Hip Hip

[v8lante]

Having seen my GP and hip consultant... they both advise to live with the pain i get most days from my left hip.They both point out what could go wrong and at the age of 56 to leave it as long as poss.Just wondered if any one here can give me any advice based on your own experience?... thanks Pete.

[E38Ross]

that'd totally depend on what condition you have is it just degeneration?

i treat a patient who is due to have a hip replacement because he finds it gives him temporary relief from his symptoms; says he feels better for 5-7 days or so before returning back. he's happy to keep coming in every 1-2 weeks after i've made it very clear to him there isn't any way i can "cure" his condition, but just try to relieve some of the symptoms until he can get his operation.

just some gentle mobilisations, some muscle work and a little advice and he's on his merry way.

Edited by E38Ross on Friday 30th September 17:02

[bigrich4]

v8lante said:

......and at the age of 56 to leave it as long as poss.....

My mother was told the same thing at around your age by the doctor as 'the hip replacement will wear out and then you'll have to have a new one' etc. In the end pain got so bad that she could hardly move and then practically had to beg to be referred to a specialist as the doctor still thought that she should live with it. When she finally got to see the specialist they took an x-ray of her hip and were frankly shocked to find that there was no cartilage in the hip joint which had been rubbing bone-on-bone for months. The specialist told her that she should have had a hip replacement a good 12 months prior and he was appalled her doctor had left it this long. She's now had her replacement and is living a much better quality of life.

[duncancallum]

I've just been given the green light for mine at 29.

Its all dependant on how it effects your life. I'm going to get mine done next year. So what if when I'm 80 it can't be redone, I might die in a huge fire ball before then.

p.s there is a 6 page thread on page 3 about it by T40ora

[v8lante]

Thanks for the response..mine is down to degeneration and can easily be seen with xray.I take naprosyn as and when.. i have a very active job..but both advise leaving due to risks involved with this opp!

[Kneetrembler]

If it's any consolation I have had my Left Hip replaced 3 times,and would not hesitate to have it changed again if necessary, see the thread on hips.

[pete a]

duncancallum said:

I've just been given the green light for mine at 29.

Its all dependant on how it effects your life. I'm going to get mine done next year. So what if when I'm 80 it can't be redone, I might die in a huge fire ball before then.

p.s there is a 6 page thread on page 3 about it by T40ora

Perthes as a kid?

[duncancallum]

No I got it wrong mountain biking. Drove my femur through the top of the joint.

I've had better days out.

[v8lante]

Have read with interest the info on here...will have to look into the resurface as poss option!

[hollydog]

My brother was told the same leave it as long as posible to have 1 hip replaced due to an cellulitis infection. The infection got into his hip joint and eat all the cartilage away .He had to wait for over 1 year to get the hip replaced in the mean time it put pressure on the other hip and now he has got to have that done as well so don,t wait .After seeing him and how good the op was and the benefits i would go for replacment if they give you that option . Ask for the french made one . They are the best so he was told. They last longer . he is 46 .

[Kneetrembler]

hollydog said:

My brother was told the same leave it as long as posible to have 1 hip replaced due to an cellulitis infection. The infection got into his hip joint and eat all the cartilage away .He had to wait for over 1 year to get the hip replaced in the mean time it put pressure on the other hip and now he has got to have that done as well so don,t wait .After seeing him and how good the op was and the benefits i would go for replacment if they give you that option . Ask for the french made one . They are the best so he was told. They last longer . he is 46 .

There is an enormous selection these days and the Surgeons can swop and mix, different sizes, metal types/ceramics etc.
When I had my last hip op the Surgeon had one huge desk covered in some of the different varieties in all sizes, but some Surgeons will have their favourites, trust your Surgeons advice not just hearsay, they are the proffessionals.
Remember hips fail for different reasons not just type of replacement and also what your activities are, a good Surgeon will go through all of this before selecting what type of hip replacement that you will have, even down in theatre my surgeon had a selection including screw typeswhich she asked for when giving me my examination prior to surgery.
I had my last operation in the morning and in the afternoon I was up and starting to walk again albeit it on a zimmer frame for 1 day & a half & 4 days later I walked out of the hospital on elbow crutches.

[0a]

[T40ORA]

Three months after my hip replacement I hardly know anything has been done. Zero pain, good movement and mobility and I don't regret it at all.

Yep - it will need a 'revision' in 10 to 20 years. My consultant has advised me to stop running and start cycling - as much/fast/hard/far as I want. However I've negotiated with him that I can run about 20k per week and a couple of half marathons so that he can monitor the wear. Not many active people of my age (51 and very active) have a had a total hip replacement with exactly the type I have. Mine is a modular sports hip so there are a couple of bits that can be replaced relatively easily.

My consultant has done 5 or 6 revisions on the same patient.

My advice? Get it done. I wish that I had had a resurfacing a few years ago but I decided to go the physio route (and keep running) instead. Daft in retrospect.

Off for the 3 month check on Friday, and looking forward to getting the OK to start the cycling now!

Good luck!