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Limitations

Posted , 14 users are following.

carla66308
carla66308

I am trying to decide whether or not to get a total hip. My concerns are the limitaions I will have after surgery. I'm hoping to get the anterior procedure. I. Understand the retrictions right after surgery. What I want to know is what about 6 mths, a year afterwards. Can I never bend over, can I never cross my legs, can I never curl up on the couch with my feet under me. What about yoga? I'm ok not being able to do these things, I just need to know if they are life long don'ts. Thanks

3 likes, 39 replies

39 Replies

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  • jason42777
    jason42777 carla66308

    Posted

    Hi Carla, I'm 6month post lthr. If you care to look on my profile and read my last post, I hope that gives you a bit of encouragement. All I can say is I can do more now than 7 months ago.

    Hope things go as well for you.

    Regards, Jason

    • jason42777
      jason42777

      Posted

      Ps . Now I see your in u.s. I can recommend superpath, if you can find surgeon, of course I can only speak of my own experience, but it did work really well for me.

  • mark38570
    mark38570 carla66308

    Posted

    Hi  Carla Iam Mark from OZ and last dec I had a TRHR done under an amazing new procedure call Superpathhip won't bore you with all the details but basically operated on 1.30pm then discharged 9.30am next morning and walked out unaided and have been ever since. Re your question normal life after the op I have been able to do whatever I could do before the OA took over and as my surgeon said your new hip will operate just like the old one did but minus the pain. He was right. Not sure if the Superpathhip method is readily available in the UK but if it is it maybe worth looking into it.

    Anyway all the best with whichever method of the op you have and be guided by what method your surgeon is most comfortable.

    Mark

     

  • missmolar
    missmolar carla66308

    Posted

    Hi

    Well done on researching the procedure, You are right to ditch that arrogant doctor and seek a second opinion. When you opt for surgery you need to be fully informed about the process in order to give informed consent, Like you, I did a lot of research before seeing the surgeon. I asked about anterior v posterior approach and my surgeon said he used a latero/posterio incision which minimized muscle division and gave him a clear view of what he was doing - that was good enough to satisfy me! To change technique is a learning curve, hence some patients are effectively being practised on till the surgeon feels comfotable with that technique. My reserach showed that some surgeons continue to use anterior approach others abandoned it as they had an increased number of post op problems. You want the best post op outcome so don't get hung up on the surgical approach -ask about the incidence of that surgeon's post op problems.

    Choose a surgeon you feel comfortable with and who answers all your questions in an empathetic way. Opting for surgery is a big step in anyone's life and you need the reassurance you have made the right decision on timing and surgeon choice.  Good luck !

    • carla66308
      carla66308 missmolar

      Posted

      Great advise. I asked my first surgeon " how do you determine what is best for me and do I have any say in the decision" he said we will discuss that later before surgery. I thought to myself, your not going to be the one cutting me open. I have already heard from 9 other people that the Dr I'm going to for second, is very kind, informative and caring about the whole process. So I will discuss all options with him. Thanks so much for encouragement
  • renee01952
    renee01952 carla66308

    Posted

    Hi carla, 

    It is understandable that you are worried about what the future holds in regards to THR surgery ... but what is the alternative?  fortunately something can be done to give us more quality of life - 

    Wonderful comments though - very encouraging and inspiring - 

    They scared the hell out of me too about dislocation of hip joint ... until I found this forum .... it doesn't just happen, however, in the beginning, a lot of healing needs to to be done - anterior method will have no cut severed muscles involved - 

    relax for now and i am sure you will make the right decision when the time comes.

    take care

    warm hug

    renee

     

    • carla66308
      carla66308 renee01952

      Posted

      Thanks so much renew. I've also been watching a lot of videos regarding the. That is helping a lot.
  • mark38570
    mark38570 carla66308

    Posted

    Carla its Mark from OZ again. I just noticed you live in the U.S. They do the Superpathhip op there I understand a Dr Jimmy Chow was one of the pioneers. You may want to do some research. The surgeon who operated on me trained with him in the U.S. 

    All the best 

    Mark 

    • jason42777
      jason42777 mark38570

      Posted

      Hi mark, i had superpath in uk, only 1 surgeon doing it here i believe. Had some trouble with knee post op, probably due to posture change, muscle wastage... But hip great from day 1, now 6 months on more active than before.
    • carla66308
      carla66308 mark38570

      Posted

      This approach is very intising. I am going to talk with the Dr about it. The closes place that does it to me is 5 hours away. Not sure if that will be an option. I'll check with Ins. Thanks so much though for new info.
    • mark38570
      mark38570 jason42777

      Posted

      G'day Jason like you I have had no problems with the op ie Superpathhip if I didn't have the option of it I doubt if I would have gone ahead with it under the old method especially after reading the experience of others on this site. Guess your singing the praises of it there in the U K as Iam here in OZ.

      all the best

      Mark

    • LDW
      LDW jason42777

      Posted

      Hi jason,

      did you have your op with Mr Cronin?

      i'm having the intra articular injection this week with him,  and expect my op to be in about 4 months (again with him).

      i am getting pretty nervous.

      how was your experience of mr cronin, and well the whole thing really.

      lindsey

  • elizabeth_76546
    elizabeth_76546 carla66308

    Posted

    Hi Carla,

    I am a very active 64 year old and had my left hip replaced last September. You need to be patient because complete healing takes time and there will probably always be some things that you can't do as well as with your own healthy hip. Such as:

    getting down on the floor and up again quickly, running long distances, lifting heavy weights and carrying them a long way. BUT you can't do these things very well with a bad hip anyway.

    like you I was very apprehensive and looked into all sorts of alternatives to surgery, such as stem cell treatment, but decided on surgery and now I am very glad I did. I can sit curled up, cut my own toe nails, clog dance and returned to yoga a couple of months ago. There are a few positions that I have to have alternatives for, but so do loads of 64 year olds who haven't got a replacement hip.

    I am very careful when I hold my 22pound grandson to hold him at the front evenly on both sides and not on my hip and I put him in a pushchair to take him around rather than carrying him far. I can walk my dogs for at least 2 hours but I don't jog up hills on rough ground anymore.

    Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is anything else you want to know about. Very best wishes

    Betty 

    • carla66308
      carla66308 elizabeth_76546

      Posted

      Betty,

      Thanks so much for all the advise. I have been attempting to modify my life this week, my greatest fear is a year down the road when I'm feeling good, will I forget and then do something wrong.

      I'm sure I'll get to the point where having surgery Will be the best option for me.

    • maggie93798
      maggie93798 carla66308

      Posted

      I do not think you will. We all live with limitations. I had a tendon repair 40 plus years ago, in my right ankle, resulting in only about half the normal ankle movement. I "forget" about it most of the time and automatically adjust. I fully expect the situation with my hip to be a year down the line
    • elizabeth_76546
      elizabeth_76546 carla66308

      Posted

      Hi Carla, thanks for replying. You have had so much reassuring and good advice. Have you thought much about the type of joint you might get? I went for the ceramic ball with a strengthened plastic socket. This was because I wanted it to last as long as possible and this was the combination that my surgeon recommended. Please keep in touch and let me know what you decide to do. Life is for living and we are so lucky that we live in countries where we have options. I live in London, by the way.

      all the best, Betty Hales

    • carla66308
      carla66308 elizabeth_76546

      Posted

      Oh my, didn't even know there were options. I have been so concerned about the recovery I didn't realize there was more to consider.

      Thank you so much. I will Google that.

      This forum has been very beneficial

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