Hello
I am waiting for my hip replacement. Scheduled for end November. I am very active and reasonably young female (54).
I have few questions to anybody who went through full hip replacement:
- how quickly did you start driving again?
- did you manage to recover completely and forget that you ever were arthritic?
- How long did it take?
- can you do yoga, skiing, running without having your new hip dislocated?
- anything else I should consider post op?
Would appreciate any feedback. Thank you
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Comments
The lead up to surgery can be a difficult time and it is understandable that you have a lot of questions. Although I recommend speaking to your surgeon for guidance regarding the recovery time and what to expect following the surgery, the members on this forum will definitely be able to share their own experiences with you.
I have also included two links below from the Versus Arthritis website with information on hip replacements. The first link is a fact sheet and the second is a Q&A which you may find useful.
https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/treatments/surgery/hip-replacement-surgery/
https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/your-experiences/your-questions-answered/your-questions-on-surgery-and-arthritis/
I can see you lead an active lifestyle and I do hope the surgery brings some pain relief and helps you get back to the activities you enjoy.
Best wishes for your surgery, please check back in and let us know how you are getting on.
Alice
I can't answer all your questions as forgetting I'm arthritic is not an option for me - well, not until dementia sets in
Driving - after 6 weeks provided you can do an emergency stop.
Sleeping on the back for 6 weeks? Like Jackie, I had to but my husband was told at his recent pre-op that it's no longer considered necessary - just take care and be aware ( :? Personally, I'd rather sleep on my back and be sure.)
I think the link that Mod Alice gave you covers most bases but, after a THR, I believe swimming should not involve the breast stroke kick.
The best advice I can give is to remember it's a very common, safe op but that doesn't mean you'll be back to normal quickly. After the surgeon has finished his work we have to do ours. That means not rushing anything, not assuming that once we can walk the exercises can be dropped. The exercises are the really important thing as they are designed to strengthen all the muscles not just some. Be guided by your physio.
Have you had your pre-op yet? My husband's was brilliant - a nurse, junior doc and anaesthetist all of whom were really thorough and gave him loads of time.
If you've questions I suggest you bring them (a)to the pre-op and (b)to the Living With Arthritis forum as more people look on there.
I didn't have a pre-op yet, but had an 'Educational Talk' i would call it and was devastated to find out that driving is not an option until min 5 weeks (DVLA rules), I thought I could go back to normal life much quicker... Can't be off work for so long... Now thinking if I should postpone the op till better times.
How bad you were when you had your operations? Did you walk with a stick? With zimmer-frame? Unaided?
I felt total fraud today at the talk as I was by far the youngest and was walking unaided although with a slight limp. Maybe it is too early and i should wait?
Thank you
I wish you well with your new hip whenever you decide to have it but don't expect it to be just like an original or that all is sorted once you can walk.it's not. More rest and exercise is needed.
And lots of planning... I'll get there at the end