Two hip replacements:
THR 1 Right Hip - Lateral Incision - performed May 207, lateral incision and very fleixble surgeon who permitted me to sleep on operated side as as comfortable, other side with a pillow between knees.
THR 2 Left Hip - Lateral Posterior with a very much larger incision - about 6" Surgeon insists that I sleep on my back for six weeks. I am nearly four weeks into recovery. I have experimented, briefly sleeping on both sides and found it to be doable, but very quickly reverted to the surgeon's instructions - "sleep on your back." Cannot get a decent night's sleep and have to use Diazepam as a sleep aid. Makes me groggy for the day, and I will wake up at any hour, remain awake for a couple of hours, and then have to resort to the Diazepam again, and then miss half the morning. This is no way to live. Appreciate tht I am recovering from major surgery, but then I compare the methods and recommendations of the two different surgeons, and this inevitably raises questions.
Wondering if any other members have had this type of experience with so wildly differing instructions, whether they have moved over to the preferred position, in my case at almost four weeks into recovery, and felt no ill effects, such as displaced hips, altered gait, etc., etc.
What do you all think?
I think most surgeons have their own little pet likes and dislikes. Some go for gold not allowing their patients to do anything for ages. I know one surgeon who told people they should never cross their legs ever again and another who said they should never do breast stroke. I think a lot of it is they are so worried about being sued in this litigious world we now live in.
Yesterday was four weeks into recovery for me. I'm sleeping on my back until I see the surgeon October 1st. I usually don't make it through the night sleeping on my back, because my back gets sore. So, halfway through the night I head out to my recliner to finish my sleep there.
Hi. You’re doing really well and as you say need to remember you’ve had a massive op. I had both done at same time 9 weeks ago and have got used to sleeping on my back. First 4 weeks like you waking nearly every hour but then enduring I rested and dropped off to sleep when I felt I needed to. Normally after lunch. My wounds still too tender to lie on at the mo.
Everyone gets trouble sleeping on their back - most common complaint of all.
Do you have the compression stockings on still? My sleepless nights stopped immediately they came off.
Every recovery is different, I have had different problems sleeping on each side after surgery, sometimes I can sleep on the left, sometimes the right.
Think you have hit the nail on the head. If a surgeon has had a bad outcome or, two/three, they will err on the side of "Extra Careful" and impose all the safeguards they can possibly cone up with on a patient. This is the UK, and I am not sure to what extent the medical profession is covered by insurance. I do know that in the USA many surgeons opted out of practice because insurance was so high it was not worth remaining in the profession if they were to be constantly in a state of fear and paranoia, much less bogus lawsuits.
Question is, after week four of recovery, what can go wrong if a patient sleeps on their side. I slept on my side after week three, but with a different incision, and no ill effects. The only thing that domes to mind is that sleeping on the side, the hip and leg are not straight, so that may have a detrimental effect on the way that the prosthetic settles in. I have no idea what stage the prosthetic would have reached in setting into the femur, by the end of week four
Only way I can get through the night is with the use of diazepam, and that is not always effective.
The compression stockings came off at the beginning of this week. Tried to put them on after the shower, but the apparatus that the gave me to use was impossible. So the nurses told me to leave them off as long a I was still on the anti coagulants, which of course I am, until the end of the week. At this point I shall be 2/3 of the way through the initial recovery.
This has been a particularly difficult recovery, but I am regaining my appetite - somewhat, although most of it is binned..
If I have difficult sleeping on my side, I am thinking that a layer of memory foam may help.
Totally agree and you knew whay you are comfortable with. You need to listen to your body. We lead such busy lives. Believe me, I have never had an operation before this and so I thought I’d be doing emails and phone calls to keep work at bay but I’ve been so much more tired than I ever thought. Was quite giddy for opportunity to read a good half dozen books- nope. Didn’t even finish one. Needed to rest and it’s so important those first few weeks when you’re so scared of dislocation etc to do things to the letter especially exercises but just do as you are told it’s a small pocket of time. Some days you’ll think oh can’t be bothered. What difference will one day make..... Just Do It as they say. Don’t beat yourself up up if you only manage a few times a day. get into a routine before you get out of bed in the morning-doing the knee bends etc. X
I had both hips done at same time so was paranoid (guess still am now habit set in ) about leaning on either side. I have started to roll a little each side now and again in bed but it’s not comfy . I was very lucky in my opinion that I had funny ‘blowy up’ leg bands- like good old arm bands which massaged my lower legs constantly for at least 24 hours so didn’t even use compression socks.
I think the sleeping on your back thing is because they are afraid of dislocation. My surgeon was worried silly about DVT and did not seem so worried about dislocation. He probably had had someone with a pulmonary embolism at some point after their op.
Everyone in my ward who had hips done had a sequential compression device on their legs after surgery, but also had stockings. Unfortunately in my case the device caused a blister which grew to eight inches long. I had to have surgery for that three weeks later as it became infected and they thought I had that flesh eating disease. It smelt awful!
I think that this is the case with many surgeons, even if there is a fatality or, whatever happens post surgery, it is oftentimes blamed on the surgeon. And, of course, there are those who will then try to commercialize from relatively minor incidents or setbacks. This will affect the surgeon's reputation and career, hence their requirement for these some times, stringent requirements that they impose on their patients.
It only takes one incident to plunge a surgeon or anaesthetist into panic stations for their reputation and career.
These incidents work both ways of course. Should a patient have a bad experience with surgery, it will negatively influence their decisions and fears about surgery for the rest of their lives..
I am at 5 weeks and followed the sleep on my back rule for the first 3 which was a real struggle. I know there are two schools of thought between surgeons on this. My surgeon subscribes to the "listen to your body" rule but as I'd read so much about the 6 week rule I was too worried to try sleeping on my side at first. Last week I started sleeping on both sides, using a pillow when I'm on the non-operated side, and I haven't fallen in half yet. I think a lot of this is in our heads. My physios say that the 90 degree rule and very strict instructions for sleeping etc are old fashioned and there is a great move to "listen to your body". I think it has to be a personal decision. If you're worried about it, wait a bit longer. Apparently there is little difference in incidents of dislocation between people who follow the 90 degree rule to the letter and those who are not given strict regulations. All a bit confusing. I'm probably being a bit over cautious but I would rather do that. Good luck and I hope you get a good nights sleep soon.
We do have a memory foam mattress, so perhaps that will help.
Yes, you have no 'good' side do you, they're both operated sides !
I had the inflating leg bands for the first few hours, until the physios got me out of bed.
I'll be off to the gym this afternoon for my first session with the rehab specialist.
Litigation has gone mad although there do seem to be some scammers around too. On the other hand any court case will not only take up a surgeon’s time but stay with him for life. It is much easier to say no you cannot do it for six weeks or whatever. If people ignore them it is then their fault not the surgeon’s.
I put a call through to the physios at the Clinic where I had the op. I had in the back of my mind that one of the reasons for the strict restrictions was due to the nature of the incision. In this case lateral/posterior. A much larger incision as opposed to the lateral incision with the first op. It is due to this, that the restrictions are imposed. I should have driven the extra miles to the hospital where surgeon one is now located, and would be going through what I have been through.
I have absolutely no issues with the surgeon two. The quality of the surgery, so far as my inexperienced eye can tell is first class, and I will just have to live with another two weeks on my back, which in grand scale is just about doable. Main issues are with the churlish behaviour of the anaesthetist. The surgeon's conduct,, so far, has been beyond reproach.
My surgeon was brilliant as far as the op was concerned, but really lacking on bedside manner, I think he prefers his patients sedated!
I love going to the pool. Gentle ‘ cycling ‘ laid into corner of small pool. Only when they say ok. I had to wait for no scabby bits.
It is certainly worth trying. My second hip is still feeling rock hard, and it's on my left side, as I am left handed, and that is my preferred position. Just hope things iprove in time, but if not, may need to improvise. Invention being the Mother that it is....!