Hip replacement

That is a tough situation...cant go under the knife due to lung disease...apparently your physician thinks there is a lot of risk (death) in putting you under anesthesia...I am assuming this based on the fact that he is saying your hip would have to pretty much be broken and leave you bedridden before he would even consider surgery...so you are basically left with a limb that is malfunctioning... unfortunately this leads to a bunch of bodily compensations as the body tries to stabilize to keep you from falling on your face...the body does what it has to do to stabilize even if it is painful...not to mention how hard your body is working and the pain that makes breathing more labored particularly with COPD...until the joint functions properly this will be a problem...if there is a way to live with it, it sounds like your physician thinks this is what you need to do...if you cant you may have to find a Dr who will take the risk of surgery and you would have to understand and accept the risk as well...the only other option is to get off the leg that is causing the issue...I know that may seem drastic but if death is the concern with going under surgery it may seem like the better option...Best wishes!

Sorry...one more thing...there may be one more option...when the hip dislocates does it eventually just pop back in place and how do you know it has dislocated... there may be the option of attending physical therapy to strengthen muscle groups to stabilize the pelvic/hip complex to prevent the pain...sometimes muscle imbalances are causing issues at the joint and not necessarily an issue with the joint itself..but if there is something faulty with the joint this may not help but definitely worth a try even if you were a candidate for surgery.

Although orthopaedics was part of my training as a nurse many years ago, it was not my speciality. However, an operation is an option if you have a spinal anaesthetic. It's basically an epidural but deeper. The problem you have is your COPD. The majority of pain relieving agents ie. analgesia, are respiratory depressants. So it's all well & good having the operation, but you can't have the pain relief because it will severely hinder your ability to breathe. If you have the operation & it is not entirely successful, you could end up in a wheelchair. What is it that caused the dislocations & do you have osteoporosis?

Hi, I have every sympathy with you. I also had a hip replacement 5 years ago and sixteen months later I took poorly. I was rushed into hospital (unknown to me). Eventually they discovered I had septis. My hip was totally destroyed so the consultant removed it. I was in hospital for a total of 9 weeks, two of them in high dependency unit. Nine months later 

the surgeon gave me a replacement hip. 

all was well for a while until it dislocated, ambulance called, taken to A & E and was admitted. I was taken to theatre after X-ray and the surgeon manipulated the hip back in. Anyway to cut a long story short, I had another 3 dislocations each time put back in with surgery, until the last dislocation on Xmas Eve last year, when he opened me up to put it right, he couldn't do it, there was no muscle or any tissue there to be able to put one in place, so he tidied up in there best he could and said that was it, I am now disabled and have to walk with AIDS or wheelchair. My leg is now 2" shorter and have to have my shoe built up, I am allowed to have 2 shoes a year built up and then I have to pay £40 each time I have one done

It is very frustrating because I am limited to what I can do myself, fortunately I have got the best husband in the world, he takes really good care of me. 

Im glad I'm not the only one who has been unlucky. Oh did I mention too that I also have a fractured pelvis !!! 

Take care