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Recently I was told by the Ortho doctor, that l needed a hip replacement

Posted , 11 users are following.

lavinia54097
lavinia54097

I am over weight, he said I need to loose 100 pounds.Does this mean I have to suffer with this pain, along with not being able to walk for at least a year. I can't exerise.. I can't walk without these crutches.

3 likes, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • marilyn_92910
    marilyn_92910 lavinia54097

    Posted

    Unfortunately they will not do the op unless you have lost some weight, because if they do operate and you haven't lost any weight it will put a huge strain on the new hip which could cause it to dislocated.
  • mic71403
    mic71403 lavinia54097

    Posted

    dear Lavinia,

    Greetings!

    I respond as anutirtionist as well as a 9 month post THR op....

    It seems an impossible double bind...listen to others too but I'd advise:

    join a group Slimmers World so you get dietary advise and peer support.

    Walk as much as you can, a little each day. use crutches if you need to. can you also swim?

    Loose 40 lbs, then go back to doctor saying you're clearly on the right track and ask them to re-evaluate

    Good luck

    mic

    x

     

  • CelsB
    CelsB lavinia54097

    Posted

    Many surgeons won't operate if you are overweight as it makes anaesthesis risky and recovery difficult.  It is possible to lose weight without exercise by reducing your calorie.  You will find as the pounds drop off there is less stress on your joints and the pain may decrease significantly.  I kmow it isn't what you want to hear and I do sympathise with your predicament but I think you need to show your surgeon you are making an effort.  Have you considered joining Weightwatchers or Slimming World?  You will find them a great bunch of people and it's always easier to know you're not alone.  Plus if you ask your GP I'm sure he'll refer you and you'll get 12 weeks free.   

    Good luck Lavinia xxx

  • dalmation
    dalmation lavinia54097

    Posted

    I know exactly what you mean, I lost approximately 2 stone before my op, it was hard as like you I couldn't exercise but the bottom line was new regulations stated no routine operations if BMI was over 35.

    ive got to have other hip done next year so I'm keeping going with the weight loss just to be doubly sure I keep well below. Surgeon reminded me at my 6 week check up as well of the new ruling.

    good luck 

  • Rocketman_SG6UK
    Rocketman_SG6UK lavinia54097

    Posted

    Yep, been there, lost the weight, and now had the operation.

    It took me 18 months to lose 5 stone (70 pounds) with a low-carb diet. I replaced my cheese sandwich and pork pie lunches for salad with a little lean meat, and managed to re-educate my stomach (and my wife) in much smaller portions, less potatoes, less pasta, less bread, less beer and fizzy drinks (they expand the stomach) ......... 

    With the help of my GP practice nurse who kept checking my weight, blood pressure, kidney and liver function, I kept to the diet - you are allowed a few treats, but they should be small treats, not a regular fix.

    It can be done, but make no mistake, it IS hard, very hard.

    Graham

    • Rocketman_SG6UK
      Rocketman_SG6UK

      Posted

      Forgot to say, after I had lost about 55 pounds, the doctors could see I was serious, and was going to get to BMI of 30, and I was then referred to the surgeon for hip replacement.

      Graham

    • dalmation
      dalmation Rocketman_SG6UK

      Posted

      To say it was hard is an understatement!!! 

      But having said that I'm so pleased with my new hip it has definitely motivated me to keep going so I don't get refused the 2nd one

  • Loral
    Loral lavinia54097

    Posted

    If you are in the USA weight doesn't matter. Pain and quality of life comes first. Good Luck
  • Thursday_Next
    Thursday_Next lavinia54097

    Posted

    It may depend on which hospital/surgeon.  I know very well that I am overweight and would do better if I lost weight.  This has not once been mentioned to me by my surgeon or other medical staff and the operation was done in less than six weeks from referral.
  • renee01952
    renee01952 lavinia54097

    Posted

    Dear lavinia, 

    welcome to our family of hippies -- I am so sorry to read your story ...

    Were you given any recommendations?    I agree with Mic and join a group - it will motivate you - maybe your insurance covers a weightloss program or your hospital offers one ...

    Where do you live ? Could you get a 2nd opinion ... do you have someone who can help you with this ?

    We are here to support you, so come back any time with questions and concerns, okay ?

    big warm hug

    renee

     

  • Kikeena
    Kikeena lavinia54097

    Posted

    I too was told I had to loose weight before a knee replacement. It was tough. Very tough. I lost 35kg in the end. I wish you all the best.
    • Rocketman_SG6UK
      Rocketman_SG6UK Kikeena

      Posted

      35kg, what's that in feet and inches ........... 77 pounds, or 5.5 stone.

      Wow, even more than me, it took me 18 months to shed 5 stone (70 pounds, or 31.7 kg

      And agreed, it is very tough.

      Graham

    • CelsB
      CelsB Kikeena

      Posted

      At my very first GP visit about 5 years ago complaining about hip and knee pain he tore off the back of a prescription form and wrote on it - 

      "Lose weight, take Glucosamine 1000mg and cod liver oil".  I booked into WW a few days later and lost 2 stones and have managed to keep it off.  Yes it was very hard but I think it slowed down the progression of my OA.  I also took the Glocosamine until another GP told me not to bother, but I still take the cod liver oil.  Losing the weight not only helped my hip and knee but also made me feel better about myself.  Now I try to eat healthily and if my clothes start feeling a bit tight I give myself a mental slap and cut down.  It's so easy for those pounds to creep on.  I can't post a link because then my post gets put in a moderation queue but something to bear in mind 

      "Every pound of excess weight exerts about 4 pounds of extra pressure on the weight bearing joints. So a person who is 10 pounds overweight has 40 pounds of extra pressure on his hips and knees; if a person is 100 pounds overweight, that is 400 pounds of extra pressure on his hips and knees. “So if you think about all the steps you take in a day, you can see why it would lead to premature damage in weight-bearing joints,” says Dr. Matteson.

      That’s why people who are overweight are at greater risk of developing arthritis in the first place. And once a person has arthritis, “the additional weight causes even more problems on already damaged joints,” says Dr. Matteson.

      But it’s not just the extra weight on joints that’s causing damage. The fat itself is active tissue that creates and releases chemicals, many of which promote inflammation"

  • lyn1951
    lyn1951 lavinia54097

    Posted

    Lavinia - you do need to lose weight, being a big girl myself I finally have found a brilliant dietitian, she gave me a4 pages with little stamp sized pictures, made what to eat simple, just a glance at the picture, rather than reading pages of information on what I should be eating. one sheet for breakfast, one for lunch, one for dinner, and one with extras, and treats. I hang them on my fridge and follow them, I would try to track down a specialist who can arrange something similar for you, it becomes easy after the first few weeks, but you do slip back into your bad habits after a while, I am going to put my sheets up again to remind myself of what i should be eating.
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