Time for a second opinion?

Posted , 8 users are following.

How long after a THA is it appropriate to get a second opinion? I am 3 months post op, and thought I would be doing much better by now. I did tear a quad muscle tripping over a curb and walked on that for a month. I had it repaired 10 days ago. I have more consistent pain in my hip than I did before my surgery. Very frustrated that I cannot even walk my dog 10 minutes; use a trekkng pole for safety and support. Am I just being too impatient? I have had both knees done and they were a cakewalk compared to this. The THA is the first sugery I have ever had where I have no sense that I am getting better- each day seems like the one before it. I try to be proactive and hope not to be posting this same message in a year. Thank you so much for your input.

 

2 likes, 22 replies

22 Replies

Next
  • Posted

    Apparently it takes up to and over a year to be fully healed and see the differences from a hip replacement. Dont rush it or it could make things worse and nobody wants that
    • Posted

      You are so right. The potential for making thngs even worse is always there. Patience is not one  of my strengths.
  • Posted

    That's how I feel about my right hip. Two weeks out of surgery and suddenly WHAM can't put weight on it and the surrounding muscles are in spasm. I've taken anti-inflammatories which I usually find excellent for releasing a spasm, but not this time. I went to gym today and I could see how much muscle wastage there has already been in the last 6 weeks and I see or feel absolutely no improvement
    • Posted

      Annie,

      Your surgery is so recent. Are you doing too much? As I have learned the hard way, healing takes far more time than seems reasonable to me. If you have the stomach for it, watch a hip replacement on youtube.

      I wish you well,

      Barb

    • Posted

      I don't think I'm doing too much - I was close on super fit just before the op. I worked my lower body on very light weights and the upper body a little more, but nowhere near what I did before surgery. And I didn't have a limp or LLD before the surgery - only a sore hip. It's frustrating, but I'm also adamant to wait until I see my surgeon and by then there can be no more humming about the issue. I will be asking for scans to be done.
  • Posted

    Barb I am sorry you have ripped your muscle, that must have been pretty painful. I have had one or two falls, and it is not very nice. When you say it was repaired, did you have surgery? Or has it just healed?

    That is definitely going set you back in terms of recovery time, but it shouldn't be a problem in the long run if it has been repaired/healed.

    What are you most concerned about, is your hip joint hurting? Or is it just the lack of recovery...I have to be honest the recovery is slow, it really is, but you have come on, as even walking the dog is more than you did 6 weeks ago, and I am sure if you think about it you are doing far more than you were doing a few weeks back.

    Having said all of this, I would not wait to get a second opinion if you are in pain and are worried, there is no point to wait, if you book an appointment at best you will just need reassurance and the worst case is that there is something wrong. It won't harm to find out especially given you have had a fall.

     

  • Posted

    I assume you had surgery again for that repair of your quad muscle? Was it done by your THR surgeon? And do you have a limp? Whoever your orthopedist is, he would probably want you to heal from the quad repair before doing anything else. 

    I waited 6 months before going for the second opinion. After THR I did lots of PT because I still had a limp. X-rays of implants looked fine, but they don't show soft-tissue injuries. And then there was Thanksgiving and Christmas, so it took awhile. By 6 months, I was really sure that my pain and severe limp were not going to get better. I kept bugging my original surgeon, and he kept saying there was weakness and do more PT, or steroids, or injections. He referred me to someone else in his medical group, a physiatrist, who had my back/spine thoroughly checked out to see if that was the problem, even had a sacroiliac joint injection, and ruled out problems in that area. That took time.

    Went back to original surgeon and he had absolutely no idea of what was wrong. That's when I stopped going to him, found the new surgeon, got proper interpretation of my MRI, and got my torn gluteus medius diagnosed. I was also tested/scanned for other problems, such as infection and prosthesis loosening. 

    Any competent orthopedist should be able to diagnose your problems using physical exam and scans/tests. If/when you do go for that second opinion, be sure to go to someone in a completely different practice/medical group. 

    • Posted

      I had to have surgery to repair the torn muscle and feel that is coming along nicely. I actually was doing much more before my surgery. I think I talked my surgeon into it; but I thought the pain was really interfering with my life. Little did I know what an interrupted life really looks like. I think your comment about seeking a second opinion if I am in pain and do not feel as if I am makng progress is spot on. Thank you for your input.
  • Posted

    That's a touchy subject that I'm dealing with as well (for different reasons; I have a leg length discreptency).  I don't want to antagonize my surgeon and I don't feel that he screwed up but I do not feel that my surgery was a success because of the leg length discreptancy.  I believe I'll need to get a revision surgery to fix it and I'd like the same surgeon to do it but he's suggesting to wait to see if it heals and I don't believe time will make any difference so I'd rather do it as soon as possible. So far I haven't tried to get a 2nd opinion but I suspect I may have to in the near future.

    Good luck,

    Mike

    • Posted

      I think i may have the same issuem all my life my right leg was 5cm longer than my left due to my tilted pelvis. Now 2 weeks after surgery it appears that my left leg is now longer. I dont know if it will go away but it better because i dont want to have to live like this all over again at my age as it already has done as much damage to my knees as humanly possible
    • Posted

      Yes, it's very unfortunate that this has happened (and it appears quite common) but, like you, I don't want to risk future hip / knee / back / etc pain because my legs are no longer equal so I want it fixed !!!

      My surgeon wants to wait 3 weeks but I'm likely going to contact in a week if I don't feel that it's improving.

      Good luck, 

      Mike

    • Posted

      Mike,

      My leg length discreptancy is 3 cms. I ordered heel lifts (adjust a lift) from Amazon. I put one in all my right shoes and I never think about it.

      Just a thought,

      Barb

    • Posted

      Unfortanetly for me the damage to my knees is already done but i dont want to get to the age 21 and already have a fake hip and then end up with fake knees to. I already feel weird knowing im 20 and had a hip replacement. Plus i was just looking forward to having normal looking legs rather that one leg that sticks out when im standing
    • Posted

      Yikes!  I don't blame you at all and that's how I feel (although I'm certainly not as young). I want it fixed right rather than risk possible complications in the future.  
    • Posted

      I noticed you said you had a 1.5cm difference? Iv read and been told by many doctors that apparently most people have about 1cm difference. Im not sure ir will do any damage. How long since your surgery? Maybe just recovering is making it seem worse?
    • Posted

      You might be correct and it might be hard to get them to agree to fix it because it's not that significant but I feel that leaving it will cause future problems.  It's only been two weeks but my walk and posture are already affected.  When I stand, unless I make a concious effort, I always keep the longer leg bent so that I'm standing straight and if I make an effort to straighten both legs when I walk, I hobble because one side is longer.  I suspect running and participating in sports will be hindered by this and I'm not ready to accept that.
    • Posted

      Ahhh i see. Well im unable to straighten my left leg yet but i think its die to how swollen my knee and leg still is. Its still 2x larger than my other. Maybe thats the same issue with you?
    • Posted

      I'm not an expert, but my thinking is that the surgeon can't really judge leg lengths until all the swelling has settled. The surgeon measures leg lengths using radiographs while they're operating. But leg length discrepancy (LLD) should not lead to the groin pain imho

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.