Hello, I haven't written in some time. I has a THR (Ontario, Canada) in sept 2015. Fairly young at 53 for AVN. Like many I felt at the start it wasn't right. After 3 months I still could barely get out of bed, and the pain felt like a 9 inch blade in my hip. I was so long using walker that I needed carpal tunnel surgery in 2016. I saw my ortho guy repeatedly and he kept saying he didn't know what was wrong. He sent me to the pain clinic in 2016, I saw them once and they didn't return my phone calls. I called the ortho guy and told him I wanted a second opinion, and that if he couldn't refer me I would have my Family MD do it. Well it took until Sept 2016 (1 year later to see the second guy), the ortho MD put in the request. It was to the head of the ortho department. He did an MRI and blood tests. He found nothing on the MRI and nothing in the blood work and told me that I would just have to "live with it". At this point I had wheelchair parking, I could barely lift my leg into the car, driving was tough, after work I came home and stayed in bed until the next day. I couldn"t walk ny distance. I have a good boss and he cancelled all my meetings until this got resolved, to reduce my walking. So realizing that I would have to live with it, i made an appointment with a chiropractor to see if he could offer accupuncture, or something else. He asked if the hospital could sent him the MRI report before he would do anything. The MRI report showed a tear in the tendon and a compartment of fluid the size of a pop can. The chiropractor said he wasn't touching me until these issues were resolved. I went back to first ortho guy and didn't get to talk to him, only his resident. He said that tears always happen in the shoulder and they never fix them. My husband told him that I don't walk on my shoulder. Another resident said that the MRI sometimes have "abberations" and it wasn't a problem. I made an appointmnet to see Ortho MD and not one of his residents. I did my research on PubMed (a website where you can look up clinical research). I gave him 2 or 3 articles where patients had the same thing as me: pain and a tear on MRI and after it was repaired the patients were pain free. Then I told him he was doing the surgery. He agreeded (gasp). I had the surgery 2 days ago. Well I didn't have a tear in the tendon, I had a detached tendon, several rips in various muscles and an IT band that had separated. He fixed all this all up. And drained all the fluid. Even 2 days later I feel so much better. I'm at home now and feel that after 4 years from when the hip pain first began, much more hopeful.
Leah
Wow Leah what a story!! 😳😱. That had to be so tough on you!! It's frustrating when doctors dismiss your complaints or don't know what to say!! I'm so happy for you that you are now feeling better!! God's blessings to you for a speedy recovery and healing. Hugs 🤗 LINDA
What a terrible story but I'm so glad that you pushed and pushed and are feeling more positive...well done!
All the best Richard
Wow, Leah, you have gone through so much! I am so glad that you stuck to your guns and got the treatment that you needed. I hope you continue to feel better and better. Talk about malpractice!
Hi Leah,
Naturally, I am guessing that all the pain was in your hip?? I have the same problem but it's in my knee. At the start now at 6 months, I can't climb stairs and have to be so careful even when sitting down. I won't even go into the pain of getting in and out of the car. The MRI show a tear in the cartilage, but would that cause my knee to be "locked?" Walking I can do with the hose on, but it won't move to the left and I can't come close to crossing my leg. I know I've said this several times but the pain in about to get me down. I've had the pain constantly since Jan. 24, 2017. Any thoughts or ideas from anyone one? Good luck to those with painful issues. God speed.
Leah. How horrible. I am sorry that you were treated so badly but glad it seems to be resolved
How great it is that he finally went into your hip again and found out what was really wrong, Leah! It's not good that it took the "expert professionals" so long, although it seems like a faily common situation. A competent orthopedist should be able to tell from physical exam and MARS MRI what the problems were right away. My original surgeon definitely was NOT competent in that regard. He was completely unable to diagnose my torn gluteus medius and minimus tendons, which happened shortly after the THR he did on me. He couldn't see the tear on the MRI that I insisted on having, and the radiologist missed it, too. I found another surgeon who is experienced in gluteal tendon issues and surgery to repair them, and he figured it out right away.
Here's hoping that your recovery continues to go well! Be very careful with weight bearing. My surgeon required me to have only 20 pound flat-foot weight bearing after my gluteal repairs. I wore a hip brace for 6 weeks to remind me not to overdo things. It's been almost 8 months since I had the surgery (22 months post-THR), and I am just now being able to walk without aids some of the time and manage stairs in the normal way, although I still have some pain and weakness. For me it's been a long recovery, but I am getting better every day.
Hi Dana,
sorry to hear about all the pain you are having. Was the tear in the cartilage in the IT Band? I ask because the IT Band starts at the hip and goes down the outside of the leg down to the knee. i was reading that a lot of runners with knee problems actually have problems with the IT Band. My knee was bothering me as well, but not to the extent of pain that you are having. I also was unable to climb stairs. The x-ray on my knee showed minimal osteoartritis It's too early to tell if my surgery has cleared up this problem. hope the best for you.
Hi Annie,
thanks for you're note. I'm glad you are managing without aids. I had the lateral approach, so full weight bearing, but no moving my hip out to the side for 6 weeks. It is almost impossible to get into a bed with this restriction. I had my husband put in a bed rail to help me maneuver. In Ontario, physio comes to the house for a month (and then you go to outpatients at the hospital). My first appointment is Monday and I'm looking forward to it, but will take your advice not to over do it.
Hi Leah, I was an off road runner but with my right THR I don't think I will be doing that again! Perhaps 13 years ago I had ITB problems. The IT band can become tight and rub against the knee as it passes through so I was told. The pain is always on the outside of the knee and it affected me when i ran down hill. It would also suddenly kick on a walk if it had enough of me walking down steep hills. I was told this pattern of pain going down hill was a sign of ITB issues. If it got too inflamed it would then ruin a walk by hurting all the time, spoiling the walk and I would limp back.
I had a hospital bed at my home, and that made it much easier for me. Also an electric lift recliner. My surgeon didn't allow outpatient PT until after 6 weeks, and I didn't start it until 12 weeks. I had some PT at the rehab center where I stayed for 2 1/2 weeks after the operation. It was VERY minimal. No strengthening at all on the surgical leg, no stretching, NOTHING at all on the surgical leg. I did work my arms a bit, to help with the crutches and walker!