Discrepancy in leg length after hip replacement

Hi Annette, Yes, my back hurt before I had the heel lift, but if yours isn't right go back as my first one wasn't right and I returned and found they had given me the wrong size, but I don't know why yours makes a noise as mine doesn't  so it may be worth asking them, but it is definitely better with it in, I only hope when I have my keen replaced it doesn't make my leg any longer!!!  Good luck, Valerie

Hi, I am in the US and had a THR on my right leg in Nov. 2014. The right leg femur is now an inch longer than the left. I am, or perhaps was, an athlete and had the surgery because I was told I would get back to it! I have a strong body awareness that many people who are not athletes, dancers, gymnasts, etc. do not have...and NOW I am involved in a medical negligence lawsuit because I told my Surgeon within a few days that something was horribly wrong, but all he did was deny it. It is totally UNACCEPTABLE to have such a discrepancy in leg lengths!! I was not just perceiving it, walking with a lift and now getting a shoe lifted still did not stop all the pain that having an entire musculoskeletal system thrown off caused. Someone on here said they're surgeon admitted

(oops) said their surgeon admitted he made it too long. He was able to correct it. Mine denied it all until the bone is already fusing with the metal! I wish you luck but you may need a revision SOONER is Much better than later!!! GO to a different Dr.!!

Hi there,

My surgeon explain to me that I would have an inch discrepancies following my THR. I currently ware raised boots to compensate the difference. In my case he said this would be rectified when I have my other hip replaced.

I feel for you if this wasn't discussed with you, but for me even though I am not happy with the range of foot wear on offer at least I am mobile and pain free. This time last year I was unable to walk or lift things such as a full kettle.

I wish you well

Kind regards angela

Hi.  I just read your story about your THR and I had a THR on my right leg on April 24th of this year.  About 2 weeks into recovery, I thought "somethimg doesn't feel right and realized that the right leg was longer than the left about an inch.  Previous to the THR, I had an MRI on my lower back and my hip and was told that there is a bone in my back pressing on a nerve, which was giving me extreme lower back pain.  After my hip replacement, the pain in my back was horrible and the doctor was having a hard time trying to find the right medication to control the extreme pain.  Now with the difference in the leg height, not only is my back just as bad or worse, my knees are also very painful.  In the morning, my right knee feels like a rubberband is snapping on the outside portion of my knee and I can barely step down on that leg it's so painful.  I see you do have a malpractice suit going and am wondering how you found the correct lawyer and what is all involved in the process of the lawsuit.  I would assume that the doctor would admit to the error and make some type of compensation for the "mistake", however, I am probably wrong and will need to find a medical malpractice attorney.  Do you live in the Milwaukee/Waukesha area, and if so would you be willing to give me the name of your attorney?  Maybe there would be a way to give me information that does not involve this post.  Also, the story about my hip is really good.  In December 2016 I was having alot of pain in the hip/thigh area and went to my orthopedic surgeon who did a left knee replacement on me.  I told him it was my hip that was causing the pain, and when I walked into his office, I was on crutches because I could not tolerate any weight on my right leg.  That doctor took an xray and told me it was NOT my hip because the xray looked good.  He said I should go see my family physician as it could be something else, like my ovaries!!! that was causing the pain.  I said to the dr. that my ovaries are no where near the thigh and left his office with nothing - remember I was on crutches, crying cuz the pain was SO bad and he offered me nothing - even for a couple days til I saw my family doc.  When I left his office, I called my family doc and she had an opening and I went directly there.  Again crying and not able to walk, I told her what the ortho doc said, and she told me that she was leaving the practice and I should see an Internal Medicine doc who deals with chronic pain.  I did have an appnt. w/the internal med doc Jan 7th, 2017.  She said she didn't want to start anything on me as she was leaving, and I said that I knew she did not like writing scrips for pain meds, but I was NOT going to go thru the holidays in pain.  She wrote me a script for the minimalist mg. possible and 2 pills a day - one in the am/ one in the pm.  Well, I would have been just as good with aspirin.  This story is way tooooo long, so I'm not going to go thru all the details, but I finally saw a back specialist at the end of March.  He ordered the MRI;s of the hip & back and that's how I found out from a professional that my hip needed to be replaced, which I knew back in December.  It was the most horrible 3 1/2 months of my life, 24/7 intolerable pain and depression cuz I couldn't do anything.  Finally got to schedule surgery and was soooo happy cuz I knew the pain would be gone, only to find out the pain is not gone and here I go again, extreme pain . . .for how long this time? So that is why I would appreciate any information you can give me.  Thank you for listenig to my rambling!!!  Ju 

The problem is that a descrepancy of about 1inch is acceptable for these practioners. I obtained legal advise and these guys said nothing can be done. Accept it and get use to it. Wear you builtup shoes, which you pay for and that is that. But, The consequenses is bad. My knees is packing up as well as my back and other hip.. I hate with all due respect these negligent docters.who put us in this bad situation. We went for a repair operation, but they mess up and nobody can do anything about it.

I went thru a similar problem with THR. The dr left the state and the hip was recalled due to many complications due to the failure. I looked into the manufacturer and searched the Internet for all the assistance I needed.,despite all the dr. Second and third opinions vowing that from MRI and Xray that all looked fine. Not all shows up on theses tests.

During revision 5 years later it was discovered that the greater totancher was broken and the femor implant was loose causing severe pain. All this time I knew  something was seriously wrong. Sometimes it's important to fiind a attorney familiar with these THR cases and can help resolve pain issues and give a life back!  

Since revisikn last Jan doing much better and so releived ti live pain free. 

It was a 5 year battle and well worth the effort. I would like to encourage you to fight for a pain free life ...it is possible, and you can have a better quality of life. 

HOPE XXX

Hi Julie? 

This is a list I just posted in the site, I read your consultants possible diagnosis. My injuries match with the leg discrepancy, however it was discovered through blood tests that androgens had released a great deal into my body due to stress. That this caused the ovaries to become polycystic, after an MRI this was found highly evident. I had surgery 3 weeks ago to remove all the cysts, of which some hanging off the ovaries outside layer had entangled and strangled my Right ovary, it was half normal size and black . It had no blood supply for goodness knows how long. This polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is ignored by most gynae when developing as some have no symptoms or you are just not told cysts are developing. It causes severe lower back pain and HIP PAIN (do not go for any other hip surgery please til you’ve exhausted this PCOS possibility).

Since all my cysts have been removed under keyhole surgery and ovary left to see if it restores to Health and functioning. I have my energy back to about 70% within 10 days!! and my lower to mid severe pain (almost like my discs were pulsating in agony/like Id been punched in the kidneys daily) has gone. 

I still have spine degeneration but that  pain is controlled with versatile anaesthetic patches which my daughter places on affected areas for me and are on prescription.

Ask for a pelvic scan from your GP, I am guessing you have what I had. It’s extremely common.  

I hope you to be well soon, don’t give up xx 

Hi, I was 35 when I had a thr, my femur was broken during surgery and I was in hospital for 4.5 months, having to move home to a bungalow to the severe injury. 

I was left with just over 2cms to an inch leg length discrepancy. Orthotics at a different hospital took over my care due to negligence.  I had inserts made which are okay but not a great solution. My foot naturally would life forward on that surface and almost give me blister effects in areas. Without them I walked with a severe (something) gate it was written. After 3 years I was told by the spine dept (as my spine had curved both ends/curvature of the spine/disc degeneration evident due to the way zi was walking these past years with crutches and walking sticks) a proper x-ray from standing with pelvis straight, showed my spine was forward and to the left by 70 degrees. It was agony. Severe rib pain, back hip and leg:knee pain. It was dibillitating 24/7 pain. No surgery could fix this and was told I would need t walk with sticks the rest of my life. I was distraught. 

I saw another consultant, follow-up. He said “off the record,go to a chiropractor”. I was shocked but was willing to try anything with my child not having the Mum I always imagined I’d be. 

I knew if a back specialist in Aistralia, so researched Gonstead Clinic and spoke with their office on Skype. I was willing to fly there. HOWEVER they advised me that one of there best chiropractors practices is London!! His name Antoni Jacubowski. 

Within a few days I had an appt, new up to date x-rays taken, with three simple, pain free, quick and relieving adjustments to my neck, hip and spine it put me on the road to standing straight. Within 4 months, he got me off of walking sticks and the true keg length discrepancy was actually a half a centimetre. 

I had developed muscle loss so am building up muscle by doing my physio in a quiet pool (lots of people pull the currrenys and affect the muscles from being used correctly/very painful beware) 

I am due to have spine denervation as still have much pain in my sacroiliac joint immediately during hospital stay and spine (due to all of the above prior to chiropractic intervention). The nerves will regrow within a year, enabling me to exercise daily without the swelling and nerve damage pain in that area. 

Hoping by Summer 2019 I will be in a much better position physically. 

Gonstead work in a way very different way in their calculation and skill set to get you as close to where you were as possible, you need to ice the area adjusted 3x daily for 20 mins at a time, laying and resting. Drink plenty of water and build up your walking distance gradually daily. I had to get a treadmill as couldn’t walk on uneven pavement without support. I still use it but have to hold the supporting arms of the treadmill to be able to support myself and LG length causing a let side tilt/balance issue. Not ideal but better than my original diagnosis under the hospital. 

Usually hospitals will not recommend chiropractic intervention, purely as not in their remit to do so and they do not want any come back if things aren’t working the way you expect. 

If you go for this Gonstead Clinic, I’m sure one could be in America too? My guy is Canadian, experienced for 26 years now. He saved me. I recommend it beyond anything else to sort out your posture following THR, this will correct your leg length, mine by around 2cms corrected. I still have to have monthly adjustment as after long term stick use, your body naturally tries to go back to that position so the quicker you begin treatment the less likely you would need long term, only occasional adjustments if you felt uncomfortable or anything changing. 

Good luck to you all x (5years post op now) still fighting to get back to as close to my body physically prior to THR. 

Hi Mike, mine won't. Definitely go get a second opinion from a very different Dr.!

Blessings, best of luck 🍀, M

http://www.wndu.com/news/specialreports/headlines/Unexpected-consequences-from-hip-surger-Uneven-limbs-240190901.html?device=phone&c=y

Hi mike,

I can only speak about my experience hopefully my inch difference will be rectified when my other hip replaced. I think the leg difference is not uncommon.

As well as my raised boot I have a wedge which I have been able to put in my wellies. Finding shoes is really difficult epically, however I am

grateful to be walking again and back in workload

Kind regards

Angela

I wish I saw this video before surgery. Even right after surgery. I am now 12 weeks in, have modified several right shoes by adding about 3/4 inch. I have no pain, accept when I am barefoot. Guess I am stuck with this until I get the other hip replaced in a year or 2.

Yes, I wish I had also. It is negligent to not be informed of it! I would be thankful for no pain though, as 61/2 months along the horrific pain has practically totally ruined my life! It is 10x worse even than the pain which led me to HAVE drastic surgery! Even a LARGE malpractice settlement can not buy my body back. I am going to a 3rd surgeon and 3rd opinion on how to proceed as I won't be able to live with this. The second opinion, from VERY reputable Dr. a month ago was to correct it with getting the other one replaced. He has experience correcting the exact problem that way and we discussed the measures he takes to assure correct length. Evidently that's something we should ALL be doing with ALL surgeons! The surgeon who messed me up used NONE of the advanced technology for measuring, even during the OP. I am relatively young for this surgery and a fitness professional so a rapid recovery was expected. Sometimes I don't even want to live another day with this crippling pain. The second Dr. feels the pain will resolve once my knees are again aligned etc. but I fear the prosthesis is also too WIDE for my body, throwing every part off! The 3rd opinion also is because the original surgeon, it turns out, used a recalled brand named ZIMMER. I may have no choice than to risk a redo! It is hard for me to believe that the surgeon was THAT HORRIBLE! I am pushing for not only compensation, but to have this butchers license revoked. He may have simply been in bed with ZIMMER and thought I'd have no problem before the statute of limitations ran out on a lawsuit, which is 2 yrs. Had he actually put in the correct size that may have been the case. What I KNOW is that the man should not be performing surgery on ANYONE! Sorry for little rant but people need to ask MANY questions, and then research the answers, including the brand of implant that will be used, as the list being recalled is long and growing.

Hi I feel your pain too I am 15 months post op and still in so much pain. My surgeon has moved to Austraila and left me with 1.66 leg difference and I walk with a walking stick and on Mophine patches plus other pain relief , I had this done for a better quaility of life and at 50 I am so angry.

My consultant who was ment to do the surgery will not take any responsibility , I have a resolution meeting at the Hospital where  I have worked for 24 yrs to find out why this has happened all i want is to be pain free . All my shoes have been built up but this does not help the pain i cry every day and can not take it much longer.  Its ruined my life and hope its resolved very soon ... I hope you get some answers very soon and let me know how you get on.... I am having a camera insected in the next couple of weeks as they can see severe inflammation and and lots of whiteness around my hip joint which is not the case on my other hip. Sorry for the rant to hippies but i wish i had never had it done .

God bless you all x