Cementless THR

Bones, joints and muscles
1

I am early stages (3 weeks ) post cementless THR. I’m feeling really well and reading the threads is helping understand my recovery. The past few days I’ve experienced  buttock and back pain and also groin and thigh pain (not all at the same time). I’ve read on one of the threads laying on a towel in my lower back (this has worked) apparently the pain is due to laying on my back whilst sleeping as I normally would sleep on my side. Any advise and tips would be appreciated.... thank you

2

The hospital allowed me to sleep on my good side with pillows between my legs and that took the weight and pressure off my lower back. Also sleeping in a recliner helped tremendously.

3

At what stage did they allow this, Mary? Immediately? I'm just into my 3rd week post op and I'm very wary about rotating onto my side.

Norm

4

Thankyou Mary. I do have a recliner also at what stage was you told you could lye on your side. I’ve read an nhs leaflet that states lying on operated side maybe possible 6 weeks post surgery....

5

Hi Helen, 

We are all different but with my posterior op I could sleep on my non operated side at about  18 days and what a blessing that was. I could now get 2 hours of good sleep in comfort. One has to turn over carefully as you can feel the hip getting uncomfortable and also definately you need a pillow between the knees.. At 4 weeks  I can lay on my operated side comfortably  but not slept on that side mainly because its not the side I would normally sleep on.

6

I broke my back in 1984 and had a THR in 2007.  I bought a zero gravity chair at Costco and now sleep like a baby with minimal back pain and don't even snore anymore.  Only about 60 dollars, I used to toss and turn and self medicate all night.  This chair has been life changing.  Good luck with the rest of your recovery.

7

I am 4 weeks and 5 days since posterior left thr and doing very well. I was told i had to sleep on my back for 6 weeks. I also have a hard time. I tried sleeping on the operated side and the right side with pillows between my legs but can never last more than 15-20 minutes because it begins to hurt. Otherwise I have no pain at all. My first post op is this Friday...wondering how long it will take to sleep comfortably on either side! 

8

I had my doctor prescribe a muscle relaxer,,that has helped me,, there just isn’t anything for me that I haven’t tried before I resorted to medication and it also helpe with restless led syndrome a little bit,, hope your recovery is fast

9

Hi, I was told by my surgeon I could sleep on my side immediately after the op. The restrictions had been lifted by Stanmore. I couldn't sleep on my operated side for about 2 weeks as it was too painful but I slept on the other side with not much pain at all from the first week.

10

PS i AM IN uk AND 5 WEEKS 5 DAYS NOW.

11

Hi Helen

I am just past the 6 week anniversary of my left posterior THR performed at City Hospital in Nottingham UK. At our pre-op screening session we had a presentation from the Physios on what to expect and the exercise regime to follow pre and post operation. We were also told that the "sleeping on your back for at least 6 weeks" mantra was now dead in the water. We were told we could sleep on either side with a pillow between our knees or on our back, whichever was most comfortable. This could be straight after the operation or whenever we chose. Obviously sleeping on the operated side would be tricky due to the discomfort of the scar etc.

I started off sleeping on my back in the 3 days I spent in hospital but this was fairly easy due to the adjustable hospital beds and all the pain meds we were given. Once home I started within a week to sleep on my non-operated side with a pillow between my legs, as well as on my back. Now at 6 weeks the discomfort in the scar area has more or less gone so I'm planning to try sleeping on my operated side in the next few days.

It seem that the advice given varies from region to region but I believe my local NHS trust is a bit more progressive and have done statistical analysis to support the side sleeping recommendation. Due to see my consultant in 10 days for my post op follow up.

12

I was still in the hospital, maybe night three, and they stuffed folded pillows between my thighs and by my knees/calves and rolled me over. As long as your legs don't cross and are kept apart they said I could do it. One hint: when I got home I used My Pillow brand pillow between my legs, no folding necessary, just kept it lengthwise between my legs and knees and I was fine. My Pillow is awesome, it doesn't collapse and stays big and firm which is important. Hope this helps.