Bilateral hip replacement in November.

Bones, joints and muscles
1

I'm going in for a bilateral hip replacement in November.  Posterior approach. I just read a post here on patient.info where a person was still having trouble bending over a year after surgery.

1.  What can I expect as far as being limber/flexible a year or two after surgery?  Will I be able to bend over and tie my shoes, squat down to pick something up, etc?  I'm thinking longer term, a year or two down the road.

2.  Is the 90 degree rule a short term restriction or a lifettime restriction?

3.  On average, how close does one get back to pre arthritis physical abilities?

3.  Is there a person that has had a bilateral that wouldn't mind me emailing them with specific questions about recovery?

I'm 51 and hope to be able to work another 15 years after surgery.  My post surgery abilities worry me.

Thanks so much.

Jim

2

Hi Jim .I had both hips done posterior approach right one was oct 2015 so( 9 months )now and left was may 6 2016( 2 months ).the 90 degree is short term .I can bend down and tie my shoes .I was able to squat about 3 months after right hip was done...the worse part after sugery is that you can't sleep on your side.. I had No pain after surgery which was great since I had pain for 40 plus yrs..I feel like I can do things now that I could 'nt do for yrs ..I just went back to work about a week in a half now with no pain ...As for long term I'm hopeing everything will be ok but so far its been great and it's the best thing I ever did in my 49 yrs of life......Good Luck to you and you won't regret it

3

Thanks for your response Bonnie. I wish you well in your recovery.

4

Jim, the 90 degree rule is lifted whenever your surgeon says it is. Some surgeons don't impose restrictions. Mine were done at 6 weeks, and I was able to tie shoes, pick up things from floor at that time. Before that I managed well using grabbers. Many people go back to pre-arthritis activities within a year of surgery. It all depends on your body's recovery and how demanding the activities are that you want to do. Your surgeon will be the one who will assess your recovery and abilities and tell you what activities are recommended.

5

Hi Jim,

I had bilateral THR 6 weeks ago tomorrow and see my surgeon this Friday. I'm hoping the 90 degree rule will be removed then. I'm 45.

Already my movement in my hip through Physio is better then it was for years prior to surgery and I'm down to1 Tramadol at night and only a little bit uncomfortable after sitting/ walking too long in the day so huge improvement.

Good luck,

S

6

Thanks so much AnnieK.

7

Thanks S. How are you coping after a bilateral? What are the challenges unique to a bilateral? Is it difficult getting into and out of bed?

8

Hi Jim,

The first week is hard but you'll only be sent home once you can get in and out of bed/ can walk up and down stairs and can use crutches, these were the criteria in my UK hospital. I hear a lot on the formums here mentioning a limp but because I've had both done at the same time you equalise the weight bearing on each hip so although one leg of mine is stronger I'm not compensating too much on one good leg so I think bilateral is a benefit in that sense. It may be a bit longer recovery wise but everyone heals differently so I don't think it's a much longer process seeing what I've read on the forums. I'm feeling really good about getting both done at the same time, I'm enjoying going to the pool each day to do Physio and a bit of a swim. My challenge atm is the frustration of needing help with house work eg lifting and cannot sit for long periods out and about. Sleep wise I've been great (up to 3 days ago) which is lucky. I suppose because less people have bilateral THR it is harder to gauge what I should be doing/ how I'm progressing but it means I have to trust myself and not compare to others which is probably beneficial. My one bit of advice would be to really focus on strengthening your core and arm strength prior to surgery as this will help hugely in terms of mobility and recovery post op.

S

9

My surgery was May 16 so I guess I'm 2 months in and still have many of the same questions. My surgeon doesn't lift 90 degree precautions until the 8-12 week mark. I imagine when I see him at 12 weeks, he will do so then. Today I asked my therapist many of the same questions you asked about flexibility and which restrictions are temporary and what movements will be lifelong restrictions. Like, will I ever be able to bring my knee anywhere near my chest to put on socks or boots like I used to. My therapist said that these questions can best be answered by the surgeon because it may depend on the type of device that was used. I, too, am confused what restrictions are lifelong. You hear stories about people just 5 years in dislocating just because they crunched their knees too high, sitting, just getting their boots on. So, I, too, wonder about the long road ahead and what's in store.

10

Good luck with your recovery Susan.

11

Good luck on your recovery Susan. Thanks for your reply.