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LHR coming soon. Am I expecting too much?

Posted , 11 users are following.

lyn32416
lyn32416

Greetings gang. I'm from knee group. Now need two new hips, probably soon, so says x-ray and Surgeon. I'm 66, fit, not as active as I'd like to be, however travel 4-5 trips a year to Asia and usually walk 3-6 Kms most days. My question is should hip surgery recovery be a quick one compared to knee. I want to be travelling in 4-6 weeks. Expectations too high? Thanks for input.

1 like, 20 replies

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  • Guest
    Guest lyn32416

    Posted

    You might feel ok for traveling by then, but you need to be concerned about blood clots still that early on.  If you're sitting for long periods of time there are exercises that you should be doing with moving your feet and making sure you aren't sitting still for hours on end.  That applies whether it's sitting in a car, train or airplane for a long time.

    • lyn32416
      lyn32416 Guest

      Posted

      Many tks for input. I will reassess my plans. xx
  • diannesk
    diannesk lyn32416

    Posted

    Depending on the technique used (anterior vs posterior), the amount of restrictions and recovery time can vary. For me, 4-6 weeks wasn't long enough to consider a major trip. Sitting on a plane and not being able to really walk much can be difficult and uncomfortable under normal circumstances.

    We usually take major trips in May and September or October. After my January THR, I decided to wait until September for next trip. It will be better for me.

    Everyone recovers at their own rate.

     

  • jen86183
    jen86183 lyn32416

    Posted

    Personally, I would not consider travelling so quickly after surgery as the body needs to heal. Even if it was anterior THR it still needs to heal inside. My first appointment is not until six weeks after surgery and I have been given a months worth of injections to stop blood clots so that is a big risk with flying. Be kind to your body and let it heal, loads of time for holidays.
    • lyn32416
      lyn32416 jen86183

      Posted

      Not holiday and not too long left at 66. I volunteer. Thanks for input Jen. I'm thinking 4-6 months might be wiser. I recover quickly and fly comfortably in better seats where possible however I'll see what surgeon says. I'm hoping I can prolong op like I did with knees. xx

  • mary2731
    mary2731 lyn32416

    Posted

    Hi Lyn, I'm 4 weeks post op l had anterior right Hip replacement, I'm recovering pretty quick already walking without walker or cane, physical therapy is a must, and elevating leg with plenty ice on the leg helps a lot with swelling.

    I was told 3 months before l could travel. I'm traveling to Maine end of June I'm sure I'll be ok .

    4 to 6 weeks seems a bit quick to travel, but it all depends on how fast you recover.

    Your operated leg will be numb for a quite a while, and tendons, ligaments and nerves take time to heal.

    I've heard knee surgery takes longer to heal. Hip surgery can take up to a year to fully heal.

    Are you getting both hips done at the same time?

    • lyn32416
      lyn32416 mary2731

      Posted

      Hi Mary. I would like to get both done together however after having both knees done at same time, I prefer to wait a while until I get right one done. I'm not in agony from left hip but I'm feeling discomfort when I lie on left side. Thank you for info. I may have to slow down a bit! xx

  • penny08987
    penny08987 lyn32416

    Posted

    I'm still off work and I'm 10 weeks post op I don't have energy to do much and still need a crutch I can manage a trip to the shops but that's it at this point.

    • lyn32416
      lyn32416 penny08987

      Posted

      I hope you recover fully and wishing you good health returned, as soon as possible. Thank you for your input penny. xx
  • pamela_26218
    pamela_26218 lyn32416

    Posted

    I am 9 weeks post op posterior approach right thr doing quite well, no crutches and walking quite well, but still getting groin, thigh and knee pain and definitely wouldn’t want to be flying just yet. I was told no flying for 3 months and I can now understand why they say that. Good luck with everything 
  • ptolemy
    ptolemy lyn32416

    Posted

    I understand that knee surgery is more painful but has a faster recovery time to hips. It is recommended that long haul flights are not undertaken until 3 months after surgery and short haul 6 weeks, this is because of the possibility of DVT. 
    • lyn32416
      lyn32416 ptolemy

      Posted

      Many tks for info. I'll try to schedule my op between trips! Knee surgery is brutal. My sister had both hips and both knees. She said, for her, hips were a lot easier. Just gotta go with it, I guess. No prothesis is as good as the original equipment and I believe I expected to much, too soon, with my knee bilaterals. Will lower hip expectations!

    • ptolemy
      ptolemy lyn32416

      Posted

      On the other hand a good prosthesis is better than a knackered old hip! 
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