Considering Private Surgery

Hello Gloria, I live in west dorset and I was offered either NHS hospital or a private BMI hospital to have mine done last year (July) - I took the BMI option so I can say that the treament was very good. As for aftercare I cannot comment much as I'm married and had the support of my wife to do things like change those 'lovely' stockings I had to wear for 28 days at home and wash my legs & feet. You will get aids free and you should get advice from the physiotherapist at your pre -op assesment. I can also recommend hydrotherapy if you can, I paid private for this and it really helped. I know it is a bit scarey but I'm 65 and now 6mths post-op can walk 3+ miles daily without pain. Very best wishes Arthur

Hi Gloria I am waiting to see the specialist now 6 weeks, have tried to expidite this through the GP but as yet no luck still 20 more days to wait, and pain in both sides is getting worse , my range is also down to a shuffle about a mile or so and that is so tireing I just want my life back...I am 54 now...It is very expensive operation at about 5K for one sied here private so NHS is the only option for me, seems that returning home to early is where most things can go wrong, from what I have read up to now... like you I am following the blogs posted here and learning everyday just what I am in for this year...KInd regards and will follow your blog as long as you will keep posting in it.

KInd regards Ian.

Hi, I had fhr 3 weeks ago on the NHS. I was send home after 2 nights. By then you are totally mobil. I have wife and kids but they are very busy. I did all by my self even hoovering the house on the day I got home. I only had to wsit for the wound to be healed to hsve my first shower, which was after 2 weeks. All the best to you.

Hi Gloria, I also live alone, in a Highland farm cottage, so instead of going straight home, 4 days after the op I managed to get into the local community hospital (County, Invergordon, Ross-shire).  I'm very happy that I did.  The hospital was like a holiday home. The accommodation & food were excellent; & all the staff, & especially the physio & occupational physio equally so. The OP was ready to lend me a splendid little trolley on wheels, so I could bring a cup of coffee, food, dram, etc from the kitchen through to the sitting room.  However, I found that, using just 1 crutch, I could carry even full mugs such a short distance.  If you can, try to arrange to stage from your place of surgery through a local NHS community hospital.  I doubt they'll care where you had your surgery, & once you're in the system, all the equipment & physio help should become available to you.  Good luck!

I found I could do most things for myself when I got home.  You will need What they call a plastic sock to help you to get socks or tights on.  I would say socks are easiest at first.  A grabber is also useful to pick things up with and to help putting underwear or trousers on. A raised toilet seat is a boon.  To have a wash at first, it was easier to do it in the sink as you do not have to bend so far.  The only real problem I found was washing my legs and feet and you need help for that.  Do you have a friend who could come in and fill a bowl of water for you to put your feet in and dry them for you?  When your wound is healed and they remove the stitches or stera strips, whichever you have had and can leave the dressing off, then life does become much easier as you can have a wonderful shower.  Then I got my grabber and put a towel on the floor and wrapped my feet in it while I dried the rest of myself.  Put baby lotion on the wound and if your friend or someone can come round, ask if they would put some baby lotion on your knees and legs as well because this softens them if they swell up at all and makes them feel much more comfortable.  Good luck and hope all goes well.

Hi

Reading Barbaras post.....reminded me...I was told to use Bio Oil on my scar once the dressing was off of course

I looked at the price of it and then noticed that someone on the forum had said they used "restoring skin care oil" they didnt use the name but said to go to superdrug and they had their own make much cheaper. This is what I found and it was excellent....still use it for things.

I also found the trolley very useful.  If people came to vist and my husband was at work it was nice to be able to go in and make coffee and bring back coffee and biscuits on this. They insisted they make the coffees but it made me feel so much more independent.   They more or less said afterwards they didnt need it back and things happened {not to do with the THR} but I am on crutches for life now. Its great kept upstairs {for me} If I want to tidy a room I dont have to go back and forward using one hand only {crutches dont forget lol} I can shove things on this, and push it to which ever room i want to take the things to

I dont know anything about the private sector I'm sorry......this was NHS.

I'm in the North East,

Love

Eileen    UK

For various reasons, I used the 'choose and book' scheme to have my THR done in a private hospital. The whole thing was paid for by the NHS and they provided the stockings, raised toilet seat, crutches and organised physio etc. No one would come out to put my stockings on though and I had to arrange a rota of friends to come over and do that.  There are advantages and disadvantages of using private hospitals. Private room and bathroom/better food/less harrassed staff. My surgeon also worked in a local NHS hospital so before you make your decision, you'd need to check it isn't the same surgeon that you're already not happy about! I was worried that if something terrible happened in the private hospital, I would be less safe than in a big NHS teaching hospital.  But I decided it was most unlikely that anything terrible like cardiac arrest would happen and it didn't.  Google choose and book if you aren't familiar with it.