Anterior hip replacement on my mom August 2012
Has anyone experienced this for such a long time period.
All cultures come back negative
No pain involved
it either drains continually or then closes up and appears like a golf ball until it breaks and has discharge.
We have now gone to another surgeon but he cannot recommend anything other than another hip replacement surgery
there have been debridments, aspirations, bone scan indiums, mris cat scans all negative.
Mom is now 87 and has no other medical issues and no meciatons.
I'm not sure if I understand. Is it that your mom's surgical incision from THR 3 years ago is still draining? I would think that a doctor would be able to diagnose exactly what is going on. Is her new surgeon is a hip replacement physician? Did he say why he thought a new hip replacement would fix this?
Does she have pain? Can she walk unaided and without a limp?
Am sad to say I do know a lady of your mums age who has same thing - a chronic discharging sinus wound where she had a hip replacement - the opening is only a couple of mm but it needs dressing daily - it's rare but can happen - sounds like she's had all possible investigations . Don't know what else to say except to express my sympathies to her - just rotten luck but can happen - I don't think it's possible for them to list every single possible complication of the op when you consent and in a 35 yr nursing career have only seen it once in the lady I know and twice , your mum. Sorry wish I could be more positive for you xxx
Well I appreciate your comments.
The second opinion surgeon wants to take out the old hardware,
posteriorly and put in an antibiotic and cement but he cannot guarantee that it will even help and I dont think I want to put my mom through this again.
No pain, not very steady due to balance but no one can actually pinpoint the problem.However when she origanny had surgery she was double dosed with luvonox for a week at rehab and her hip took forever to return to right size. There was lots of oozing from wound cite because of that and then they found an undesolved suture. I know sutures were done by physicians assistant because he told us on post op check up. The wound did not close for a long time,then one year post op is when she developed a large lump at suture site and they went in again to do a debridment and culture negtive and from then on it has been a problem.
The problem did not start until
No infection, negative culture
So sorry for this trouble for your mom! It sounds like the second opinion surgeon wants to do a two-stage revision. That's two more surgeries with a time inbetween when she would be somewhat non-weight bearing on the surgical leg. A big deal for an 87 year-old, for sure. If she isn't too bothered by the draining, and if you keep her monitored for infection, then she may be able to continue as is. You could always go for yet another opinion. Best wishes to you and your mom.
I tend to agree with Annie , the lady I know is 84 and has had it for about 6 years - she lives st the nursing home I work in on our residential care floor - the staff dress her wound each day but she goes out for lunch / plays bridge etc most days so it doesn't affect her quality of life . Problem with sinus wounds is they develop into long deep tunnels so you can't close them up . At your mums age the body heals more slowly , cannot Cope as well etc basically nothing functions as well as when you are 20 so further surgery would have its own risks. If it's not strictly necessary then to be avoided . But that's only my opinion and your mum may feel different . Xxx