Fluoroscopic Guided Hip Injection

Hi Peggy, I love hearing that your surgery went well! I am 72 & will have LTHR in September. I was wondering if you would share with me what kiind of approach you had and if you had general anesthesia or an epidural. Stay well, Merilee

Marilee I had mini-posterior and had both an epidermal and general anesthesia. It was recommended by the doctor as they mix morphine in with the epideral for less pain when you wake up. I guess it worked as I had no pain in hospital the first day. I did have pain the second day, but they were not giving me any pain medication as the order got mixed up. I could have gone home the second day but the pain was not under control so I opted to stay one more day. I went home the third day with almost no pain.   I had researched both the posterior and the anterior and although I loved the "no restrictions" part of the anterior I worried about the more problematic femoral nerve that could be nicked in the anterior approach. Also they use a smaller prosthetic to fit in their smaller working space which can be less reliable in the long run.. My surgeon did both types but he specialized in what he called a mini-posterior as it leaves a very small scar. He assured me his research showed there was no real difference in recovery time for either approach. . I had pain in the hospital because they did not get the order for my pain medication right, but as soon as I got home on the 3rd day the pain was very minor. I did use the walker for 2 weeks and then back to a cane that I had used before the surgery because of my hip pain along with a knee replacement 11 months prior. I now walk around the house without my cane, except when I wake up in middle of the night to use the bathroom. My physical therapist told me to use the cane when I left the house for awhile yet.  I am 8 weeks post op today! That means restrictions end today! I am used to them now so will have to get used to letting them go , but that is a very good thing. They were the hardest part at first, but I did get used to following them. I still have a very slight limp but physical therapist says that is because muscles are not yet totally strong and it will subside. I do notice it is worse in the evening when tired. I know if you have read on this forum you have heard a lot of problems but my hip replacement has been so easy I wondered why I waited so long! I had planned to replace it before my knee but took a hard fall on the knee and it had to come first. It has been a far more difficult recovery as it has so much stiffness still, but my hip had no stiffness from day one. There was only a tiny bit of bruising and I could barely see the scar.  There is no pain when I walk and I have never exercised before because of my bad joints and am overweight at 188, 5'5" and age 70. I expected it to be much harder but it has not been. I get a sore achyness in it if I walk too much or do a lot of cleaning etc, but not what I would really call pain. I have bad kidneys as I am diabetic so cannot take ibuprofen (Advil) anymore. I'm sure it would be enough for the achyness if I could take it. I have taken the pain meds longer because of that, but I break them in half and usually only take one a day when I do take them, which is why I still have some left. I don't like taking them but Tylenol alone does not do much to help me. I have only needed them occasionally from the very start. I had everything setup next to my bed thinking I would be in bed a few days after surgery but I got up, showered, dressed and sat in my power recliner the next day after returning home. I mentioned it was a power recliner as they tell you not to use a recliner because of having to push it with your feet, but mine is electric so I can sit in it. I did put a big cushion in it so I was sure my knee was not higher than my hip (restrictions) and it has worked fine. I worried much more than I needed too. I have had no swelling and have not needed to ice it. I want to get more walking in but it is 112 today in Las Vegas so that is not happening. I hope to use my recumbent bike to help strengthen the hip, was waiting for restrictions to end. My surgeon says hip will heal with just normal activity but will take longer than if you do physical therapy. He told me it was up to me. Best wishes for your upcoming surgery but do not worry it is not a hard surgery. Have the things you need ahead of time and you will do well. I bought grabbers for every room and be sure you have a toilet riser, a walker and cane. Put food and things you need on a middle shelf so you do not have to bend far. I did laundry using my grabber on my second day home. There is a lot of good info here just do not let the rare cases scare you, most hip replacements go very well. My doctor has been doing them for 20 years and has only had 3 problematic ones in all that time. Good luck and let everyone know how you are doing.

regards,

Peg

What a great testimonial, Peggy. ...

thank you for sharing. ....

angel blessings

renee 💙

Peggy, thanks so much for all the great info & tips after surgery. I've been on a long road since last Fall. I started with knee pain, then PT for 3 months.. no help.. had MRI , x-rays, ultra- sound on kneenack then hip. Sent to a psychiatrist to figure out where the knee pain was being referred from. Knee checked out aok , some osteoarthritis in back& mild to severe osteoarthritis in left hip. Went to top surgeon in Boston who said yup , it's your hip. Never had groin pain like most people with hip arthritis. Had guided shot in May.. actually made the pain worse😞. Am scheduled for posterior surg. 9-18-17. Just put in a message to Dr. To ask if it's mini- posterior.. I hope so. I'm the same weight as you, but 5'3". I live alone in a condo on the 3rd floor 30 stairs!! Guess I'll have to go to rehab until I can climb up 30 stairs.

My best friend just moved to Oregon, and my friend upstairs is going to Italy until mid November... so I'm trying to figure the logistics of my coming home. You made me feel a little more optimistic about post surgery. Thanks again, stay well, Merilee

Hi Merilee,  The stairs might be an issue at first but they will probably be great for rehab after the first month. Do you have anyone who can stay with you for just a short time and help you get home and up those stairs? Or they usually give you the option of going to a rehab facility from the hospital for two weeks. Medicare pays if you have it. If you are going to be alone at home just be sure you have everything you need when you get home. I got my prescription from my doctor ahead of time, so I had it when I got home. The grabbers I got are RMS, they are great, they have a great tip for helping you dress, do laundry or pick up anything. I forgot to mention a leg lifter, they aren't expensive but are so very helpful for getting into bed the first few weeks. As far as the toilet riser, we already had handicap style bars in our toilet closet, so I just ordered one of the big plastic risers that fit inside the toilet rim. It was easy and I could remove it easily afterwards. All those stairs sound challenging for a few weeks but I think they will help you recover quicker later on. Just be prepared to stay in your condo with everything you need for awhile, I would guess 2 weeks.  . I also decided it was a good time to go on Nutrisystem, so I get frozen meals delivered and had 30 days of food ready when I came home.  Now I am able to shop with no problem. I had learned the hard way that when I had knee replacement I gained 30 pounds from lack of activity for awhile. I got that 30 pounds off and did not want it back! Anyway with the Nutrisystem I did not lose weight after surgery but did not gain either. Actually I guess I lost 3 pounds but the meals are small but you eat often so it worked well for me. If you cook and can prepare a bunch of frozen meals that works too. You will be able to fix yourself small easy meals almost right away if you have the food in your condo. I don't think the stairs will be too bad for you after the first 2 to 3 weeks. If you go to rehab after the hospital and have some help getting up your stairs after that, I think you will be okay. Just go slow and be careful. My hip bends fine and has since about the end of the second week. I don't have stairs though so am just giving an opinion as to how my hip is doing.  Good luck with your surgery and recovery.

Regards,

Peg

Merilee I forgot to mention the grabbers are RMS soft-tip online at store with an A (it won't let me put it here. Get the 26" ones. I bought both sizes and rarely use the larger ones. You are shorter than me, so they will work fine for you. If they are too long it's hard to use them for dressing. This particular brand also has a metal piece on the bottom edge too. It is great if you should need to open a drawer that sits lower. I used it for my dresser drawer, for something I forgot to move to a middle drawer and for the refrigerator veggie drawer! You learn to do things with it. I've never seen such a versatile grabber. I had bought a cheap brown one at first and it was useless. The RMS are aluminum and tips are yellow. They are the best.

Regards,

Peg

Peggy.. u r the best! I will get those grabbers. Your tips r going to make things much easier for me. Thank you very much. Warmly,

Merilee

Hi Peggy, my surgeon called me this morning to answer some lingering questions & yes he is doing a mini-posterior...I was happy to hear that, & he is putting a ceramic & polymer replacement.

I have full faith in him as he also comes highly recommended. I live in a 1 bedroom so I couldn't have anyone stay with me so will be going to rehab. I have 2 months before surgery & have gained weight once my pain started so I'm going to see if I can loose 15 or so lbs before my op. It's so hard cuz every time I put my foot down I'm in pain, but I'm going to try! What is a leg lifter?? You have given me so many valuable tips ... I am inspired to pass along the things that I have learned along the way also. Take care & have a great week- end.

Merilee it sounds like you are in good hands. A leg lifter is a long strap type thing that has been hardened and has a little V shaped area for your foot and a few loops at the top for you to grab it. It helps you swing your leg into bed because after surgery the muscles that you used to do that have been cut and do not work well. It can be pretty painful to try to pull your operated leg up into the bed without one. You don't need it for very long, I think I used mine about 3 weeks but it is less then $20 and makes It very easy to swing your legs into bed without pain. .You can buy it online at the same place that starts with an A. You will be very glad you have it. I keep forgetting to tell you everything about the all important grabber. I said it said soft tip, it's RMS soft grip. Be sure you get at least two, because if you drop the grabber or knock it off your table you need a second one to be able to pick it up. I bought 4 because my house is big, but even if you are in a smaller condo, get two. I am still using mine to help me put on my underwear and pants. It is hard to lift your leg very far after the surgery and to begin with they are very necessary, later they make something that might take you 15 minutes to accomplish take 2 minutes. I don't know about you but I wanted to be able to dress myself. I never could figure out socks and shoes so I bought a good pair of open back sandals to wear. I was 8 weeks yesterday so my restrictions are lifted. I tried riding my recumbent bike for only 4 minutes yesterday and the first couple of times pedaling around hurt a bit but then I was okay and did 4 minutes (physical therapist suggestion). I don't get the home health physical therapy after 8 weeks so hoping the bike will help me become more mobile. Muscles really hurt today, so guess it is doing it's job. I plan to wait 2 days to try again since I was so sore today. I don't get enough activity. My husband is disabled, has had two back surgeries, one not long ago, so we do not get out and do much. Doctor said hip will heal itself with normal activity but I would like to get more activity. They told me walking is best but it is 114 today in Las Vegas, so that will not be happening. I too wanted to lose weight before my hip surgery since I had gained 30 pounds being inactive before. I went on Nutrisystem a couple of month's prior. I did get rid of the 30 pounds, was hoping for more but it seemed to stop there before my surgery. I continued with it after the surgery and lost only 3 more pounds over this 8 weeks, but at least I have not gained from low activity. I have a bunch of clothes one size smaller and would like to get back there, it was where I was before my knee surgery. I hope that as I get more active I will lose a bit more weight. I have never been real small and would be very happy to get back around 160 pounds. I hope the recumbent bike will help, but of course need to be able to ride longer than 4 minutes! I need to remind myself I am just 8 weeks, it will come. 

Regards,

Peg

Peggy, you are the gift that keeps on giving. I will get the grippers & leg lift from A which I use all the time! You should be very proud of yourself as you seem to be doing all the right things for a good recovery. How was the nutri- system food? I have never been thin & have been on every diet, but I have gained 20 lbs since the Fall when my leg pain started & I have 2 months before surgery & will try to loose some weight.. but it's so hard cuz I I can't walk without pain..I can't figure out what exercises to do to burn calories. Any suggestions? Thanks as always for all your support, Merilee

I have never been good at exercising. I am going to try my recumbent bike for rehab but probably will never do it enough to help lose weight. Nutrisystem has some frozen foods I like but it is the most expensive plan. I love the frozen cinnamon bun for breakfast, one of their wraps for lunch and dinner is harder. The turkey medallions are good and I like the chicken enchilada and the beef patty with Mac and cheese. But I start to get tired of the 3 dinners I like. They have more of course but they are not to my liking. I love the ice cream sandwiches for a snack and the chocolate cupcake. I keep some of their cookies and bars on hand to take with me if I am not going to be home. I have not lost a lot of weight with them, 33 pounds total, most of it before my surgery but when I consider I gained 30 after my knee surgery, I figure it is a good option while I am not burning many calories. I never lost weight from exercise programs, I just was more active, shopping, walking, some swimming in the right weather and just normal activities around the house and yard. I had extreme hip pain too but was getting the injections that lasted about 3 months and helped a great deal until they just seemed to have stopped working for me and surgery was my only option. I was heavier several years ago and went on a super low carb diet, barely eating that got me down to 130, but I'm sure it was not very healthy and it was when I was younger. Once I starting eating carbs again, I slowly went back to 160, my old time natural weight. I was okay with it because I stayed steady with it for many years before my knee injury and surgery, when I gained 30 pounds. I was embarrassed to see my doctor like that and out of options, so did Nutrisystem. It worked well for the first three months.It's not real fast weight loss, but it was steady. It does give you two cheat days a month, but advises you to not go overboard and gives you a booklet for eating out. I didn't really follow the booklet because I don't like fish or broccoli or many of the listed items. I would usually eat a steak, sometimes a baked potato and salad. I would eat my fill but no dessert. I can also do just two slices of dominos pizza, neither of these things will cause me to gain weight if I only do it very occasionally. I learned no alcoholic beverages. I drank a margarita with one meal and was up 3 pounds the next day! It came back off in about 3 days, but I have not done that again. If I am careful I usually will not gain. I do miss ribs and bread, which I don't eat now but it's a small price to pay. If there are any exercises you can do in bed to stretch the leg on your bad hip, you can strengthen the hip and make recovery easier. Simple exercises of bending your knees and lifting the bad hip leg up and down, holding it even for 20 seconds each time, or as long as you can. Two sets of 10. Do the same exercise moving your leg out horizontally, this is harder and might hurt, so do not hold and do as many as you are able. If you have a rubber exercise strap, put it under your foot and pull your leg up until you feel a stretch in the back of your leg. Do this in two sets of 10. Those are the only ones I can think of laying down. They will not help your weight but will help strengthen muscles around your hip to make recovery faster, if you are able, you can stand at a kitchen counter, hold on to the counter and go up on your tip toes and back down, again 2 sets of 10. Then bend your knee towards your butt and hold 10 seconds until back down, do this the same 2 sets of 10. These were exercises physical therapy had me do afterwards but said if I had done them prior it would have helped. Walking is very good, but I could not do that prior either. Be sure you have a good cane if you don't already, one you can adjust to your height. I have what they call a Hurrycane as it has a broader bottom and could not have managed without it. Some use a crutch, but I was never good with crutchesI did my walker for 2 weeks and then my cane. I would love to retire the cane, before my knee fall I never used a cane, but have used it for over a year now, through my knee surgery and never got rid of it because during that period my hip worsened. I love that I can walk around my house most days without it now. But I need it after dinner as I start to wear out. Ironically most discomfort I feel comes from my knee. I think and this has not been confirmed by my surgeon, but my thinking is that my knee had just finally stopped bothering me when I had the hip surgery on the same leg. I know they hammer the prosthesis bottom into the femur and I think that action did something to get my knee acting up again. Also the new knee needs walking or some movement to keep it from stiffening up and has not gotten much of that. Now I am starting to move it more again and it is stiff and difficult again. After I walk a lot with it, it feels looser and better but by evening I get to feeling tired and wobbly and need my cane again. I still have a ways to go but am very grateful that my hip pain is all but gone! It's a process but necessary if we want to be mobile again. The best of luck Merilee. Do you do social media? FB? Look me up if you do. My name is as signed below.

Regards,

Peggy Renkes Batton