Surgery , would you do it again?

tanith

I was reading some threads of people who have had or are about to have surgery on one joint or another and I wondered whether in the main people thought they were better off (pain/mobility wise) after the surgery than before? Would you of had the surgery if you'd known how it would turn out?

I'll start off by saying my THR had a very good outcome painwise (I don't have pain in it now) but I've never been able to lift the leg of its own volition since the surgery, I have to physically lift it with my hands when I get in the car for instance.. physio didn't help. I would certainly have the surgery on my second hip when it becomes necessary just to get rid of the pain. So I am certainly better off after the surgery..

I know there are people who had great expectations and were disappointed after their surgery that they weren't fully restored to how they used to be, its a bit like having dentures , they are never as good as your own teeth lol...

jilly

Hi Tanith , i have had a hip and knee replaced and need the other knee doing now .
My hip is pain free and works well but has left me 1 inch shorter on one side, which as made walking uneven and affects my back and other parts of my body, as you say I would do it again because the pain is just to much , you cant live with it .
My knee is working well but i do still have pain in it , they did a lot of damage to the tissue doing the op, i also got fleavitus (cant spell) . after the op.

As i said i need the other knee replacing but i cant face it yet because when i had the knee op they didnt take in to consideration i was taking morphine . I woke up in agony and spent the week in the hospital in real pain and the nurses didnt listen to me about how bad the pain was , i only found out later that they didnt know about the morphine even though they wrote it down before the op. .

I am still on the morphine because i have extensive joint damage most of my joints are affectied with OA .

So my answer is yes I would have it done, when i cant stand it anymore and my life is not worth living because you cant live with so much pain ......................jilly x

lavenderlady

I totally agree that having my TWR the full on pain has gone but has replaced it with a different kind of pain which affects my thumb joint and my wrist for some reason is turning outwards, maybe thats how it was always ment to be but to be rid of the worst pain ever is worth me going though it all again and as most if not all my joints are affected I would at least try to be rid of pain even if it left me not as good as expected getting rid of the pain is reason enough to have it done, as indeed I am with my big toe joint, michelle

elnafinn

Hi Tanith

I have "new knees", one operated on in January 2008 and the other January 2010.To have the other knee done fairly soon after the first one, shows that all went well for me. My hysterectomy, varicose vein, nodular goitre removal, trigger thumb (both) operations have all been successful so I have no regrets at all. I have an op next week to hopefully sort out three toes on one foot. I hope my good luck does not run out.

Elna x

speedalong

Hi Tanith, I agree with your dentures analogy - replacements aren't as good as the real thing (prior to arthritis) but they are often an improvement on the painful and diseased joint.

I would prefer to have healthy, fully functional hips - but I haven't. So eventually I have ended up with a THR and ra esurface-replacement and although not perfect - I could not have gone as I was as I was so limited mobility wise and in so much pain and getting through each day and night was a major feat in endurance.

So when my knees need doing ... I will opt for the op ... although I will probably wait for as long as possible.

Speedy

PS Has anyone told you why you can't lift your THR leg up without giving it a hand? Is it neurogical or muscle weakness or tendon damage ...???

daylily

Hi Tanith,
I had hip re-surface in 2007. Great for a year.
Now same as you, cannot lift it and manually lift it onto clutch pedal (just bought an auto car because of it), but also have pain EXACTLY the same as before the hip re-surface.
Have just had x-rays on the other hip and apparently something showed on the re-placed hip as Doc is sending me straight to consultant for it.
I wasn't given a choice re a THR or re-surface but if I had known then what I have found out since I would have gone for a THR. Supposedly women's hips make a re-surface more likely to fail as opposed to a man's hips.
take care
xxx