Having Gluteus Medius Repair Surgery & Possible Hip Revision tomorrow!
Posted , 19 users are following.
I had my THR in July of 2015 and never recovered, but always had a limp and pain in hip. Finally had second opinion and got a diagnosis of a torn gluteus medius muscle in Feb, 2016. Also had testing for infection but all was negative. I'm finally getting the repair surgery, as well as some exploratory in the hip, by two surgeons tomorrow, after 2 cancellations and seemingly endless waiting. I even had a vertebral compression fracture of my T-11 while waiting, which was SO horrible and painful and worse than my THR.
Now I am ready to see if my hip problem can be repaired, and if I can recover and move on with life. My health has gone so far down the tubes during this 15 months of inactivity that I am wondering if I will ever get it back. I will do all I can to get better, since I have so much to live for - a loving husband, sister and grown children. I love nature and out-of-doors adventures and want to go exploring and hiking again.
I'll be wearing a brace and be 20 pound weight-bearing for 8 weeks after the surgery to avoid tearing the muscle/tendon again. It is possible they will do a revision if they see a loose stem or cup, but that is not likely.
This forum was instrumental in me figuring out the source of my hip issues, as within the first couple of replies to my first thread, linda96952 told me about her problems, similar to mine, and put me on the right track. Thanks, again, my dear linda96952! https://patient.info/forums/profiles/linda96952-897026 Many other people here on Patient have been so giving of their support and information that I can't begin to list them all. I had no forum support after my THR and just struggled alone. This time I feel like I am going in with so much information and so many people with me!
Here are my previous threads, as I've been on here forever, trying to figure things out and waiting for treatment.
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/22-weeks-post-op-still-can-t-walk-unaided--490578
Have attached a photo of a portion of my MRI from January, 2016. There is a ghostly face in the area where my hip problems are, and I call it my Demon Hip photo. Perfect for Halloween!
3 likes, 52 replies
trish57468 AnnieK
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AnnieK trish57468
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Glad you are going for a second opinion! I don't know what they are thinking in Florida, but deciding whether or not to do surgery doesn't have much to do with "want" on the part of surgeons in general. The question is, is it necessary. If a particular surgery CAN be done, and if it has a good chance of keeping a person from intense pain and/or serious disability, then isn't that one of the major reasons that surgery is done at all?
AnnieK
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Today is the one-year anniversary of my gluteus medius/minimus repair and hip exploratory surgery. I am posting this very positive update here and on another forum. It is 2 ¼ years since my THR. It is almost 3 years since I fell and hurt my knee, which put extra stress on my arthritic hip causing everything to accelerate. It’s been over a year since I had a fractured vertebra and a procedure to stabilize it, and my back is quite bent with kyphosis.
I will never be 100% in my hip and back, but I have a good life! I use a cane or trekking poles when I am out of my home due to weakness in my hip and back, but I have decent stamina and overall strength. In August I went on a 2 week wilderness island camping trip, where my husband carried in all of our supplies, and we spent our days day-hiking on the beaches and trails, all on uneven ground, and sleeping on the ground in a tent at night. I averaged 6.8 miles of walking per day (much less back here at home)! I was highly motivated to see the beautiful sights and visit my favorite beaches on the island.
At home I am now able to do just about everything that I was doing before I fell in 2015, which was somewhat limited due to osteoarthritis. My hip had been deteriorating for years at that point. My recovery from surgeries has taken a long time. I am finally doing fairly easily things like cutting my toenails, putting on socks, vacuuming, and doing stairs with alternating legs and not needing to hold onto railings for dear life. Mostly I still use the rails, but not with a death grip. Yesterday for the first time I was able to go up stairs without holding on.
I am glad that I had the THR, even though I had complications, because the bone-on-bone pain that I had intermittently was so horrendous and getting worse, and I know I would have ended up having to use a wheelchair. Now that the complications have mostly resolved, I can go on with my life, as best as I can, and without the constant threat of that pain and increasing disability in walking.
I am getting back (after 22 years) to doing research and organization of our family tree. My house is cheerily decorated for Halloween. I go on lots of walks and outings with family. My relationship with my husband is better than ever, after 3 years of him having to do way more than his share. I am hoping that I don’t have any more joint replacements in my future, but if I do, I know what to expect.
Thanks to all here who helped me on my journey to finding the correct diagnosis of my problems after THR and then recovery to relative wellness. I always recommend this forum to people I know who are facing hip or knee replacements. May all of you coming here for support have relief and adequate recovery.
judith12644 AnnieK
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AnnieK judith12644
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trish57468 AnnieK
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AnnieK trish57468
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I assume you mean who did the gluteal tendon repairs? I'll personal message you with the info.
Here is my most recent thread with info about my recovery. I did a one-year update post today there, in case you didn't see it! https://patient.info/forums/discuss/having-gluteus-medius-repair-surgery-possible-hip-revision-tomorrow--543982
linda96952 AnnieK
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Hi Annie,how nice to have an update on your recovery.I have often wondered how you were progressing.I see that you are still using a cane but it doesn't seem to have stopped you from enjoying life,good for you.
I think that you and I have followed the same route and seemingly with the same outcome.I also still have to resort to a cane when walking a fair distance,although sometimes I can get about without it but then tire easily and end up doing the 'penguin' walk !! I think I will always have a slight limp.
It has been a very long haul since I fell and fractured my hip and had to have my THR in Spain and then the subsequent repair surgery, and I too have not let the whole saga stop me from enjoying life.We still spend a lot of time in Spain and we're thinking of trying a long haul destination this year,which we havent done for several years.I'm a little apprehensive about the traveling but I'm going to give it a go nevertheless.I've still got a lot on my bucket list !!!
Good luck to you Annie,hopefully we can both put all this behind us now and move on.
With very best wishes
Linda xx
AnnieK linda96952
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Yes, Linda, so many similarities! I went to a craft show today and was on my feet for hours, using the cane the whole time, which was a good support. I didn't get to go last year to this, my favorite show of the year, and I bought so much fun stuff! I am so much stronger than I used to be, partly because of the hiking I did on my trip, but also because we were dogsitting for a friend's pup for 5 weeks recently, and I did so much walking and bending over for that. The only thing hurting today was one of my knees!
Hope you get that long haul vacation. I haven't been on an airplane since 2012. My young adult son lives 2,000 miles away and I don't get to see him much. It will be good motivation for me to get on a plane sometime soon. I'd never go by myself anymore, but with my husband's support, I can go anywhere!
I hope we have no more orthopedic surgeries, you and I! We'll be cheerfully walking off into the sunset, canes in hand!
Terri901 AnnieK
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Dear Annie K,
?I have read your blog and you are amazing and applaud you for all you have been through.
?On Friday I was told I have to have open surgery to repair a fully torn gluteus medius tendon. Part of the tendon has atrophied and I will need a graft from either the gluteus maximus or a cadaver.
I will have to spend a month in rehab.
?I originally thought this would be arthroscopic surgery and was taken by surprise by this when I saw the surgeon. My surgery is scheduled for Nov. 27 at the Mayo Clinic.
?Just wondering if you have any input on this.
?Thanks, Terri
AnnieK Terri901
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Terri, it sounds like you have an orthopedic surgeon who knows his stuff! Often they don't notice gluteus medius tendon tears. And you only have a few weeks to wait, and your surgery will be at the Mayo Clinic, so that is good! I assume you are not able to rely much, if at all, on that hurt side, and that it has been awhile since it happened, since the tendon is partially atrophied. Are you using walking aids now? Are you in much pain?
I can share that I, too, had open surgery for my two tendon repairs. Mine were partial, so I had 25 pound weight bearing for 6 weeks after surgery. I chose to go to a rehab place after the hospital and was there for 2 ½ weeks. Since you have the full tear and need a graft, it makes sense that you will be a month in rehab. Rehab was good for me because it kept me from overdoing things at home, which I know I would have done. The physical therapy that I had there was very minimal - no strengthening or stretching on the surgical leg at all. Nothing to do with the surgical leg. I just practiced using the walker with the limited weight bearing and worked on my other leg and arms, to strengthen for hauling my body around with only a little bit of support from the surgical leg.
I wonder if you will have a brace, like I did for 6 weeks. That was also a good thing for me, since it was a constant reminder of not to bend too far or do too much.
Best of luck to you with the surgery! If I were you, I'd start a thread of my own in this forum if I had any questions about surgery or recovery. It is not a hip replacement, but it is a hip surgery, so there will be much in common with the two. For me, this surgery was much easier than the hip replacement. Much less pain - I only needed acetaminophen starting a day or so after the tendon repair, whereas I was on opioids for 5 weeks post THR. I'd love to hear any updates from you as time goes on.
dawn34084 Terri901
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Dear Terri,
Just found your feed and wondered how you are doing? I had a IT band window and removal of bursa sac 4 months ago. 2 weeks after the procedure, I couldn't walk on my hip. I was referred for pt 2 months 3 times a week. My condition to stand on one leg or a side leg lift never changed. Finally an mri showed complete tear of the glutenous minimus. I had open surgery to repair the tendon 5 days ago. I do not have a brace and was instructed
to only put about 40% of my weight on it. I am walking with a walker and feeling great. I am so worried that I will tear the tendon and not know it. I know that 6 weeks partial weight bearing and then pt following. I am just trying to find as much info from patients that have been through what I have.
Hope this gets to you.
Three years of hip pain, and then the last 4 months drastically changes the quality of life.
Sincerely,
Dawn
Dawn
Terri901 dawn34084
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I decided not to have the surgery. My internist would not approve it. I had Pulmonary Emboli two years ago and he felt that it was too risky for me to undergo this surgery.
So. I still have the pain and have to live with it.
I am glad you are doing well. I wish I could say the same for me.
I just have to find another way.
Thanks for asking.
Terri
Terri901 AnnieK
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I made a mistake. It is the muscle that is atrophied, not the tendon. That is what will be grafted from the gluteus Maximus.
Also, a question about the brace. Are you able to sit with it? Or do you always have to lie flat. Also, I will be going to a rehab near my home in SC, 175 miles from the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL. Will I be able to do that trip in a car or will I need to be transported in an ambulance?
Thanks so much fo answering me.
Terri
AnnieK Terri901
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Terri, my gluteus medius muscle was atrophied, too. You could see that plainly in the MRI scans.
I wore the brace 24/7, except when showering. I was not able to lie down flat at all for many months, due to the fact that I had a compression fracture of a thoracic vertebra two months before my tendon repair surgery! I had a procedure to put cement in the vertebra to stabilize it. I had an electric hospital bed at my home, and I used lots and lots of pillows for propping up various parts of my body. I slept in stretches of an hour or two a number of times per day, all while semi-sitting, and with my knees up.
The brace only prohibited me from bending more than 90 degrees at the hip. There is a picture of it below. I wore mine under my clothes.
As far as transportation is concerned, I'd check with your surgeon and see what he recommends. There are medical transport services that are much cheaper than an ambulance. I used one when transferring from the hospital to the rehab. There was a van and one person who drove and who also strapped my wheelchair into place on the van.
I had purchased a lightweight transport wheelchair for my THR, and used that. You can buy one or rent one by the month. It was very handy for use in the rehab facility. When my sister came to visit me daily, she pushed me around in it. And staff pushed me to and from the physical therapy room in it. I was able to walk short distances with a walker, but for longer distances, I definitely needed the chair. I didn't use the chair at all after I got home. It is foldable and can be put into the trunk or backseat of a car. I put a photo of that below also.
Let me know if you can think of any other questions. I am happy to share my experiences!