I am 19 years old and sometime in the next five month i will be recieving my hip replacement and reconstruction. They are moving my hip 4cm down so that they become level. I was woundering what i should expect. How much pain will i be in? How large is the scar? How often should i be exercising on it and so on. All help and feedback would be deeply appriciated. Thanks
Hi sarah,
Welcome to our "hippie" community. You have youth on your side so you should heal quite quickly. I am 68 and not as resilient as some others.
The scar varies according to which route the surgeon uses to access the hip joint.
Scars do fade eventually so they are hardly noticeable within a couple of years.
I had my new hip seven weeks ago and the scar is looking better already.
The pain after the operation is manageable with medication and wears off after two or three days.
There are quite a few rules to obey at first and you cannot drive until at least 6 weeks after operation.
You have a long time ahead of you to get the benefit of the operation and I would say go for it now while you are young enough to enjoy the new hip
Hugs,
Shirley.
Your operation sounds a little more complicated that a straight replacement, however being younger than most of us you will recover quickly.
the scar will fade over a couple of years to be hardly noticeable, many of us use various oils and creams , after healing, to keep it supple and help it to fade. Bio- oil is one such
pain is manageable with the medications that they have availabletogive you, and by a week I was hardly using them, however this does vary from person to person. There are rules to obey to enable all the internal healing to take place, and the exercises that you will do are very very important. These cause some stiffness akin to working out after a long time.
I suspect you will have to concentrate on your walk, if your hips are now at a height difference of 4 cm you must have been compensating for that when moving. To be able to walkstraight will be a whole new ball game.
talk to the physios, nurses and the surgeon at any preop appointments.
all the best and keep us informed when it happens.
Thankyou that is a relief. The doctor say it coukd take up to 6 month to see differences. Is there anything i should be warry of after the operation and after recovery?
Yes the doctor kept telling me it is not straight forward and that is major surgery. Yes i believe i wiol have to figure how to walk correctly again after 18 years of standing on my toes. But apparently ill finally be able to put socks on normally because i have to put my left leg behind my back just to put socks on
I had my right hip done on mon and jst like you was very scarred of everything but i hve sailed through it so dont worry be positive
Did they get you walking the same day? How have they covered your dcare and how big is it? Have you managed to shower and use the toilet ok?
Hi Sarah and welcome to hippiesville.
It sounds like you've struggled with all sorts of things, like socks and walking on tip toe. Hip replacements are one of the most successful operations that surgeons do and for the vast majority of us life is significantly better after it.
With a straightforward hip replacement you're walking the next day. You'd have to check with your surgeon though.
Scars vary from 3 to 8 inches I think. It comes below the bikini line but mine is around the side and back and isn't very noticeable. I know previous scars on my knee have faded to a very thin white line.
Some people don't have much pain and others have quite a bit more. But for all of us we're given enough pain killers that the pain isn't really an issue. If you have pain you just take more meds. It goes after a couple of weeks anyway.
Most people are really nervous before surgery but relieved and happy after. Keep asking questions,and the more specific the questions the better. The lovely people here are so helpful.
Keena
I think im most worried because this isnt a normal replacement. They have to reconstruct the whole hips and move one side 3/4cm lower. I have struggled for many years with constant pain, knees locking and everyday life. Just hope this will be a better beginning for me
Hello Sarah, I was born with a dislocated hip that wasnt found until I was 6 months old so I had numerous hip op's as a baby and finally all the rusty plates and pins taken out at 14, I had my THR last year at 47, my operated leg was always considerably shorter than the other but my surgeon gave me extra leg length during the THR to make me level, wonderful, BUT.... My back was not very happy about this as it wasn't used to the "new me" and it has taken me a good year and a bit of physio to get right, I'm not complaining, just something for you to consider post op, very best of luck xxx
Hi sarah,
Just keep in touch with this website and ask lots of questions.
Anything you are not sure of, there will be someone here who already has experienced exactly the same.
Don't be shy, we have all been there!
Hugs
shirley
Wow you had the same as me as a child. But how come you got your replacement at 47? Where you in a lot of pain as a teenager? Im currently in a critical amount of pain and it limits everything i do in everyday life. Iv also got 4cm difference in my legs which they will be sorting out during the op. How did he give yoi the extra length? Did he move the hip down?
Thank you so muchm i think i will be using the site a lot for information and will also keep you all updated on when my op is happening and what happened after. Thankyou so much
Hugs
X
I was fine until I reached 14, then was getting a lot of pain in my thigh, X Ray showed a huge mess with the plates and pins that were put in as a baby, they had gone rusty and warped over time, so they removed them and I was told I would have to have THR at a young age, my leg length discrepancy wasn't as much as yours, mine was about 1and half inches, i was more than ready to have it done at 42 but put it off for many reasons, I'm self employed,and also I figured the longer I waited the better technology would be so I hung on for another 5 years just bone on bone until I simply couldn't walk to the end of the road, a mistake on my part really as I walked so badly for those 5 years that my back suffered as a result, but your not in that position as you clearly need it done now, honestly I have no idea how the surgeons give you extra leg length but I know mine did as I was adamant that I wanted it, ask yours to explain how xxxxx keep in touch with me and let me know how you get on xxxx
Yes my surgeon added an extra centimetre
My keg was an in shorter he it was the best he could do but thats ok
I came home today from hospital things can only get better from today i am 56
Any good tips on recovery ie when to rest and excercises
They got me up the next morning on my feet gave me a zimmer and told me to put the operated leg forward and walk after that i did not use the bedpan went to the loo myself
Home today but my legs are so hot in these stokings any tips
Hi Lucite
Just noticed that your legs are hot in the stockigs/ Have you got a fan? Sleep with your top half under the duvet but legs free and point an electric fan at them.
Also a damp towel laid across the legs will help cool them, Bags of peas are also very useful (frozen peas I meant to say)
good morning Lucite and welcome home -
I hope you slept okay - do you have help at home?
we all heal at our own speed and in our own way - one tip which is very important is to listen to your body ... you just had major surgery in addition to everything you went through before the operation -
did they give you some bed exercises to do ? start with them first - try to move around, go to the bathroom, etc. - you will find the rythm that works best for you -
rest when you can - healing is taking place .
please let us know if you have questions or concerns - Perhaps you can start your own discussion ...
be very gentle and kind with your self - we are here for you
big warm hug
renee
Wow very interesting. I thinm they plan to just move the hipd down. But i also know that my spine isnt straight as you can see that on the xrays. I will deffo keep you informed xx
Glad thay you got to the toilet on your own. Think id cry if they made me use a bed pan tbh. Which sounds silly considering what i will be going through hahaha. What are the stockings for?