Pain after 8 months THR
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My wife had THR of the right hip TWICE in May 2016. She is short (hasn't grown and inch since she was 10 YO) at 4'11". She had been at level 10 pain, and she was put on percocet every 6 hours, since about January 1 and the hip had been deemed "bone on bone". After the first surgery the Dr told me "that was the worst hip I've ever seen". The first time he used a "press and fit" joint.
Either in surgery, or immediately afterward her right femur shattered. They used an abduction pillow which was sized for someone 6 foot tall, and strapped it first at the ankle and shoved up up to her crotch. After the first surgery, the right foot was laying flat on its side (opposite of pigeon toed) and we were told "you just need to prop it up with a pillow". It went undiscovered for 3 weeks while doing weight bearing physical therapy. The Dr asked "why weren't you screaming" and my wife said "because it was only level 7 pain and it didn't hurt as bad as it had been".
He had to change out the hip completely to the older model that needed glued, plus he put in 3 cables to hold the bone fragments together. After the second surgery the foot stayed upright by itself but was pigeon toed. Before this surgery I told the Dr that we did not want an abduction pillow and asked him what he would use on a child. He said they would use a knee brace on a child, so I said "she is so short that's what you should use on her" and they did.
The pain level was still at 7 six weeks after surgery when the surgeon took her off percocet every 6 hours cold-turkey and changed to Norco every 12 hours. Within 24 hours she had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance because the pain was at level 10. After 4 shots of fentanyl and 2 percocet, the pain level was back to 5 and she's been on percocet every 6 hours since.
She has had 6 months of physical therapy where the primary goal was to strengthen the leg so the foot was not pigeon toed.
Her pain level today is still at 5 with taking 1 percocet every 6 hours. She is only able to walk unassisted with a walker (or with a cane provided someone is holding the gait belt).
From what I read, this is not normal. Should we be investigating a second Opinion? Should we be hiring a malpractice Attorney?
Please help!
1 like, 5 replies
steve86482 martin28509
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rose0000 martin28509
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Martin, honestly my heart is really going out to you and your wife. What a complete nightmare.
I think you need both: a second opinion and a malpractice Attorney.
At this stage even with the setbacks (as huge as they are) you would really expect your wife's progress to be better than it is - I can only go by the normal recovery process but she should definitely be pain free and getting there with walking if the surgery had been a success. This is not normal to my mind to still be unable to walk (I am not a dr) but I do have my and others experience as a gauge.
Research the finest revision surgeon you can find and take her there ( the lawsuit can pick up the bill) she badly needs help if she is being taken to hospital in such pain. Poor thing. Keep us posted and best of luck
Msky martin28509
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Yes and yes .I am 4 11 on a good day and my femur fractured after my 1 st hip replacement. The OS said that when they pulled everything to put it all back together that everything was very taught . I believe with all that pressure it did not take much for the femur head to just sort of pop off when pressure was apples from underneath it,sort of like popping off a soda cap . When it came to my second hip we had clear discussions on this and taking a different approach to anchoring things down.For We small woman it's hard being 4 11 in a 5 5 world.Literally nothing fits,including hip replacement parts .
martin28509 Msky
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m0rningangel1 martin28509
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