No one seems to have had a straightforward recovery

Hi Catrin, I'm nearly 10 weeks post op. had the driest Christmas and New Year ever. But having THR was the best thing.  I was driving at 4 weeks.  Back to work after 5 and yesterday I did the London thing on the train and 2tubes! No pain, no pain killers any more. After 2 years of not being able to walk around the shops for example, I can see a different future! Do it and improve your life.  Cathie x

I didn't  shower till my clips were out which was about ten days. Had  mine done in Bangor North Wales

You can drive if you can do an emergency stop! 

Hello Catrin, I had my right THR last July and now nearly 7 mths on am walking 3+miles daily without pain. Had the op at 5:30pm back in my room at 7p wide awake - had epidural with sedation. Next day had a few hours of feeling a bit sick but felt fine after they gave me a little pill. Had some pain but nothing like I was before op, was up and walking with frame that day, got out of bed that morning.2nd day had frame exchanged for 2 sticks and did stairs Left for home 3rd day morning. Some stabbing pains for a fe more days but could walk slowly. You must do the exercises that they tell /show you to do,  I was told to do them 4 times daily. I also had 6 weekly hydrotherapy sessions (private paid) which really helps.  Within 6 weeks I was walking with just one stick and just over 7 weeks driving my car with no walking aids at all. My experiences with having this op do show that there are many of us that have been very successful and I am so glad I decided to have my hip fixed so that I can get on with my life and walk without pain.

Very best wishes

Arthur

Hi Catrin - you have to understand that the people who post the most are the ones who have had problems, because they need help.  The rest of us (the 98% who have had successful operations) have no issues and so aren't very vocal.

I had a RTHR in Nov 2014.  I had no real post op pain (just a couple of days post op) and stopped taking the pain killers the hospital gave me before they ran out. 

I kept my legs elevated quite a lot post op (I had an embolism scare after my LBHR in Nov 2007, because I didn't realise I had to do this). 

I started taking walks 5 days post op - 3 times a day.  Five mins each time at first and gradually built up.  I started on flat ground, but a month post op I did my first post op dog walk on slightly uneven ground.  Gradually, I moved on to more uneven ground with hills etc.  My first non-crutch assisted dog walk was 10 weeks post op. (Facebook is a very useful record to know when milestones were achieved!).

At the same time I had physio - it started a week post op.  My second physio was hydrotherapy (ie exercise in the pool as the water supports the body and allows you to focus on the exercise). I had three weekly hydro sessions, which I loved!  I then moved on to gym sessions - at first weekly, then at 6 weeks post op, I went to bi-weekly for a couple of sessions, then a month break before a session 3 months post op when I was allowed to bend to tie my shoes and put on socks and discharged.

Like many on this list, I couldn't sleep on my back, so 1 week post op, I started lying on my stomach (I crawled into the bed from the bottom).  I was very well aware that my leg should not cross the mid-line, fortuantely I never sleep with my legs crossed, so I was confident I wouldn't suddenly start.  I moved to my more usual side sleeping position once I could bear to lie on my operated leg.  Fortunately, my scar is toward the back of my thigh, so I lay on the front of my thigh at a 45˚ angle to the bed - I think this was about 2.5 weeks post op.  Now that I can cross the mid line, I am sleeping totally normally.

I showered from the day after the op, luckily my dressing was shower proof and although I was given spare ones, the initial one stayed on until the physio told me to take it off, 2.5 weeks post op.  The stiches disolved so there were no issues there.

I found a great way to carry coffee with my crutches - a combination of a cup holder designed for use on babies buggies and a totally non spill cup holder.

Probably the only niggle was that my husband had to do my socks and laces for three months, and there were a couple of times when I was waiting and he forgot!  He obviously had to do a lot of things for me, mainly when I was on crutches and picking up things my grabber couldn't cope with.

I went back to work 11 weeks post op in a phased way, next week I do my first 5 day week - 15 weeks post op.  Yesterday, I walked 8,700 steps.

Sorry this success story is so long, but I hope it helps you.

Thanks everyone for being so kind and helpful. I will keep you all posted. Roll on February 28th.

I had mine done 4 weeks ago, I am 48 and had so far a very good recovery. No painkillers, no pain, sleep through the night on all sides with a pillow between the legs, walk without crutches, no limping, spinn, crosstrain and walk uphill on the treadmill... I for sure will have my other hip done as soon as it start being too painful.

My advice; don't wait till your muscles are wasted. The stonger you are before the op, the quicker you will recover. Goodluck.

PS: my hip wasn't too bad before the op. I didnt even limp, but could not enjoy the things I love doing because of stifness, mobility and pain doing certain movements. I could have waited an other 5 years fur sure, but would have been much weaker and not enjoying life. So I went for it and sofar have absolutally no regrets.

Dear Catrin a straightforward recover is the normal outcome

what you are looking at on this site which seems to be an International site are the tiny minority of people who have complications or something went wrong

even out of this tiny minority most of these people will get their problems sorted out

THK is one of the most fantastic surgeries to ever happen to mankind, in the past you and I and millions would have spent our lives in agonising pain in a wheelchair.

you can increase your chances for a very successful outcome.

before surgery:

lose weight

see a physio and do exercises to strengthen your muscles beforehand

eat healthily before surgery

find out all the equipment you will need and have your home checked to make sure it is a safe environment to recover in

discuss pain management with your medical team

talk to your orthopaedic surgeon about complications and your concerns and what steps his team take to rectify them

Go for it it is life changing