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Hip aspiration antibiotic spacer

Posted , 4 users are following.

matthew33716
matthew33716

I have had an antibiotic cement spacer in my left hip for 8 months. Aspirated on November 27th. 6 weeks after finishing iv antibiotics. There was fluid but it was a small amount and it was negative for infection. Surgery was scheduled for 1/17/18. This past week my hip pain increased. I was hoping it was from a fall I took on December 30th. Today on 1/8/18 they aspirated again. There was 21cc of red tint fluid. It was very painful and slow me just moving around the table for the procedure. I'll have the initial results hopefully later tonight or tomorow morning. I'm praying that it's pain from the fall. But it feels all to similar I'm worried. I was so close only 9 days to get the better joint back. I don't know if I can go through another spacer. This will b the sixth surgery on my left hip.  No drug use or anything that would definitely cause An infection. Is it possible they leFt the spacer In to long. I imagine the antibiotics on cement run out and the spacer has been terribly painful this whole time. Could the trauma from that bring infection? 

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • matthew33716
    matthew33716

    Posted

    Just got my results waiting for doctor to call anyone know what this means 

    Fl total nucleated: 18,625

    Fl neuts: 84

    Fl lymphs : 9

    Fl macrophages: 6

    Lymph# atypical ,reactive , fluid: 1

    • AlexandriaGizmo
      AlexandriaGizmo matthew33716

      Posted

      Hi Mathew I'm so sorry you are having to deal with this, when they rang you to pass on results do you know why it wasn't someone that could translate the data for you.

      Your obviously not in UK because it would not be a practice that would be exceptable here, I don't think your in USA either because I thought their guidelines would be the same as here.

    • matthew33716
      matthew33716 AlexandriaGizmo

      Posted

      Hi Alexandria. Yes I am in the US. Massachusetts to be precise. I see the results on patient gateway. They recently just realized I can see the results on my patient access area before they speak to me about them. I'm sure they'll change that soon 

    • AlexandriaGizmo
      AlexandriaGizmo matthew33716

      Posted

      I thought there had to be a bit of a c**k up as our guidelines are the same as yours and your results should only be given if there's no problem and if there is someone who is capable of giving you a proper explanation when there passing it on.

      I really hope they can get you sorted and pain free very soon

  • brenda67955
    brenda67955 matthew33716

    Posted

    I understand how you feel. I am having my aspiration tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. in Boston. I have had the spacer since October 11th and the pain gets worse all the time and I just can't stand it anymore. I'm told it will take 5 days for the culture to grow. I am no expert in this so I wouldn't dare say but if there was a pink tinge in your fluid I would think that might be blood. Think positive that might not be as bad as you think but I know how you feel I've had a toothache for 2 days I think it's sinuses but I'm thinking though here we go again

    • matthew33716
      matthew33716 brenda67955

      Posted

      Yeah they claim these spacers are much better to live with than they are. I go to doctor and tell them I'm hurting. And they say oh it's because you can do so much more than when you started. I look at them like what I don't think your understanding me Iv never gotten much better with the spacer I do hardly nothing. But it looks bad for me my doctor called and said nothing has grown yet. But those numbers indicate infection. I'm praying this is some mistake and I'll wake up tomoro and the pain will be gone.  Otherwise I guess I couldn't just have made it 9 more days to get the real joint back. At the very least they will put me on more antibiotics for a time then reaspirate again. If it's bad they'll have to take out the spacer and put another one In after they wash out. 

  • brenda67955
    brenda67955 matthew33716

    Posted

    I know a man who had the spacer in for a full year before replacement. He was fine after.
    • matthew33716
      matthew33716 brenda67955

      Posted

      Thank you that's good to hear.  I havnt met anyone else that's ever been through this. That's why I came here. 

    • brenda67955
      brenda67955 matthew33716

      Posted

      I had never heard of a spacer either and that's why I was looking for a site to kick the subject around with someone who's been through it Do you know how you got the original infection? I know mine I got from my incision. I I went to a rehab hospital before coming home. You're right I ask my doctor if that awful sound would go away and she said yes. The nurse said no it might save a little bit but you'll probably just get used to it. I guess this is not as uncommon as I thought however even in rehab there was no one there for me to talk to who had been through it you are so close that I just pray that you have your surgery next week.

  • joyce50464
    joyce50464 matthew33716

    Posted

    I am so sorry ,, I have a spacer in my right hip, waiting for my fourth surgery that the day won’t be set till I get my picc line out on 1-19-2018,, but I’m hoping that all will be good to set surgery first week in February,, I would be so depressed if I have to wait any longer,, doctor said I shouldn’t have to wait more than 8 weeks,, you have had to wait 8 months!! That is so long,,I had a lot of drainage at the start from first antierior approach where I had first surgery and second revision surgery, the spacer was put in through posterior 

    But am 6 weeks post op from getting spacer and both incisions are healed and no more drainage,, other than pressure in the hip I am not feeling pain except if I’m up on it for to long,you have been through a lot, I pray that you will get your new hip soon🙏🏼

    • matthew33716
      matthew33716 joyce50464

      Posted

      Thank you Joyce. I hope you heal fast and don't have to wait so long like I have. I really wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. I have to ask. Did your surgeon or infectious disease doc say anything about waiting  6 weeks after being done antibiotics to make sure the infection doesn't resurface. Mine did. I waited the 6 weeks thought they would get me in soon after. They aspirated, it was clean. But then he said we're booking out 3 more months. I had already had a spacer for 5 months at this point and he had told me that I had 6 weeks to go when I was finishing antibiotics. When he said 3 more months after the next appointment I was appalled. i was expecting to get it back soon after aspiration. When he told me 3 months I almost fell over. Then the infection comes back in the meantime. So I'm left here thinking that if he had done what he said and didn't make me wait extremely long things would b ok. I imagine the antibiotics wear off over time in the spacers cement and I know the spacer causes trauma. I feel it everyday 

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