Please Help!

Wendy one thing I have been thinking about is, it is possible that the size of the implant head could be yoyo big to fit the acetabulim maybe I misspelled the place where the head of the femur sets into the pelvis. If it is, he can easily dislocate his hip.

Good! You dad AND your mom eventually WILL thank you. I had to do something similar with my mom, I basically ordered her doctor to operate and repair her broken femer. They were letting he just lay in the hospital bed in pain saying she wans't strong enough. I said she is never going to get strong unless you fix that broken bone that is putting her in agony. Within 24 hours she had the surgery. AND she recovered. It is a little more complex than that as she also had her thyroid out, first the thyroid doctor operated, then he left and then the orthopedic surgeon operated one time going under anestesia but two operations, my poor mom!

Often times the patients and we can see your mother, are not comfortabel confronting their doctors, you ugotta do it for them. Your dad is in no condition to handle this for himself. I am VERY PROUD of you for realizing what is going on and stepping in and taking over.

One thing is the MRI is going to be very painful for your father to have. I had a simple x-ray about 24 hours after surgery and it was literally HELL. Print up some pictures from the internet and take them with you.

Use Google Images, this search term will bring up some nice images

"Greater Trochanter" also google "Bones of the Hip." Bring along several different pics with you and be there in your dad's hospital room when the surgeon makes rounds. The surgeons office should be able to tell you what time he usually makes rounds. I really think you have to see him/her face to face.

Specifically ask, "Can my dad be having these problems if the implant is the wrong size?" Therre is nothing wrong, not at ALL with firmly but nicely telling the surgeon that you would like a second opinion and will he communicate your father's situation with a second specialist. Use the term specialist rather than doctor, it is less threatening to the docs I think. Then go and do it. With every thing you have described I would get a second opinion right away. You do not need the surgeons permission to get a second opinion.

I don't know where you are, but the hospital should have a listing of Orthopedic surgeons who are on staff there (can practice orthodedics in the hospital, admitting rights). I know US Hospitals and french Hospitals have this. I would call the Hospital and get a surgon from someone who practices at that hospital and jsut have the doctor meet you by your dad. You want a surgeon who practices at that hospital so that he can go in by himself without asking the original surgeon for permission, he can go in himself and look at the records.

p.s. you are a great daughter

Don't forget to get the name of the impant manufacturer and if there is a model number. Was it done uncemented, they tack on the impants and then wait for the bones to grow into it and attach, OR was the socket and/or ball joint cemented onto the hip socet or femer? You should find that out. Key word is cemented.

Thank you so much Jodi! It never even crossed my mind to bring pictures. Now I feel better that I will have clear concise questions. I greatly appreciate all your help and encouragement! 

Also ask the surgeon if he himself did 100% of the surgery. If he is at a teaching hospital a resident could have done parts of the surgery. Also the Hip implant suppliers will frequently be right in the operating room with the doctor instructing him on how to be using the latest gizmo an implant part, a saw, a drill whatever, you get the idea. I simply find it very hard to believe that nothing unusual went on during your father's surgery. Something went on, look at the immediate dislocations. and multiple dislocations. I would ask if the surgeon did 100% of the surgery himself. It's a simple question. Get that second opinion lined up right now to see your dad, you do not need any doctors permission at all and the surgeon is certainly going to understand why in your position you would do that. You can blame it on somebody no there, as in, "My brother called me from Montana and he insisted that I arrange a second opion on dad. My brother absolutely insists." See that makes it non confontational between you and the original surgeon, it is someone else who just doesn't happen to be there.  I doubt very highly the origional surgeon will think having a second opinion is unusual, he should take it in stride. "My parents trust you and want you to continue to care for our father." Blame it on the brother who is not there while at the same time not telling the surgeon you don't trust him. In fact say the opposite that you do trust him, but since your brother is not here you have to do what he asks."

See! You knew it. You knew something was wrong, and based on your description I totally agreeded with you.  I hope your dad gets better Hon because he has sure gone through Hell, that is for sure.

p.s. you are a good daughter

p.p.s. Try REALLY HARD not to be to hard on your mom. Let it go.

The absolute key is to find out what time the Doctor nmakes rounds. That one piece of information is critical. The nurses should put a big note on his chart that the doctor is to call you. Ask the nurses to doi that for you.

I've been very passive with my Mom. I have accepted her for who she is and how she handles things! I really do appreciate your support and encouragement so much and I honestly don't know what I'd do without it!

Well done you! Being able to do this will come in handy for the rest of your life in ways you don't know yet. I have never found talking to the nurses helpful, you have to go to the top. I do wonder if they don't let the learner surgeons practice on the oldest patients. I hope I'm wrong but ageism is a problem.

Katherine, do you work outside the home?

After my dad had a quite serious knee operation I put up mom & dad in my house for 6 weeks. Something for you to think about Katherine. Just make sure he has enough pain medication when he goes home. They tend to like to underprescribe pain meds but I have a very good generla physician. I HIGHLY recomend 2 pills of (400mg of Paracetamol+25 meg of codeine) 3 times a day. However, and this is important, codeine is HIGHLY constipating so you have to drink a full glass of prune juice every day & take stool softners. A favorite pain medication drug is Tramadol, on this website look that one up. I was on it and had dark nightmares, in my dreams I was committing suicide. I had no idea it was the Tramadol until I got out of the hospital and looked it up on this website. I immediately STOPPED the Tramadol called my general physician and he gave me the prescritpion for the Paracetomal+codeine pill. I feel so so so sorry for your dad, he has literally been through Hell. I practically passed out with pain when they were jsut moving me to take an x-ray about 16 hours after my surgery. I can't even imagine what your father has gone through.

I'll leave you with this though, in order to heal you have to be able to sleep and pain pill will help with that, you also need to eat nutricious foods. I'm a little worry about you mom jsut thinking, "Oh he didn't eat, he's simply not that hungry" now ans when he comes home. This surgery, and my God your dad has had 2 now, takes your strength away, you gotta really eat to bring back up your strength. Monitoring his eating is important.