Hi all, I am 38 and have severe arthritis in both hips. I was diagnosed about 7 years ago and had hip arthroscopy surgery to smooth both femoral head and socket down to allow me to still be very active, here my surgeon described my hips to those of a 70 yr old with arthritis!. this surgery allowed me to continue my job as a PE teacher and still play semi professional football(Soccer) I managed 2 more years playing but after this just couldn't manage so reluctantly gave up. from here my mobility in my hip deteriorated over time to the extent where shoes and socks and closing the hip angle is painful and restricted. generally I have minimal pain generally but do suffer bad days where the hip aches. I walk with a noticeable limp which is always commented on and cannot sit in a car for more than 10 minutes before pain and discomfort. year on year my consultant says they will operate if I want as it is that bad in x rays but as im not in crippling pain or sleep affected I feel I should just carry on? I have 2 young children under 8 too who I love being active with. any help guidance here would be great, and as I said I dont have the pain as what arthritis generally brings so am worried?
Dear Steve
I sorry to hear about your two hips. As you may have already read in the threads here that have covered the same situation that it can only get worse and often the situation can suddenly become very much worse.
IMO you would be best to find a really experienced hip surgeon now rather than just hanging on. I would go with a surgeon who does the tried and tested posterior approach over anterior or other less invasive methods for two reasons.
They will have better visibility of the surgical site making it easier to do an optimum job without having to distort tissues etc as much due to having more room to work. Being able to select a longer stem easily and less chance of nerve damage. Nerve damage can play havoc with recovery pain and time as we have often heard here.
Good luck. Richard
Hi Steve,
Something to keep in mind is that other parts of your body will compensate for your hips and then you will have to deal with those issues also. Sounds like you are at the point of having your hips replaced. You are young and active and you will bounce back quite quickly! I understand the Anterior Approach surgery, has less restrictions. I had mine (posterior) done 4 weeks ago and since I was active before survery I am recovering fairly quickly. The new materials for hip replacements last a long time. If you get it done now you wull have an active painfree future. If you sont you will continue to suffer and you are too young for that!!!
Get the operation now
Hi steve sorry to hear about your hips. From a personal view I would go for it and have your hips done.
Im 34 and have 3 children under 8 the way I look at it is I want to do as much as possible with them while they are young. I left it for over 3 years and now I cant walk without a crutch or drive, Im in pain in the nights aswell. I started off like you with niggles but it does get worse. I was due to have my thr on 29th Dec but it was cancelled. Its now due 27th Jan and I cant wait. Go for it, lifes for living after all 😁
Steve, you know the answer. Get it done and get the best surgeon you can find. Had mine done 2 years ago and forget I had it. I waited 3 years to long. Posterior Approach
Good luck with your op, would like to know how it all goes when done.....
thanks for the advice
Thank you Steve. I will do 👍
Had my hip done due to a Labrador tear at age 64. My surgeon was apprehensive due to my age and how long the replacement would last (15 to 20 years). Recommended I keep my hip as long as possible. Called him back in a month to schedule the surgery. Why suffer in pain if you don’t have to? Quality of life is important. Get it done. BTW after the surgery, my surgeon did say that, due to the amount of fluid, I made the right decision! My surgery and rehab have not been as quick and pain free as I expected, but after reading these posts, I look forward to a resolution. But I would do it again.
Steve
I agree with the others. Although most of us are much older there are younger forum members who have had the op and I was chatting recently to a girl who also has 2 young children and has had both hips done. She looks after and rides horses.
You might be able to delay things for a few years but what would be the point? Your new hip will probably last a long time but is unlikely to last until old age so you will probably need a revision whether you wait or not. And you will recover quicker and better the sooner you have the op.
But talk it over with your surgeon. He is the best person to advise you.
Hope it all goes well
Mike
Hi Steve
I was in exactly the same position as you.
Was told at 37 a hip replacement would be required in the future due to been bone on bone in the right hip.
It came as a huge shock as I was very active with football to and have two young children, also with my job I spent most of my time on building sites.
As the months went on and the pain gradually became worse I decided to go for it as I could feel it affecting other parts of my body and the pain was making me snappy and Ill tempered.
I did plenty of research on surgeons and came across a guy called Professor Ian stockley. Luckily for me he practiced in the same city where I lived (Sheffield).
If you google him you will understand why, he is up there with the best and he is also renowned around the world.He has designed hip replacement parts and operated on other leading surgeons and sports people.
Couldn’t believe my luck he also did NHS work aswell as private.
To cut a long story short I had my hip done posterior on sept 11 last year and last week I was digging in the garden and chopping a tree down 4.5 months post op.
I’m not saying I’m 100% recovered as I still get aches and pains when I over do it (plenty of stretching helps this) but there is light at the end of the tunnel.
The operation and recovery is a hard process but all I can say is once it’s done have plenty of rest to start with and stick to the exercise they give to you as I feel this is what helped me most along with swimming.
All the best
Mark
Mark... thanks for your reply. Great to see u back and active. I really am in limbo - after my arthroscopy 6 years ago my surgeon said the arthritis was severe so the thr was going to happen at some point. As I said I have managed since then and got by to the point where I think I just deal with the inconvenience. The pain is minimal(I have a fairly high threshold) I’m mainly restricted on movement which leads to pain as does exercise- everyone suggests I should just get it done but it’s this I can’t decide on?? I will have to have the surgery so is sooner better or just keep plodding on?
Steve
I was exactly the same, couldn’t put my socks on in a morning for work, after a game of football I could hardly walk for a few days and just found myself taking pain killers just to get by. I did try cycling which was great but then after a few months it became un pleasurable due to the pain getting worse.
I would say in regards to the high pain threshold you may be doing more harm to yourself as the rest of your body is compensating for the hip and could cause you more pain in the future especially your back.
It was a decision I didn’t make easy and I did once or twice convince myself that I didn’t need the operation leading up to it but friends and family kept me positive when I was down and believe me I had some very low moments.
It is hard and a huge decision to make and from my experience I made the right one( I cant say it goes as well for everyone) but I wanted to live life now and enjoy my time with the kids whilst still young. Like I say I’m not 100% and I still have a long way to go but after the op the aching arthritis pain disappears instantly and now it’s just muscular and healing, I can even put my socks on now.
I know what you will be thinking, why me and I’m still young, this only happens in older people.
It did feel like my life had been turned upside down but with a positive frame of mind and thoughts that you will get back to some sought of fitness and better quality time with the family it will all be worth it.
Also my hip was a ceramic on ceramic as the surgeon said it would be better as I was young.
Keep positive
Mark
Mark,
This is just the pep talk I need. All what you have said above is true, I keep trying to find reasons not to do it. But as both my hips(only 1 causes me the inconvience) are as bad am I making it worse waiting when by getting 1 done I solve that issue.
If I was in agony all the time it would be a no brainer but it’s this which casts doubt. Thanks again for your reply.
No problem steve
I’m sure you will come to the right decision.
Anything else you have a query on just give me a shout,even post op.
All the best
Mark
Hi Steve,
I have been on a different hip forum and just found these. Don’t wait. It will only get worst and then you’ll have to recover from not only hip surgery but all the compensation you’ve done because of your hips. I am 7 weeks postop from Superpath THR, done in the States. Like you, i was not in pain, but was living life with limitations; gave up tennis for past 8 years, walking down a block was impossible, walking up stairs was brutal. I too, had a limp that people commented on. I decided to have it done now, since otherwise i am in perfect health. Best decision I ever made. Surgery was great, with no restrictions. I drove 9 days post op, Could walk without walker 3 days after surgery. Never had any pain, just stiffness. Had 4 PT sessions..main focus to walk w/o limp, and I had to really relearn how to do that. Now work out with a personal trainer, who I worked with pre surgery to strengthen all the
muscles around the hip. The recovery progression as been amazing. Today I walked 2 miles in 30 mins, in very hilly neighborhood. Haven’t been able to do that in years. Could pull on socks about week 4, and tie sneaker (although to the side) week 5. Had I known it was going to be so easy and recovery so quick, I would have done this sooner. You are too young to not have your entire life to enjoy with your children. I hope my experience will help you with your decision.
Fantastic news that you are progressing so well..... the advice is brilliant thanks.... I think it’s time for me to be a little selfish and look after myself- I want to be fully active so I think there is only 1 resolution. Hope ur recovery continues to be as good. Thanks again.
Good Morning Steve,
I actually don't think it's being selfish at all. I think it's being totally unselfish ... why wouldn't you want to do everything you've always done, enjoy everything with your children and NOT be in pain?
It's hard to think about having surgery when your are not in pain. When I saw Dr Chow for a consult, he went to move my leg and forewarned me that it was going to hurt. He moved it and asked how much it hurt, I said not at all... So I understand where you are coming from. I had never had any kind of surgery before.. so naturally I was apprehensive... but I was just putting off the inevitable.. and truly wanted my entire life back.
What I can suggest to you, is that if you are going to seriously do this, then start working out all the muscles around your hip and glutes. Strengthen them as much as possible pre surgery. I really concentrated on that once I knew I was going to have surgery and that helped a lot.
Please keep us posted with everything. Thank you for your good wishes as well. Have an awesome day! ox
steve you sound like me . I am 40 wore out my joints through hard work and very young physical sports. They found out all my pain was a bad hip 2.5 years ago. While I can still manage, the mental tortore hourly while driving equipment working for my landscape company, and then trying to get through coaching my daughters softball team every night, left me crippled by bed time. Everyone (drs, pt therapist, friends, this website) told me to get it done and enjoy my kids young life instead of suffering through it, then getting it replaced when they are older and leave home.
So I did august 17, was surgery posterior rthr. I am not saying I am without pain here at 5 months, but! I am driving snowplows, shoveling walks at my customers sites, and coaching my daughter's indoor training once a week. And I can stand and watch her ride horses, and my boys games to, without needing to sit every 5 minutes.
Your young like me, trust me the other parts of your body will hurt very soon so get them fixed asap, and enjoy life, because its short!
Good luck
steve you sound like me . I am 40 wore out my joints through hard work and very young physical sports. They found out all my pain was a bad hip 2.5 years ago. While I can still manage, the mental tortore hourly while driving equipment working for my landscape company, and then trying to get through coaching my daughters softball team every night, left me crippled by bed time. Everyone (drs, pt therapist, friends, this website) told me to get it done and enjoy my kids young life instead of suffering through it, then getting it replaced when they are older and leave home.
So I did august 17, was surgery posterior rthr. I am not saying I am without pain here at 5 months, but! I am driving snowplows, shoveling walks at my customers sites, and coaching my daughter's indoor training once a week. And I can stand and watch her ride horses, and my boys games to, without needing to sit every 5 minutes.
Your young like me, trust me the other parts of your body will hurt very soon so get them fixed asap, and enjoy life, because its short!
Good luck