your legs.

  • kelly1205
    kelly1205 tony_88888

    Posted

    Sounds about right, I actually was instructed to put on the thigh high stockings in pre-op and was wearing them during my surgery and for about 3 weeks after. They are a pain to get off and on but worth it; was also on Pradaxa for a couple of weeks.
  • staceymaz
    staceymaz tony_88888

    Posted

    Where are you located?  Jeez I️ didn’t have to have any of this stuff, no compression socks, no anticoagulants, nothing except a regular aspirin once a day for 30dyas.  I live in CA, went to the very best private hospital, and used the most experienced surgeon.  Total left hip replacement, anterior method of surgery.  I️ feel for you.  I️ went home the same day as my surgery and haven’t looked back since. 
    • tony_88888
      tony_88888 staceymaz

      Posted

      Consider yourself lucky then.

      Not all of us are Americans with the finest surgeons, the finest hospitals and best health care treatment in the world.

      Most of us live in reality world.

      Latest USA statistics.(2016) 22,000 law suits over hip operations gone wrong.

      Think I will stick to a system that plays safe.

    • staceymaz
      staceymaz tony_88888

      Posted

      Just so you know, my insurance paid for everything.  It would have covered the same costs if I went to local community hospital or the better hospital.  I just did my due diligence and found better surgeon and hospital.  I had to wait 6 weeks for surgery, it would have been less wait at community hospital.  But both surgeon use the anterior method.
    • tony_88888
      tony_88888 staceymaz

      Posted

      This forum is all about helping each other and offering whatever advice we can for those in pain which is normally the reason for coming on this forum.

      Boasting about your operation and the quality of the surgeon/hospital in California hardly falls into this category.

      Perhaps you have something constructive to offer the rest of us poor mortals who have had this operation.

    • RichardKen
      RichardKen tony_88888

      Posted

      Err Tony whilst Stacey's post may be of more limited interest to those not in the US, it is still interesting to have an insight into what goes on over there. Who knows, it may be where our NHS is headed though I sincerely hope not!!

      Cheers Richard

    • kelly1205
      kelly1205 RichardKen

      Posted

      It is interesting to hear of other peoples experiences; choices of doctors and treatments from around the globe. I myself am living and working in the middle of the USA and may have a completely different experience than someone living in other parts of the country...I am a government employee with insurance that covered all but 500 dollars of my surgery...I am very grateful and even though not a perfect outcome I am quite pleased. I have appreciated this forum as I have gained great knowledge from others on here and still follow it almost everyday!!
    • tony_88888
      tony_88888 kelly1205

      Posted

      I agree with all of you that it is interesting to hear of others experiences and I have said this often.

      I started this thread to help people over the confusion of wearing compression stockings and taking anticoagulant drugs vs blood thinners.

      If anyone wants to talk about their experiences in the finest hospital in California or the finest surgeons and how the operations are paid for, perhaps starting a thread on that would be a better idea.

    • RichardKen
      RichardKen tony_88888

      Posted

      Dear Tony

      Perhaps it would have been more diplomatic to have just turned a blind eye or if you felt it necessary to say something you could have said that it was off topic and suggested starting a specific thread.   Just saying <G>

      Cheers

      Richard

    • renee01952
      renee01952 tony_88888

      Posted

      Hi Tony, 

      Thank you for your post regarding the Compression  Stockings - very informative -

      This is why this forum is so great - Personal experiences and stories are shared - We are understood like nowhere else - share our fears and pains as well as little and big victories -

      In all ages, at all stages and from all around the world ... 

      I have lived in Los Angeles for 35 years and moved to Holland in 2014 - 

      I had my 1st THR March 2015 and 2nd one 6 months later - Posterior approach at a regional hospital - No Compression Stockings , just Fragmin injections for 6 weeks - 

      It is amazing how different protocols and procedures (except for the surgery itself) are from hospital to hospital ..

      Big warm hug

      renee

       

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