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Pre Op Question

Posted , 18 users are following.

MichaelTN1UK
MichaelTN1UK

Morning all, Just joined up. What a great find!!

I will be going in for a RTHR on January 21st (very excited). I am trying to prepare as much as I can and have researched on the web. However, I am perplexed as to which side of the bed I should be getting in/out (stupid - right). Also, I have been recomended a ceramic hip due to my age. If you recommend anything else I can do to prepare, I would very much appreciate any and all thoughts/comments.

0 likes, 70 replies

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  • rose0000
    rose0000 MichaelTN1UK

    Posted

    Hi and welcome to the forum -

    I had my right hip replaced 5 weeks ago - and had to get into the bed on the left, there was no way I could get in on the right as my hip wouldn't move, as you move your legs your operated leg follows your good leg momentum in the early days, and it was very painful to even try and do it when I tried a few times.

    A grabber

    Crutches

    Easy to prepare food

    Frame for the loo

    Raised loo seat

    Some help if you can possibly arrange for the first ten days to two weeks.

    This forum is a great source of support and information.

    Good luck!!

  • MichaelTN1UK
    MichaelTN1UK

    Posted

    Thank you all for the warm welcome and extremely useful tips and suggestions. I must say, I did not expect such a strong response and feel luck to have found you all. 

    I am lucky that my wife will be (or should I say, is currently) willing to help and so I won't have to worry about feed the cats and such. 

    Reading through the forum, I had not appreciated how many complications and ache sand pains would be around after the operation. I had blissfully thought that the aches and pains would be part of the 'normal' healing process.

    Thank you once again.

    Michael 

    • renee01952
      renee01952 MichaelTN1UK

      Posted

      Hi Michael, 

      Aches and pains are part of the normal healing process, they really are - you will find out that we heal at our own speed, some faster than others - so, if you people told you about people who know people who were doing a marathon or black diamond skiing 3 weeks after THR surgery ..... Not true ... 

      Welcome to this wonderful hippies family !

      big warm hug

      renee

    • Thursday_Next
      Thursday_Next MichaelTN1UK

      Posted

      You mention aches and pains post op.  If you were having that awful bone on bone pain beforehand they go immediately, so right from the start things are better.  However it is a major op where bones are broken and dislocated, muscles are cut and stretched etc and you have a large wound, 11 inches in my case so there is bound to be some pain although pain relief is given and pain is kept to the minimum possible.  It is nothing like as bad as the pre-op pain though.  
    • MichaelTN1UK
      MichaelTN1UK Thursday_Next

      Posted

      Well, that sent a shudder through my body - thanks :-)

      That is good to hear as it is bone on bone. As a postie who walks about 10 - 12 miles a day, I can't wait. Hence the excitment. 

  • annedi
    annedi MichaelTN1UK

    Posted

    I have had both done and always sleep on the same side of the bed. I slid back sitting on the bed until my legs were straight and used my hands to lift up nightwear and swivel legs round so it didn't matter what side. What is important about your bed is that it is the correct height. You've probably already been told to measure it so any raise can be sorted out at the pre op meeting.
    • MichaelTN1UK
      MichaelTN1UK annedi

      Posted

      Thank you. No, I have not been told to measure anything. #concerned
    • annedi
      annedi MichaelTN1UK

      Posted

      Have you had a pre op meeting? I had to measure height of toilet, chair I was going to sit in and the bed. had to take these to a pre op meeting where i got sorted with a toilet raiser - my chair and bed were high enough. Also got other tools organised at this meeting - a trolley, a seat for doing strip washes, and a frame for the downstairs toilet. Your seats have to be tall enough so they are not below knee height so when you sit down you don't bend at the hips more than 90 degrees. I don't know where you are or if you are a private patient which might make a difference I was NHS.
    • susie74530
      susie74530 annedi

      Posted

      Hi Annedi:

      Can you tell me ewhat the correct height for the bed should be?  I would have thought that the height for a man of say, 6; 2" or a woman of 5' 5" would be very different!  This rule, does not make much sense to me at the moment!

    • Rocketman_SG6UK
      Rocketman_SG6UK susie74530

      Posted

      I think it should be so that when you sit on the edge, your knee is bent at 90 degrees to help not break the hip 90 degree rule. Unless anyone knows different.

      Graham

    • annedi
      annedi susie74530

      Posted

      It's all down to how long your legs are below the knee not how tall you are. I was told to sit on the bed and measure the height of the bed when sitting on it as it obviously sinks a bit.  The occupational therapist measured my lower leg to see if I needed a raise. I had a meeting with the occupational therapist at the pre op hospital meeting. I had a form to fill in with all the details about toilet seat heights etc. If you are not bending at the hip more than 90degrees when sitting on the bed it should be high enough. Exactly the same rule is applied for  sitting on a sofa or easy chair or toilet. the only raise I had was a toilet seat. If you are not given one and you think your toilet is too low you can get them on amazon quite cheaply. The hospital loaned me one for upstairs but I bought one for the downstairs loo. they are very easy to fit. For the sofa I just put another seat cushion on from another chair which raised it enough along with some towels at the back to get it more horizontal as it is easier to stand up then.
    • MichaelTN1UK
      MichaelTN1UK annedi

      Posted

      Wow. That is most interesting. I am NHS, but have not been told anything about measurements or toilet seat heights. I will have to measure my knee joint angle next time I pass by the water closet. I am down in Kent, but guess that won't matter much as 90 degrees is 90 degrees. Thank you.
    • annedi
      annedi susie74530

      Posted

      By the way I had a ceramic/ceramic replacement and had an epidural and was awake. Yes - you can hear and smell whats going on and an sense your torso moving but you cannot feel anything and the recovery is quicker than general. I did feel queasy but they put some antisickness drug in me and I was ok. I was also very cold and they covered me up with a blanket. I felt like a bystander really. I could see part of the theatre - I was on my side - from under the sheet. I was asked if I wanted to sleep but was ok. Virtually straight after in the reovery ward I was drinking a nice cup of tea. Someone who had a general the op before mine was still very groggy! I had a general with epidural 15 years ago when I had my first done and would recommend just the epidural though before hand I was quite scared about it!
    • Rocketman_SG6UK
      Rocketman_SG6UK annedi

      Posted

      Are you sure it was epidural? I understand that with epidural they leave a 'pipe' connected to your back, if no pipe then it's a spinal.

      Epidural can be topped up, spinal cannot.

      Graham

    • MichaelTN1UK
      MichaelTN1UK annedi

      Posted

      Thank you. I am not sure I am tough enough to go with anything that is not a general. 

      I am due a ceramic/ceramic as well. 

    • Rocketman_SG6UK
      Rocketman_SG6UK MichaelTN1UK

      Posted

      Being awake is not for everyone, you can have anything from no sedation to maximum to put you out completely. You can request more sedation at any time, the anaesthetist just uses the cannula in your hand/arm.

      Graham

    • annedi
      annedi Rocketman_SG6UK

      Posted

      I don't know about a pipe - couldn't see! but it wasn't just one injection they definitely did something else before the anaesthetic went in and they were talking about the possibility of giving more if it didn't work. I can remember the prickly feeling and the changing sensation in my legs though that probably happens with both. I don't recall them ever using the word spinal and i'm sure the surgeon said epidural.
    • annedi
      annedi Rocketman_SG6UK

      Posted

      I obviously couldn't see what they did but something else definitely happened preparation wise before the anaesthetic went in. Plus they talked about being able to give more if it didn't work. I can remember the prickly sensations and changes in the legs but that probably happens with both. I don't think the spianl word was ever used and I'm sure the surgeon said epidural.
    • Rocketman_SG6UK
      Rocketman_SG6UK annedi

      Posted

      Ooh, sounds like it wa an epidural then. I keep wondering why there is no consistency in any of this. A big medical mystery.

      Best wishes

      Graham

    • annedi
      annedi MichaelTN1UK

      Posted

      I was going to insist on being out but I went with their advice and although I was very nervous at having the anaesthetic it was ok. you are probably tougher than you think!
    • Rocketman_SG6UK
      Rocketman_SG6UK annedi

      Posted

      My legs went warm, then I started losing sensation, tested with a cold spray which o couldn't feel. A very odd experience. 😊
    • annedi
      annedi Rocketman_SG6UK

      Posted

      Perhaps it just varies depending on surgeon and anaesthetist - In the booklet from the hospital it mentions all 3 procedures - general, spinal and epidural.
    • Rocketman_SG6UK
      Rocketman_SG6UK annedi

      Posted

      Good for you, very brave.

      They can quickly top it up to whatever level you want

    • annedi
      annedi Rocketman_SG6UK

      Posted

      I think mine went warm too. They kept asking if I could feel things even in the theatre. Last thing I said was it feels like a feather and then shortly after they said they'd started! I couldn't tell!
    • susie74530
      susie74530 annedi

      Posted

      Hi Annedi:

      Very many thanks for the information.  My GP, when I asked, sid that it would be done under a general rather than local anaesthesia.  I had two surgeries in San Francisco before I returned to the UK.  One was local with sedation, and the revision under a general.  I found that recovery from the local with sedation was very difficult to recover.  Possibly over sedated.  I would really prefer the epidural without sedation, or mininmal, maybe a better option.

    • Rocketman_SG6UK
      Rocketman_SG6UK annedi

      Posted

      That was weird, hearing a 'plop' when he dislocated me, not being able to feel anything. Even the position of my leg did not seem to change, but I knew it had. Then hearing him hammering away, with vibrations up the spine. And as you said, recovery so much quicker.
    • vicki00016
      vicki00016 annedi

      Posted

      It's usually a spinal anaesthetic that is given. You are given a small injection of local anaesthetic to numb the area and then the spinal anaesthetic is injected. If the surgery is anticipated to last longer than normal an epidural can be given. A thin metal hollow needle is injected into the spinal space and when removed a soft catheter line is left in place. This is connected to a drip and gives a continuous infusion.
    • sue1957Geo
      sue1957Geo Rocketman_SG6UK

      Posted

      Feel quite ill, i had a general was great went out like a light woke up thinking it was quick and had been 3 and a bit hours, had a few bits and pieces to go back in the right places.  I thankfully had no problems. 

      Suexx

    • MichaelTN1UK
      MichaelTN1UK sue1957Geo

      Posted

      Oh, thank you Sue. That is reassuring.

      I too feel quite sick - why do our brains insist on imagining things so vividly? I have been given the choice and am clear which way I am going. 

      Michael 

    • Rocketman_SG6UK
      Rocketman_SG6UK MichaelTN1UK

      Posted

      Yes, I'm going to put links to pages like that on my website eventually. Meanwhile I have managed to get connected this morning, and have put my hospital stay blog on.

      Graham

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