I had a THR on my left hip 11 days ago. Had a resurfacing on th right hip 10 years ago. I’m 70 but pretty fit apart from the hip.
i used 2 crutches when first discharged from hospital but quickly found it okay on one. I’m doing my exercises and also trying to walk a short distance outside each day. I’ve seen posts advising you to stick with two crutches but I feel I’m walking okay, with no limp, and wasn’t using the left crutch. It means I can carry a cup of tea or whatever in that hand.
Sorry, made a notch and it posted before I’d finished. What I want to ask is whether I’m doing any harm being on just one crutch and / or progressing to a stick soon?
My wife regad somewhere on the internet that two crutches were advised for the first five weeks. I think I was at two for a week and a half. We have a Trastero (storage) where I would leave one when walking about. Within two weeks I was walking short stints in the flat without any. We are all different.
You are who you are. Your progress is your’s alone.
Hi Melody
Glad to hear of your good recovery.
I'm 57 and having a LTHR end of March just wondering are you allowed to walk outside with your crutches straight after being discharged from hospital.
Dear Melody
The reason for using two crutches is to ensure you are walking with a good gait whilst your muscles gain strength and your body relearns how to walk correctly. Waling badly also tends to adversely effect ones back which obviously is not good! I'm not a doctor BTW
All the best, Richard
It really depends on the medical culture where you are at. For the most part, you should be encouraged to do so. Take it slow and easy at first. Be careful.
Makes sense!
I’m glad your doing well melody. I have been going to PT and have not seen many crutches for hips! I’m wondering the US might have different thoughts about recovery than possibly Europe? Even the medications seem somewhat different. I’m not saying one is better than the other just curious?
Hi Melody,
Your doing great. Soon you will be caring a cup of tea ☕️ in one hand and the tea a pot in the other.
Everyone is different while the healing process changes from week to week. Your the best judge with what your body is capable of doing. Listen to your body and once you get thru more and more progress will come and time will be your friend.
In physical therapy my therapist was very open to whatever I was capable of , if it strong enough to use 1 or 2 crutches , holding on to walker or counter top just to be sure I was stable and would not fall.
Stay strong and good healing wishes sent your way.👍
Hi Melody, I was lucky, Ihad a very easy recovery. Before I left hospital on day 2, I was told by one of the physios that I could go down to one crutch as soon as I felt ready. I was okay from day 4. As you say, it’s so much easier being able to carry stuff in your other hand. (I remember doing all sorts of things whilst on my single crutch, including mowing the lawn!) I did use 2 when I was walking outside, just in case I got bumped. All the best, Judith
Hi Philip,I was out of hospital on day 2, and was going out for walks from day 3. I wish you all the best, Judith
Thanks everyone.
I’m basing what I do on what I was advised after my resurfacing, but I’m aware this is a different operation. My resurfacing was done in Belgium as I was living abroad at that time. I had a lot of physio advice after the op there.
I’m now back in the U.K. and on the NHS. The operation and hospital were brilliant but I wasn’t given much guidance about when to go down to one crutch. I just felt after a few days home that I walked better with just one.
I am paying a lot of attention to walking properly with the heel,toe stuff. I’ve decided to stick to two crutches out of doors until I see the physio on Wednesday and will ask him/her what they advise. Will post here what I am told.
Before my op I did a fair bit in the gym and aqua fit to try to get my muscles into shape and I really feel it has paid off.
My only issue now is that it gets so itchy in the damn surgical stockings. Can’t wait to be able to ditch them!
Dear Judith
That was excellent progress. May I ask what approach did you have? Cheers, Richard
Hi melody. We are all different and in my case i was fearful of pushing the stem into my femir so did a lot of resting in the first weeks with just the recommended exercises and with two sticks. I then upped the walking quite a bit from the 4th week and was off sticks by the start of week 6. Im now at week 11 and can walk 5 miles and cycle for an hour. I know that in most cases the inplants are rock solid but i still had this fear of pushing the stem into my femir. Good luck.
Hi melody.. May I ask if you had your resurf with a Mr De Brett and I assume it has gone well for you. I was looking into getting it done with him but had no Insurance .
With Dr Koen de Smet in Ghent. Fantastic. It gave me my life back. I had to pay myself but, luckily, had an endowment that matured and was able to cover it. I’d totally recommend him.
I didn’t know it was possible to push the stem into your femur! I was told I could be fully weight-bearing the day after the op so have only been limited by what Wasn’t painful.
Hi Richard, at the time I assumed it was just a normal posterior, but later when I read more about my surgeon, I realised that it was minimally invasive. Short scar, don’t think the muscles were cut. I had very little pain, but I did have the 90* restrictions and I used a crutch for 6 weeks, although maybe I didn’t need to.... How are you? Do you have a date for your ankle?
Hi melody, Thanks for replying, Koen de Smet was the man I meant but was a bit lazy in finding emails to him some 20 years ago. My daughter has developed a problem, avn, and she is private so might be useful for her. I gather that the Birmingham resurface hasn't been having the metal particle problems.
Good luck with your new THR ,they are so much better nowadays with their enhanced plastics and bigger balls as you well know.