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Failed Labral Tear Surgery

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GGAZ
GGAZ

hello! I am new to this board. I injured my left hip last December. Took some time to diagnosis but an X-ray and MRI found a Labral tear, bone spurs and cam pincer impingement. Also to my surprise severe arthritis. Had arthoscopy surgery in June and haven't been able to recover. Still on crutches and am told I now need THR. I am very discouraged to say the least. I have been in constant pain since December and even more so since my surgery. I don't see my new surgeon until next week and probably am looking at the end of Oct for my hip replacement. End of my rope!  I am 59 and USED to be active. I can't do a thing and am gaining weight from inactivity. Any advice on how to cope?

6 likes, 79 replies

79 Replies

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  • diane1111
    diane1111 GGAZ

    Posted

    This is me! 55 and 1 year out of fai labral repair. I believe the surgery failed in the last month. Dr's office on Monday for a look see. I was told that I had no arthritis so the was not warranted and to wait until I degraded my hip. Found a Dr to do the surgery and I have been good for 1 year.... So sad. I would gladly take a hip replacement but who would do that on a non arthritic hip? Gwad!

    • renee01952
      renee01952 diane1111

      Posted

      hi diane, 

      warm welcome to this forum of hippies ...

      so sorry to hear about what you are going through ...

      perhaps you can start your own discussion and share your story with us ....

      you are not alone, okay 

      big warm hug

      renee

    • GGAZ
      GGAZ diane1111

      Posted

      Hi diane1111.  Sorry to hear you are having problems with your repair!  The main problem with mine was I should not have had it in the first place.  I had severe arthritis in my hip and should have just had the hip replacement.  Best advice is to do your homework.  This is a great forum to be a part of.  Lots of encouraging stories.  Best of luck to you.  Let us know what the Dr says!!wink

    • jenny03900
      jenny03900 GGAZ

      Posted

      Same here GGaz! My arthritis was moderate to severe and the FAI surgery accelerated it so that I needed a full replacement within a year. I've had that now and it's wonderful to be pain free after 2 1/2 years. I just wish I hadn't wasted my time with the other operation, which didn't give me a single pain free day!

  • glynell
    glynell GGAZ

    Posted

    GGAZ: Sorry for the hell you've been through, and that you have to go through more of it. But I hope it helps to hear from so many others who've had THR and are living a great pain-free life now.

    Your age + all the problems visible on xray & MRI - even if severe arthritis wasn't visible on films, it seems like bad advice to recommend arthroscopic surgery. I'm sorry how things turned out.

    I was 53 or 54 and knew I was taking a risk with hip scope (since the procedure it is not as successful with people aged 45+), but according to radiology report and reviews by several hip scope surgeons there was "possible labral tear".  Yes, there was more damage found during surgery, but not awful like I've heard of from other patients.

    What I'm really frustrated with, for all of us, is what are the options for older patients with confirmed labral tear + small amount of visible arthritis? Why do we have to stay in limbo (and in pain & disability) until joint space degrades? Is it truly a crapshoot to skip hip scope and go straight to THR?  If the answer is yes, can they explain why this is so? 

    I consulted with 4 hip surgeons who do THR, and none of them could explain why, they just cited national data. (Well, I can't argue with that, I want to hear the data!)  Then they left it up to me to decide, saying "Well, it MIGHT help you, odds are 30-50% of good outcome".

    Yikes.

    I just wonder if the implants for THR are designed specifically for people who already have advanced arthritis. But even so, the procedure for THR is to grind out any remaining cartilage (labrum), so in effect that erases your joint space altogether, which is like advanced arthritis (to my feeble layman's mind, anyway).

    If anyone here on the forum can educate me about this, I'd love to hear it!

    • GGAZ
      GGAZ glynell

      Posted

      glynell the xrays ans MRI showed I had severe arthritis along with the laberal tear, cam impingment, bone spurs ect.  All the repair did was accelerate the deterioration.  It never should have been performed and the Doctor should never have suggested it.

      I had my THR 14 months ago and have had a beautiful recovery.

      Hope is out there.  Good luck!

    • jenny03900
      jenny03900 GGAZ

      Posted

      Same here GGAZ. If I hadn't had the risk of acceleration explained to me I'd be looking at suing the surgeon - especially as I paid him a lot of money in order to get it done privately without any delays.

      Never mind, I'm 4 weeks out from my LTHR and am recovering brilliantly so all is well.

    • glynell
      glynell GGAZ

      Posted

      GGAZ, I'm happy to know you've had a great recovery from THR, and likely for over a year now you've been pain free. 

      That surgeon who suggested it - has he had some further education to get (ahem) more competent with his suggestions?  Terrible how misguided he was and what he put you through.

    • jenny03900
      jenny03900 glynell

      Posted

      As Renee says, left total hip replacement. Sorry, enough with the acronyms!
  • rose0000
    rose0000 GGAZ

    Posted

    It is a shock to know you need a THP - for a few weeks you need to get used to the idea. I too had a similar problem, and at 40 had a THP - truly the very best thing I ever did, it is a long recovery but at the end you have your life back! I am at the gym, walk for miles with my dogs, and have a complete life back again. I couldn't even bear to walk before, take it from me, this operation really does work.

    I do have a question, why do you have to wait so long? Are the waiting times that long where you are?? End of Oct seems a long way off for someone in so much pain. Do ask to be put on their cancellation list - and take the first appointment that comes up (they never offer a second one from experience!)

    Best of luck buddy - stay on here for support and information, it is amazing place to get genunine help and advice. 

     

  • Liljen
    Liljen GGAZ

    Posted

    Hi Everyone.. Hope you guys are coping and feeling ok now..  long story short, after 3  R knee operations and 2 Left knee operations between 1998 - 2010 (I was 16 in 1998) it turns out I have FAI and am awaiting Hip Surgery (pre op is on 11th Jan) They are unable to anchor my laberal is it is too "frayed" so not sure what the plan is, other than removal of the CAM impingement - Osteoarthritus is present, however I am not 100% sure to what extent, however turns out it is likely that the hip issue has been ongoing for over 10 years - I had a steroid injection in October and it has been amazing - My Hip surgeon has also sent me to a Knee surgeon, and I am awaiting MRI scans (19 Jan) - Sruggling to see the light att he end of the tunnel, seeing as I have been suffering now for over 20 years (I am 34) - If no improvement from the hipscope, then it sounds like I am just going to be pumped with injections until I am "old enough" for a replacement, or until the wear and tear is too much.. who knows..

  • Liljen
    Liljen GGAZ

    Posted

    I guess no ones here anymore il try find other threads x
    • renee01952
      renee01952 Liljen

      Posted

      hi liljen , 

      so sorry for not responding ...

      this thread is rather old - 

      you can start your own discussion (see box) and I am sure thatyou will get many responses ...

      Hope to see you there

      big warm hug

      renee

    • Liljen
      Liljen renee01952

      Posted

      Hi aww thanks - I'm new to this lol il start one today smile thanks so much xx

    • michael57078
      michael57078 Liljen

      Posted

      Hi, new to the forum not sure where the new thread is but I must say this thread is a godsend. I am like so many on this thread, 59 years old, took forever to get diagnosed with a Labral tear, and after speaking with one surgeon who said he was not sure if arthroscopic surgery would help me, due to arthritis and age, my gut was telling me this type of surgery is good perhaps for 25 year old athletes not people our age with varying degrees of Arthritis.

      To keep my post concise, thank you all for your knowledge and sharing.

      While nothing is guaranteed You have validated what my gut has been telling me. Odds are arthroscopic Labral surgery at my age would most likely just prolong the agony, and in order to get my life back , I have to do whatever it takes to convince the doctors to give me a hip replacement if I want to have a reasonably good chance of living a happy life again. If anyone at all disagrees with what I am saying feel free to respond to me and thank you all so very much. After years of a nightmare being misdiagnosed, then having my head spinning reading the contradictions of arthroscopic arthroscopic surgery, I finally feel I can see a small light in the distance, THR. Thank you all from my heart. Michael

    • renee01952
      renee01952 michael57078

      Posted

      awww, Michael --- just found  your response - 

      I want to tell you the same thing as I told Liljen: start your own discussion

      ( see green block) and share with us, if you like, what you went through -

      This forum is great, you won't be alone anymore, get first hand experience and tips, unconditional love and support ....

      your surgeon is right-  the way I understand it is that with

      arthroscopic surgery one will almost need as much time to heal from as total hip replacement surgery ... 

      come back here any time you have questions or concerns okay? does not matter how many times the same question has been asked redface, there are so many new post-op members who will be happy to share their experience with you ...

      big warm hug

      renee

    • kimberley38758
      kimberley38758 michael57078

      Posted

      Hi Michael,

      I can relate to everything you're going through.  At 48 year old, I tore my labrum while working out on a treadmill.  Over a year after that, I finally found a specialist who knew what was wrong.  He operated to fix it and while in there cleaned & smoothed out the joint.  He told me afterwards that I had bad arthritis in that joint and he hoped that the debreement would give me more time without as much pain.  While the surgery for the labral tear was a success, my arthritis was so bad that the joint failed within 6 months post op leaving me bone on bone.  Two months after that I was back in surgery getting a FHR.  I'm now 8 months post op from having the FHR.  My advice to you is to get everything repaired at the same time.  Don't go through it twice like I did (hind sight 20/20).  The labral tear will have to be fixed to stop the pain, but you may as well have it done while they are giving you a replacement hip. 

      Wishing you the very bestsmile

    • michael57078
      michael57078 kimberley38758

      Posted

      Thank you

      And I will start a new thread, I read the entire post late last night and was fascinated and grateful to find people more my age going through this terrible pain, having arthroscopic surgery which prolonged another year of misery , then finding those that were able to get a complete THR much happier and on the way to getting a resolution to this nightmare. Very appreciated.

    • kimberley38758
      kimberley38758 michael57078

      Posted

      Thanks Michael. I'll look out for your new post.  At that time I'll share my experience (above) again so that others can see.

      Take care!

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