WHEN IS THE TIME FOR OP

wendylou

Hi everyone i have OA of the hips and knee's, what i would like to know is how bad have you got to be before they think your ready to get a replacement :?: or how do you know yourself when your ready for eg how bad have you got to be and how bad has the pain got be before they do anything please help :? . Wendylou

elnafinn

Dear Wendy

It depends on whom you see as to whether they are for operating regardless of age but because you are in pain and discomfort and not able to get on with your life. One view of the medics is that as new hip and knee joints have a life span of around 15 years and a second op is not usually as successful as the first they can be reluctant to perform the op if you are young. Even 60 is considered young for these operations.

I was told to hang on as long as possible with a TKR, after seeing a consultant at age 56. I shall be 60 at the end of this year. I saw the consultant, told him I had pain on resting, sleeping (or trying to sleep), and walking. He told me to come back when the pain was unbearable. This I did a good year later. He agreed to do my knee operation. I was 58 years old. Two years later on returning to the same consultant, with the same symptoms of pain on resting, sleep and walking and on looking at the deterioration of the knee via xrays, he expressed surprise at how I had put up with the pain and had not come to see him earlier. I have just had the second knee operation, post op just over 2 weeks.

Everyone's situation is unique. It should be weighed up, looking at all aspects of the person, their life and how it is affecting them, but usually it is age that deters the medics from giving new joints.

You will know when the time is right for you to go down the road of a new joint operation. Pain will be unbearable all the time or most of the time and you will no longer be able to do the things you wish to do. You will know your life could be vastly improved with an operation and you will know this is the only way forward for you.

Others can advise, give their opinion, but no-one can come to this decision, for you, only yourself.

Love
Elna x

chahoua

Like Elna has said it depends on a lot of factors. I'm 33 and have needed a new knee for a year now. My surgeon is hoping to put it off until I'm nearer 40 as it's likely the replacement will need replacing in 20 years or so. I had an arthroscopy done last year to see how bad my knee was. The loose bits of cartilage and floaters were removed. That help to ease the pain for about a month. Since then I've had two steriod injections which worked for around a fortnight a time. I think it's a case of once Ic can't do anything due to the pain they will operate.

kathbee

HI Wendy

I have just had my first hip replacement op aged 65.
I have had RA for a long time but diagnosed 11 yrs ago
and have had OA for about 18 yrs.

In March 2008 my rheumy told me I would probably have
to have both knees done, as the x rays were showing a lot
of damage, and how would I feel about having them both done
at the same time.

However and this is the NHS, when I saw the knee chap
he told me I had to be in constant pain that never lets up and because I wasnt
they werent ready to be done.

In these last almost 2 yrs, the knees are no worse, I do get
some awful pain but it lasts only for a day or two then I
manage better. But the hip as mentioned above, for about
5 months I couldnt
bear the pain with it, couldnt put my foot on the floor so could not
walk , could
not sleep or move in bed, was on two crutches and didnt drive or
hardly go anywhere in fact my life was at a standstill and I felt permanently sick with pain so saw the
hip ortho in October 2009 and had it done in December
09 just 8 weeks ago, managed to get in on a cancellation
so that was great.

I feel I think you know yourself when it needs to be done
but thats just my experience . Glad to report that the hip
pain is now banished though. yipee

Kath

tanith

Like the others say when you can no longer managed to carry on a fairly normal life and get no sleep at night, and limp for England...

I had mine hip done at 58 when I could just about hobble into work and had to request light duties . The pain was relentless even when just sitting or lying down I was in constant pain. I thought I was ready about 4yrs before I actually had it done and I got a whole lot worse in those 4yrs you have to remember its major surgery and they want to put that off as long as possible as you have to accept that in general your joint will never be as good after the op as the original was so better to hang on to it as long as you can bear... but it is such a relief when you wake up and find that gnawing pain has GONE!!! I found it to be instant relief and then just the recovery pain which in comparison was a breeze...

miss_l

I had my hip replaced at 28.
I have been suffering for 16 years and unfortunately my hip joint had started to crumble and there was no option but to replace it there and then.
I'm hoping i can put off other joints for many years to come but i dont want them to get to the disintergrating point either.
Its a tough one - but if your confident in your ortho they will help you make the best decision.
x