Help!!!
Posted , 10 users are following.
Bit of a long story but here goes..... quite a few months ago i was told i needed a thr and that i also had arthritis in my other hip and the base of my spine.I had no clinic letters saying about the arthritis but had one saying about the thr.I rung up a number of weeks ago and spoke to the surgeons secretary and asked her for a letter confirming the arthritis, she then liased with the surgeon who is now denying saying that i have the arthritis! Both me and my partner were in the room when he gave me the news and both heard him say it word for word!!! He has had my notes mixed up before with somebody elses and i am now wondering if i do indeed need the thr.I cannot get in to see him as there is no spaces before my surgery date on 5th jan and he doesn't give telephone calls to patients.I have my pre op next week and i am now in a total worry as to what to do??
Any help would be much appreciated
1 like, 23 replies
AnnieK kel40
Posted
Have you seen your x-rays? Do you have difficulties with pain and walking?
If you have any doubts at all about whether or not you really need a THR, then I think you should be a very squeaky wheel to your orthopedic surgeon and refuse to go on with the preparations until you know for sure.
kel40 AnnieK
Posted
Hi Anniek, yes i do have some pain while walking but not a consistent pain like i imagined somebody needing a thr would be in. Yes me and my partner have seen the xrays but i really didn't know what to look for and took the surgeons word for it.
AnnieK kel40
Posted
You can start to educate yourself by googling x-rays of hips needing replacement vs. healthy hip x-rays. My doctor pointed out the healthy cartilage in my good hip and the absence of any in my bad hip. It looked like the femur head was just smashed into the acetabular cup, with lots of jagged edges, completely unlike the good side, where you could clearly see the transparent layer of cartilage between the head of my femur and the cup.
Then you could politely demand to see your x-rays again, and politely demand that someone explain them to you. No one should go into surgery without fully understanding why they need it. Many people who get THRs are in agonizing bone-on-bone pain and can barely walk before surgery. I had some pain, with one truly horrible episode of the bone-on-bone sharp pains, and I really didn't want to go through that again.
kel40 AnnieK
Posted
could i ask to see them at the pre op? every time i visit the hospital its costing £60 as its not near me so i want to try and avoid making another app if poss!
AnnieK kel40
Posted
Certainly you can ask! know at my doctor's office, here in the U.S., I would have been able to see them if I had asked at the pre-op. Also, pre-op (at least here in the states) is your chance to ask any questions and get answers to all of your concerns about the surgery and recovery. So take a list of questions and make sure they get answered!
julie49207 AnnieK
Posted
Hi Annie when I had my pre op and saw Consultant he got the xrays up on the screen whilst I was there and showed me the spurs etc. Ask to see them at pre op.
Julie 🖒
jean95000 AnnieK
Posted
beth2509 kel40
Posted
Well you don't want to start with major surgery when the consultant cannot give you a consistent story about what is wrong with you!
Where are you? If you are in the UK you can complain to PALS at your hospital - in my experience they get things moving very fast and "no space" is rarely an excuse once they are involved.
kel40 beth2509
Posted
anthony56857 kel40
Posted
All you can do is ring the. Various departments including the pre med department and tell them your concerns, be firm but polite and don't be fobbed off. Good luck
julie49207 kel40
Posted
Good luck
kel40 julie49207
Posted
Fingers x'd i get to see him!
julie49207 kel40
Posted
Good luck
veronica61194 kel40
Posted
I only saw nurses at pure op. - I'm in Sussex. Maybe you can phone your surgery as your GP should have a letter from the hospital with details of your consultation. Worth a try.
ihavenonickname kel40
Posted
Then I would find a different physician and go back to the beginning.
If my paperwork gets mixed up...I am not giving you my body to mix up.
beth2509 ihavenonickname
Posted
I have a lot of sympathy with this view. It is incredibly important that you trust your health care professionals, and I wouldn't trust someone who can't get my notes straight! I know that some people put up with an awful lot from HCP's because they think they don't have other options. But your are a customer, just the same as you are a customer in shops or with utilities. If they are not meeting your expectations, if they can't find the time for you, and if they can't explain themselves - get a new one. You have choices, so don't feel railroaded into something if you are not 120% confident that you need it and you trust the person doing it.
ihavenonickname beth2509
Posted