Thigh pain after hip replacement

I’m very sorry to hear this. I am 57 like I said I had my RTH last year. I have AVN maybe look that up if you want. So now my alt hip and groin are bothering me too say the least especially walking and lots of activity.   The Surgeon said I could wait until I can no longer stand the pain, however the pain in my RTH thigh has litterly gotten worse than ever. Wasn’t even hurting till I had the surgery. I’m so afraid!!!  It has also made my right knee worse I think anyway. I had rt knee pain and instability prior to surgery and now it’s really bad!!  Had MRI on knee awaiting results. I feel cheated and disappointed. If not for this site I would have continued to think it was just me. Dr totally ignores me !!!  Any help from anyone is certainly appreciated and thank you for responding. I went to Mardi Gras yesterday till into the night and walked so much, now I’m so sore. It often feels like a really bad bruise 😌

You need a different doctor. It is a tricky experience to interview a surgeon but many of them simply put in the product and then we're on our own. As much as I ache I know that my doctor is aching with me. He is totally distraught over how I feel and has consulted with colleagues on alternatives and possible solutions. I have not seen him for awhile but I know that he is in this with me. I would never tolerate anyone who ignores me. You don't have to pay someone to treat you badly. My Mom used to say, "You don't have to buy headaches. Those come free of charge in life". Do your homework and move on.

Hi Connie,

Thank you for your response.

My thigh bothers me a lot more than before the hip surgery. But I guess shoving a metal pin in the femur will make it angry. There are a lot nerves and veins in the bone to aggravate so I can see where AVN is a possible risk. This all started with a compound fracture of the right ankle from an auto accident. The continual limping finally wore down the hip to practically nothing. Nerves and capillaries were damaged and traumatic arthritis set in - all contributed to causing necrosis. I admit, the surgeon didn't have much to work with.

I can see why your knee is taking on an extra burden and complaining via pain. Anything affecting one joint, buts more stress on another. It is a wonder you could enjoy Mardi Gras at all. I can no longer participate in such things. But - I'm 12 more years into the process. 

Sadly, here in California, everything/records are on different internet 'Patient Portals' and the doctors leave it up to the patient to retrieve info instead of having an actual conversation. It's like they don't want to waste their time talking to mere mortals. My doctor hasn't ignored me per se, but has successfully deflected my questions. I hold myself partially responsible for this, but feel betrayed by a medical professional that (came recommended) and trusted in the community to not manipulate information. 

Do let us know the MRI outcome.

Hi Chuck. Yes - I am in the process of screening new orthopedics and moving on. I agree - It is VERY tricky. I did a great deal of research before settling on the surgeon. You can research their medical school, where they served their internship and how many years they've been practicing but you can't tell if they passed their exams with a "D" or an "A".  Then their are sub-specialties under orthopedics. Some only do Hips, some only Knees, Shoulders, etc.

I've even called offices to ask "how many of these surgeries has s/he performed?"  They usually have to get back to me on that one But a doctor can be in practice for 15 yrs and may not have that much experience with a particular procedure.

That's what is disconcerting. I did my homework the first time around but it appears that my questions may not have been entirely answered. We are not medical professionals and sometimes do not know all the questions to ask. That's when we must rely on the physicians to fill in the gaps. 

 

'there' are sub-specialties

Your Doctor IGNORES you? Take respectful charge of ALL conversations and tell him you would like all film, records b/c you need a compassionate partner in this journey and intend to seek council of several varieties, primarily of course, another opinion.  Don't be intimidated b/c he/she has MD on their credentials.  My husband had me type an invoice for $350 to his Cardiologist when the man was an hour-1/2 late for his treadmill test.  When my husband asked why the Dr. Was 90 min late for a 7:30am appt. The bubble- head at the front desk said "he called and said he needed to work out first".  He paid it. 

Hi John 

I had a posterior left thr 13 weeks ago. I had exactly the same as you and when I saw my surgeon after 8 weeks he told me it was very common and could last up to 6 months.... To use ibuprofen or voltarol gel 4 times a day and it would help.

Thankfully I am now practically pain free... A little discomfort now and then and it really did work. It's still very early days and I think we expect too much from ourselves.

No crutches, no walker and walking up and down stairs, my scar has healed beautifully. Fantastic, I've had my life back 😃😃😃

Thank you for the reply. It's good to know you are progressing.

In general, each week seems better than the last, for me. At this point, all I need is about 1-2 Tylenol every 24 hrs.

This front-of-thigh pain thing is pretty interesting.  I had it after anterior approach THR but the discomfort was significantly distal to my incision.  Conventional orthopedic wisdom was that it was due to the femoral component stem from irritation and bone in growth, but from my experience it felt more like deep muscle spasm.  Maybe it’s different for everybody.  Good luck on your recovery.  They say it takes a year to heal completely and I agree.  I’m 13 months and feel great.

Hi John. I think much depends on where in the recovery process the pain appears. There is post-operative pain as the femoral pin settles (I had that too) and sometimes, as my PT explained to me - there are odd pains (almost like a stinging) as the internal scar tissue stretches and adjusts. There is so much muscle involvement in a THR procedure; it's hard to tell what's what. According to the op report, my THR was pretty complicated. It was 3.5 yrs ago, so when I recently started feeling continual thigh pain - I was concerned that the pin was loosening.

I just had a Tri-Phase Bone Scan 2 days ago. Thankfully, the scan didn't show any loosening (in the scan it shows as blood uptake (aka) 'activity' around the pin). Then there's a femoral muscle that wraps around the thigh and glute, so if you strain that muscle (as I did) it gets confusing. One thing that led me to think the pain in my thigh was muscle-related rather than bone/pin related was that the pain responded to Aspercreme but I didn't want to guess, so I had the scan. 

Interesting comments from everyone. Very educational.

I totally agree with everyone's comments being educational.

I too have a stinging/ burning sensation at the sight of the incision but it is getting better. It is such an invasive op and involving so many structures as you say irs hard to tell where the aches and pains are coming from at times.

An op like this is a day to day improvement.... And every day I count myself so lucky I've had it done.

Wishing everyone a speedy recovery getting back to a wonderfully mobile and pain free life .

There are so many incisions and closures made under the main large scar that we tend to forget about those. I've learned that the most common post-op scar tissue sensation is 'stinging. I've also learned to jot a quick note on my phone calendar when pain starts. My doc always asks - When did it start? Is it getting better, worse, or the same? Having the exact start date of a condition is a big help in dx'g things.

Plus - asking yourself "what was I doing the day before?"

It's definitely a day-to-day process. Every operation is a bit different and people don't heal the same way.

I went to the hospital yesterday to get a copy of my medical record from the procedure/hospital stay.

I encourage you to do the same. It gives great detail as to what components were used and any obstacles that occurred during surgery.

Not only does it give you a better idea of all areas affected, but as hospitals are only required to keep records for 7 years (after that they may go into archive which is more difficult to get & may take 30 days or more.) If something pops up 8 yrs post-op and you are in need of additional care - you have the information at the ready for your future doctor. You don't want to have to wait 30 days to retrieve a record when you are possibly in need of immediate treatment.

Good luck!

Was this a detailed report about the surgery?

The report I requested included everything: BP, EKG reports etc., while inpatient. It included the surgeon's opinions, the assistant surgeon, the steps taken, any abnormalities discovered, tissue removal, any lab results from the tissue etc. The quick form I filled out to request the records gave me the option of different aspects. I requested all information pertaining to my inpatient stay at the hospital.

It was 3-days. It is invaluable information.

I filled out the form at Medical Records Dept., and showed my ID. They may ask why you want the information. If it is to 'Transfer Care' there is usually no fee. 

Yes. It was very detailed.

Thanks for the info. I'm planning to make the request. Of course, I do want it for my own knowledge, but also need it for when we are back in NY (Surgery in Florida) and want to provide it to my doctors there.

Your NY doctors will thank you It will make their job a lot easier and save precious time. I've done this for other medical conditions. Of course, if a lot of time transpires between now and a future event, some tests will need (and should be) re-done as things within the body change. Overall, it is invaluable information for future treatment(s); not only for your hip, but any nerve or muscle involvement that may come up, pertaining to that location, etc. 

So glad you're taking me up on the suggestion. I think you'll be glad you did.

I'm going to contact the hospital beginning of the week. I'll also get the xrays and doctor records to take back to NY. I'm used to passing on medical info back and forth NY and FL. Do that for dentist, vet, doctor.

I wish more facilities had good 'Patient Portals'.  Some the of X-ray and labs here have them. So handy. When I have blood work done, I just look at the results online. But the hospital one isn't very good.

I was able to access a lot at the patient portal of the hospital. I downloaded everything they had available. Of course, they don't have the anecdotal info from surgery.