Hip replacement surgery

Hi,

I'm scheduled for hip replacement surgery for December 3rd. I was wondering if anyone has had any experiences with this as far as things to look for (or lookout for), recovery or insurance stories, or anything else.

I'm already looking forward to next spring when (hopefully) I'll be able to get
back to the top of the mountain again, pain-free.

Appreciate your opinions.


thx
bob

I know that Concord Hospital has the best facilities around for that. A special table just for hip replacements. Are you getting your surgery done there by any chance??

I don't have any direct experience but here is a reference or two if you are interested in technical details:

The obvious (and relatively easy to read) Wikipedia entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_replacement

And real technical details:
http://www.wheelessonline.com/ortho/total_hip_arthroplasty
(You might need a medical dictionary to understand it: http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/)

Doug

Hi Bob,

My husband Pat had a left total hip replacement on December 2004. Osteoarthritis had eaten away all the cartilage. 5 months later he was hiking in the Grand Canyon. I know everyone is different but we had an excellent experience and outcome.

I am sure that staying active in spite of the pain, right up to the day of surgery, helped tremendously.

Call him any time, he'd love to talk to you. 781-862-0733.

--Audrey

Cymbidium, I considered Concord but I passed on their new technique. From what I heard, their's is a promising procedure but it's still relatively new. I'm having it done old skool style in Massachusetts.

Audrey, tell Pat I might take him up on your offer of a phone call. Maybe this weekend. Thanks!


bob

My partner had a bilateral hip replacement in 2004 at Portsmouth Regional Hospital, with excellent results. She's returned to normal activities with no restrictions.

A guy I work with just had it done - he's about 50 and extremely active: rock climbing, hiking, kayaking, biking, etc., at least until the hip got so bad he couldn't do the things he loved. Saw him the other day and he says it feels better than it has in years, and the doctor has told him he'll have no restrictions on his activities.

My ex-husband had a total hip replacement almost 10 years ago and hikes with our teenage son ...even though the ex wasn't much of a hiker when we were together I think you'll do fine!

A friend of mine, retired teacher in his 60s, had his initial hip replacement and said his skiing improved a lot because of it. He just had his second hip replacement done and is still recovering but I doubt he'll be sitting for long. He is a climbing guide and ski instructor.
Good luck and have a speedy recovery!

The scariest part was when we started to look for information online. The first website I googled described how you MIGHT be able to play golf again.

At his pre-op visit, Pat asked about hiking and skiing and the doctor said sure, just no jogging or basketball. Whew!

A good friend just had the surgery (she's early 40's). It got so bad she was almost on crutches, so there was just no option as she and her husband had a 6-year old boy. She had her surgery at New England Baptist--those folks work with a lot of sports teams, so do take a look there.

She had her surgery in the Spring and is now hiking. Her recovery was incredibly fast. She also plays soccer, but probably shouldn't be. Soccer is her skiing.

Good luck, although my guess is that you will do fine!

audrey said:

just no jogging or basketball

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That's certainly true. High-impact activities can damage the polyethylene or ceramic liner, and definitely should be avoided.

audrey said:

The scariest part was when we started to look for information online. The first website I googled described how you MIGHT be able to play golf again.

At his pre-op visit, Pat asked about hiking and skiing and the doctor said sure, just no jogging or basketball. Whew!

Click to expand...

Yeah, my doc told me the same thing. No more running. But it's good to hear all these success stories. Thanks for the support. I definately plan on getting back on the mountain bike and back up on the summits when this is all done. I'm still in the mtns at least once a week but I havent stood on top of a 4K'er since last year. That's gotta change!


bob

What ever you do, don't cross your legs! That's a good way to dislocate the hip which is very painful, and makes it more likely to happen again.

Davehiker said:

What ever you do, don't cross your legs! That's a good way to dislocate the hip which is very painful, and makes it more likely to happen again.

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My poor mother is so freaked out about this happening that she won't scramble on rock at all anymore.

GBKDalton said:

My poor mother is so freaked out about this happening that she won't scramble on rock at all anymore.

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Not everyone is subject to the leg-crossing restriction. Ask your doctor...

Davehiker said:

What ever you do, don't cross your legs! That's a good way to dislocate the hip which is very painful, and makes it more likely to happen again.

Click to expand...

I have read that this is a factor in some traffic accidents in which the victim is thrown forward. Women tend to sit with their legs crossed and tend to have more dislocations while men tend to sit with their legs apart and tend to have more broken femurs.

Never heard about it being an issue for just sitting...

Doug