Excrutiating pain after total ceramic hip replacement

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I had a ceramic total hip replacement 6weeks ago and I'm in agony. I'm 40 yeats old and had avascular necrosis of the rigjt hip.I had a titanium disc replacement 6 years ago in my lower back so I was aware going into surgery it would not be easy. However, when the epidural wore off after the hip repkacement I was in agony, in fact I was in tears and did not sleep a wink until after 5 days when sheer exhaustion set in I have pain in my groin when I move my leg it feeks like it's grating on something.I also have pain down to my knee including my knee. My lower back again is in agony also my right buttock feels like it's being pinched all the time all the way down the back of my leg which I guess is sciatica. I saw the surgeon who preformed the hip replacement today, he says all my pain is coming from my back. What I can't umderstand is why am I in more pain after the op then before. My surgeon was very unhelpful saying I need refered on for my back by my G.P. Has anyone else had excrutiating pain after a total hip replacement. I can't believe the surgeon dismissed my pain and said the hip is fine when the horrendous pain im in only started after the operation. Like I say I'm looking for people with similar situation or knowledge and advice.

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  • Posted

    Thankyou for comments and you are right I have realised im not alone in this and ths forum and all the comments have helped me greatly,and I am very appreciative of everyones comments and in fact they are heart warming. What becomes obvious is that otal hip replacement rarely goes wrong but when it does they seem reluctant to admit it so we are all in the same boat with very little help offered to us. I think surgeons need to realise sometimes hip replacements go wrong .

    Like all of you im constantly living in pain not discomfort put agonising pain. But as in previous posts ive been told by my surgon he doesnt make mistakes ,physios telling me again this surgeon doesnt make mistakes,nursing staff telling me that everyone has different pain tolerences, then to be told by my surgeon I have nerve damage but the surgery didnt cause it so I cant help you does not help anybody. I dont blame my surgeon or nursing staff they didnt mean to cause me harm but it has happened so please kets acknowledge sometimes things do go wrong and you need to help us instead of brushing us under the carpet.

  • Posted

    Hi everyone i've just had my legs measured and my hip replacement leg is an inch longer than my non operated leg. I was just wondering has anybody else whose experiencing severe pain in this discussion
  • Posted

    Had problems with leg length. Chris
  • Posted

    Hi Chris.b

    I had both hips done just before Xmas, was warned that there may be a length difference & there is. No

    dreadful problems with pain (fingers x). In terms of potential leg length difference in the long term I'm not sure what if any impact it might have.

    Ps you'll need to go a long way before you will get any medic etc to freely admit "potential" errors !

  • Posted

    Hi all, HELP

    I am trying to get some information on having my hip prosthesis totally removed. I was told this by my district nurse who comes to treat me every day.

    I am sick of the pain every day and night 7 days a week with no relief and I take 59 drugs a day.

  • Posted

    Hi Chris, was reading your post & I had my fourth hip replacement on the 18/11/13 as my first two were the

    Depuy that we're faulty from America so I had to have them revised, first one I had revised went well but since having the fourth one revised in November, I have been in severe pain with these spasms when I told my doctor he told me this would go in a few day, but 6 weeks on and am still getting them & they are getting worse. I feel as well as if something has gone wrong would appreciate if you could let me no how you have got on.

    As I feel as if my consultant is not listening to me saying it must be something else but this only started after I had my operation. Kind Regards

  • Posted

    Hi thanks for your post. I really take my hat off to you having four hip surgeries that cant of been easy. You therefore know what it should feel like after the operation and most importantly how it feels when things go wrong.

    My GP said in the letter my consultant sent him, my surgeon admitted I have nerve damage but blamed pre existing problems for the damage.

    I am like you though I didn't have any pain before operation due to nerve pain.

    My hip consultant did recommend my GP refer me on to a back specialist but feels he like your consultant is unable to help me further.

    If any hip consultants or surgeons are monitoring these blogs I implore them to realise sometimes things do go wrong and there should be a support system for us when they do.

    My friend had a hip replacement operation last Thursday, and no dis respect to him he has a very very low pain threshold and was very very worried pre op. He however text me yesterday saying he is sore but feels hardly any pain at all yet the weeks following my operation I was in agony in fact I was crying like a baby and morphine was in effective yet I was told it was normal. If any hip surgeons are monitoring this blog please realise sometimes things go wrong, and have some sort of after care set up for us instead of telling us what we are experiencing is normal and brushing us under the carpet.

    • Posted

      I have to say you have more patients than me I know your pain I have not had my hip replaced yet in the next month or so my pain is bone on bone been that way for six months no pain pills excedrine is what I get the amount I take makes my stomach bleed got to do what we got to do I am ready to drive me and my truck into a wall there just is no releif doctors I don*t think understand pain!!I am not so scared about this surgery as I was thanks to you and everybody that replied thankyou!!!!
  • Posted

    Yes if there are medical professionals reading theses, ok we all make cock-ups, BUT I NEED FIXING. Pain 24,7 no relief. I am with my consultant on Friday this week, but what will he do has he got a magic wand to fix me ?, he will just feel sorry for me.

    There must be something out there to fix us, its 2014 and the technology in the medical field there must be something ?

    If anyone can advise or help, I will listern.

  • Posted

    Hi Chris update on seeing surgeon. My surgeon was surprised that I had the nerve pains and numbness. He has done over 1000 hipreplacement and only had one with same. However he was sympathetic and said it is femoral nerve damage which is what I thought. He explained how the nerve works the leg and why I can't lift it. He said the nerve is either cut stretched or caught up in scar tissue. Because I have electric shock type of pain it would count out cut. He is puzzled as he says he did not need to touch the femoral nerve. He can't work out why my knee is numb as the nerve is not involved. He has referred me to a nerve specialist for testing and written to my gp to give me nerve tablets. He would have written a prescription but as it was private it would be expensive. I am NHS patient referred to private. (Government is slowly privatising NHS under our noses but that is another story) He also said to carry on with physio which he said if there is a limit I would be referred back to NHS for physio but meanwhile they are still giving me physio. I have an appointment with him in six weeks to see results of tests. He is confident that I will get feeling back as his previous patient did after 9 months. Fingers crossed. At least he acknowledged it and is helping me unlike your bad treatment. Will keep you posted . Are things progressing with you?
  • Posted

    HiDebbie I was wondering how you got on Im really glad your surgeon is sympathetic I was told I had nerve damage before the op and the hip replacement did not cause it .I was also told explicitly there is no such thing as a nerve specialist but you and others have proved that wrong. Im glad about the news that feeling should return within 9 months I really hope thats the case for all off us that have nerve damage . The tablets are helping me a lot but still in pain. Im in limbo thp im not getting help off my surgeon or physio so I just have to wait till I see back specialist. My suspusion is they hope my pain will go away like you say within 9 months then they dont need to treat me. Anyway im glad again your surgeon has acknowledged it and thanks for keeping me updated. Chris
  • Posted

    Hi Chris perhaps you should go back to your gp and insist you can see a nerve specialist/neurologist as well as back specialist. I dont know what part of country you live but I have a friend with severe back nerve problems who sees specialist in John Radcliffe Oxford. I am being referred to nerve unit in Northampton hospital. Surely your gp must realise you need tests to see which nerves are affected and future prognosis. My surgeon said he was 100 per cent sure my nerves will recover. I am hoping true but have read not all recover. I hope not postcode lottery how we are treated. You know what your body was like pre op so insist that despite what the surgeon has said you want answers and treatment for something that has happened because of surgery.
  • Posted

    Chris just a thought but if you had epidural these can sometimes cause problems look up on net. I have lot of pain walking with crutches and more physio I do more knee pain I get. Strange that top of my knee is numb inside is painful. Surgeon showed xray of my new hip. Looks like that part of op was successful.
  • Posted

    Following my THR I have numbness over the outside of my thigh. I realise this is because nerves have been cut during my op When I do my quads in sitting I have a click on extension. I am assuming this is because the pull on the muscles is in another direction.
  • Posted

    I had a total hip replacement last February 2013 after breaking my hip in a fall. I had been very active before this happened. After the operation I was in a lot of pain and my foot was very numb the surgeon told me I had nerve damage and it had caused foot drop. I was in a lot of pain for the first 6 months this has now improved but i still get stabbing pain and electric shocks in my foot every now and again and the numbness is still there i am still unable to lift my foot. I have to wear a brace that fits in my shoe to walk and I need to use a stick when I go out. This as totally ruined my life the surgeon sent me for a conductor test but no one will say if the feeling in my foot will return all they say is it can take 2 years to come back. I feel for anyone who has this condition

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