Hi, i,m a 52 y/o male that has been living with a left hip that has been fused, (arthrodesis) for 32 years now after a motorbike accident. I have no pain, quite a noticable limp, with slight lower back stiffness now. I went to see a doctor about a total hip replacement. My operation is booked in for 16th of november this year,(2018)
My problem now is that i,m totally confused an i can,t even think straight enough to make a logical decision to see if i have made the right decision.
Main concerns seem to be , how long before i can go back to work ? I drive a semi trailer an operate an excavator for a living, the doctor says 6 weeks but wow that seems awfully quick to me, i do not have any wage insurance.
Only real other concern is dislocation, do they dislocate easily , depends on the individual i,m thinking,
I really don,t know what to do, do i stay the way i am , has been 32 years an i know all my limitations with very little pain. Or do i go into the unknown at this stage of my life which not only affects myself but my wife an kids as well.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advanced , rgds ian
Hi Ian,
Since your not having pain I would go as long as you can without surgery. We all recover different sounds like your job is physical. I worked as grocery store Dept manager . after my second thr revision surgery my doctor told me I would be back to work on 8 weeks that didn't happen . I had thr because I was in alot of pain back and hip I was born with hip dysplasia so different from what your going through. I say go with your gut feeling can you pay into any long term disability?? Always good to have back up since there are risk with any surgery's
Take care
Jackie
Hi jackie,
Thanks so much for your reply . I,m heavily leaning towards what you have said. Friends an work colleagues have commented over the last 6 months about the way my gait has changed . Hence my looking into what can be done to improve my quality of life. I think in my case, it maybe a case of better knowing the devil you are dealing with, rather then the one your about to meet.
Once again thank you for your reply. It means alot to me hearing from people who are in a similar position who understand what we are going through. If only i listened to my parents who warned me about the dangers of motorbikes.
Wish you all the best jackie, rgds ian
Dear Ian
The ability of the surgeon will be the key to a totally successful outcome and your general fitness and having a go get attitude.
There should be no reason why you should not be able to walk without a limp following the surgery and as for your job no problem. I did twenty years of heavy building work and sheep farming after my hip replacement.
Not having your hip sorted is likely to result is further back problems in addition to your existing issues. Just get it done! Good luck.
Cheers Richard
Hi there Ian
I think that this is a decision that only you can make and one that you must consider very carefully.
If you have no pain and you know your limitations, may I ask if it’s not too rude of me, the reason you at having this done? As someone who has suffered serious complications following a THR, I know only too well what could happen. But I have also had a s come THR which was so successful and have had no difficulties with at all and am so grateful that I had it done. It can only be your decision, I just ask all the questions you can think of before you go ahead. I wish you all the best. Suzie
Hello Ian,
No one can say how someone will recover from a THR, just because someone recovered quickly it does not guarantee you will. I really do not believe you would drive heavy machinery after 6 weeks or be climbing in and out of trucks, that is just common sense. The hip needs time to recover and bed in whatever approach is performed.
Personally, if you are not in pain and your job is important to you at the moment I would leave well alone for now. Maybe, look at having it done later, after putting money aside then you do not need to worry about returning to work too soon and putting the hip at risk. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
Hi suzie
Thanks very much for your reply. The only reason i am having it done is because of a number of people have asked if i was in pain an that they comment that i am walking with a different gait. I do notice i do walk a bit different to normal but i have just put it down to my age. My lower back is copping all the brunt i believe, over the last 32 years from the arthrodesis done in 1985. My biggest concern is that there going to reverse the arthrodesis, all i have at the moment is a block of bone, that there going to have to insert the cup somehow, you would need to have pin point accuracy, as well as getting the angle right etc. But then with technology an the right surgeon, shouldn,t be a problem,,,
May i ask if one of your hips had an arthrodesis performed prior to your replacement. Rgds ian
Sounds like a good plan of action to me Jen. cheers Richard
I think you should have a long discussion with your surgeon and GP, even get a second opinion. If your gait has changed, then that us an indication that there has bee further deterioration and that may affect your back and lead to further complications. Although you may be able to carry on right now, you may find that your conditions becomes so bad that you cannot work.
The main thing is to research your surgeon and the anaesthetist as both are equally important, If your overall fitness is good, you should recover, with the correct physiotherapy extremely well, and be pleased with the results.
Ultimately, it is your decision, but do consider all your options and do our research.
Good luck, whatever your decision
Hi richard,
Thanks for your reply mate, certainly sounds like you had one hundred percent success. Well done. Can you let me know please if you had an arthrodesis previous to your replacement ?
Rgds ian
Hi jen,
Thanks for your reply. I can,t imagine being back at work in 6 weeks as well, even an office job, which by the doctor saying this has just made me more confused than ever. I think your advice an quite a few of the other kind people who have taken time out to reply to my question has been invaluable, all echoing much the same, if it,s not broken why fix it ? By joining this forum has been a godsend, family an friends are saying , go for it, but they honestly they don,t understand that there can be severe consequences an there is no return if things go pear shape. Thanks for your advice jen
Rgds ian
Six weeks is a very optimistic timescale - usual in the UK is 12 weeks, but think along the lines of 6 months before you feel really able to tackle 'real heavy jobs' and are past the dislocation risk.
If I wasn't in pain, I probably wouldn't go for a THR as there are so many risks. Why are you thinking of this operation? You will be off work for some time, even assuming it all goes well.
Graham
Dear ian
My hip replacement was a primary and after twenty years the poly spacer wore out and was replaced in a revision. With the first one within a couple of months I was doing ladder work and had forgotten that I had a hip replacement. Both surgeries were done posterior.
If you would like to chat on the phone feel free to message me.
Cheers Richard
An orthopaedic friend of mine has a brother who has hip problems but like you has very little pain. Apparently he walks appallingly and my friend keeps saying he should have a new hip, this has been going on now for over five years! He still walks appallingly and still has very little pain and he still has his old hip!
Hi Ian, no I had osteoarthritis in both hips but for my left hip which was done first, I got an infection in theatre which wasn’t discovered until I’d already returned to the hospital twice, the second time by blue lights. I had to have the hip debrided in the first surgery then a further replacement followed by months of iv antibiotics then he removal of the replacement and replaced with a spacer. A further six weeks in a wheelchair and finally another THR. This has left me with chronic pain which I’ve had since 2012. So I this is why I would advise you to be be very cautious. Get as much info as you and take it from there. Suzie
Get it done, you may need extra rehab as your muscles may be very weak after having an immobile hip for all those years. Good luck I am having rthr 5th November
Hi Ian
If your gait has changed so badly and you are having problems with your back, it might be better to get the operation over and done with.
I fell heavily on my left side 12 years ago and have suffered back pain on and off since then. In the last 5 years the pain has worsened and in the last 2, my hip has been bothering me. I had an MRI, 3 years ago, on my spine, but they did not investigate my hips. I had an x-ray last year, which showed severe arthritis, particularly on my left side. I was offered a cortisone injection by ultrasound. The radiogragher said that it looked like I fractured it in the past. All the injection did was to release my periformis muscle, which felt very tight. It did not ease the pain. I was to take regular pain meds and ended up with H pylori from taking Diclofenic.
Finally, I was referred to a surgeon. He took one look at the way I walked, with a trendelenburg gait, sent me to x-ray, told me that I have displagia and because I work for the NHS, pushed through for me to have a total hip replacement on November 6th.
Two of my uncle's had suffered back pain, but once their hips were done, no more pain.
Best wishes to you for the future.
Hi Ian
If your gait has changed so badly and you are having problems with your back, it might be better to get the operation over and done with.
I fell heavily on my left side 12 years ago and have suffered back pain on and off since then. In the last 5 years the pain has worsened and in the last 2, my hip has been bothering me. I had an MRI, 3 years ago, on my spine, but they did not investigate my hips. I had an x-ray last year, which showed severe arthritis, particularly on my left side. I was offered a cortisone injection by ultrasound. The radiogragher said that it looked like I fractured it in the past. All the injection did was to release my periformis muscle, which felt very tight. It did not ease the pain. I was to take regular pain meds and ended up with H pylori from taking Diclofenic.
Finally, I was referred to a surgeon. He took one look at the way I walked, with a trendelenburg gait, sent me to x-ray, told me that I have displagia and because I work for the NHS, pushed through for me to have a total hip replacement on November 6th.
Two of my uncle's had suffered back pain, but once their hips were done, no more pain.
Best wishes to you for the future.
... do i stay the way i am , has been 32 years an i know all my limitations with very little pain. Or do i go into the unknown ...
Hi Ian-
Ah, the eternal dilemma. Yes, the surgery is "elective", in that you can "elect" to limp thru life with a twisted back and a sore opposite knee. Or you can pay an expert to undo that fused hip from some 20th century mechanic (Really, they had THRs in the 1980s. Why the fusion?). My advice: get the joint work updated; do the PT work on your back and knee; ease into your daily driving routine.
Three months, you'll feel like a kid again.
Hope this helps.