Choice of Anaesthetic with Hip Replacements

Sheelee

Hi Everyone,

Hope like me you are all enjoying the longer days and colour in our gardens.

I have realised I am going to have to accept a hip replacement. I'm terrified as the nearest to surgery I have had in the past is having an impacted wisdom tooth removed!!

Saw my orthopaedic consultant a couple of weeks ago, only to find that the only use of anaesthetics available is an epidural with sedation. I would prefer to be knocked out and totally oblivious to it all!!

I have heard the combination of epidural and sedation actually not only leaves you pain free during the operation, but that you are largely oblivious to what is going on.

I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has been through this process with the anaesthetic currently on offer, and if anyone was offered a different form of anaesthetic. Also how long the operation takes. The surgeon said an hour, but I wondered if that was to try and persuade me to go ahead.

Any support would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Sheelee

Lilymary

Hi @Sheelee , and congrats on your impending new hip. I was like you, I was lucky enough to have previously only needed surgery for minor childhood conditions. But the pain in my hip was so bad I was desperate for the surgery however grim it might turn out to be. Luckily I knew quite a few people who had recently had hip replacement, along with the wonderful people on this forum, who all put my mind at rest.

yes, the operation does take around an hour. As for anaesthetic, I was told it would be spinal block (ie “epidural” type thing) with sedation. Some people (and personally I can’t fathom why!) want to know what’s happening, or just don’t want to be fully unconscious. One friend had partial sedation and was listening to podcasts of The Archers on her headphones, and was slightly imiffed when they finished half way through an episode. She said she had been aware of some pressure across her abdomen at one stage but that was it. But like you I really didn’t want to know anything about it, so I just asked for full sedation. Same process, more knock out drugs. The anaesthetists were lovely, I think I only made it to 8 on the countdown from 10, and came round as they were wheeling me out of theatre, blissfully oblivious to all that had gone on over the previous hour. They don’t take you into theatre until you are sedated to the required level. The only slightly weird bit was when the anaesthetists make your leg go dead, but I had complete confidence in them so I just let them get on with it.

This isn’t the same as general anaesthetic, (which I have had since for an unrelated condition, and which had me vomiting copiously for 12 hours after, which I have since learnt is a family trait, and knocked me sideways for a fortnight). As far as you’re concerned as the patient, the spinal block and sedation will make you similarly oblivious to the surgery, just a much faster recovery. I hope this helps.

Adderbury24

Hi I had a total hip replacement in November and had it under a general anaesthetic. Whilst under they then gave me a epidural so I was numb from the waist down when I woke up. It did only take about 1 1/2 hours. But with the time that I was in recovery it was about 4 hours. I have to say it has been amazing , no more pain in that hip. Now just waiting for a knee replacement, which hopefully will be as good as the hip.

Ellen

Hi @Adderbury24 welcome to the Online Community (Apologies to @Sheelee for hijacking your thread).

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience of hip replacement with Sheelee. It's so nice when someone's first post it helping someone else.

Can I just pop you a quick link in for exercises for your knee which I see from your post is next on the list for you in terms of surgery and one about knee surgery itself:

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/exercising-with-arthritis/exercises-for-healthy-joints/exercises-for-the-knees/

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/treatments/surgery/knee-replacement-surgery/

You might want to look in the Living with Arthritis category to read other people's experiences with knee pain and surgery. I hope to see more of your posts in future.

Best wishes

Ellen.

Sheelee

Thank yiu to everyone who has been good enough to respond to my post, in such an understanding way. Though the thought of it all still makes my stomach churn, I am trying to build up to ringing my orthopaedic surgeon and tell him to put me on the list for the op.

Sheelee xx

stickywicket

You might find this thread useful https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/56867/knee-replacement-anaesthesia-worried-i-wont-get-surgery#latest

I've had generals and spinals. I much prefer spinals as I'm always sick after generals.

Lilymary

I found the easiest way to put my fears of what they were about to do to my hip was to go into a state of complete denial about the gruesome aspects of the surgery and just put all my faith in the surgeons and surrender my body to them. It worked a treat. If I'm honest I still haven't looked into how they do it - mostly because medical friends who have actually watched one said it's best not to know. (My sister, an ex-orthopedic nurse, described it as medical grade carpentry.) I had no butterflies at all, except for when I first went into anaesthesia and it all suddenly started feeling "a bit real", but the anaesthetists were so lovely and efficient, they gave me great confidence in them so I just let them get on with it. Next thing I knew, it was all over, my feet felt like they were floating above the bed for a bit, then they wheeled me back to my ward and started feeding me cups of tea. It's a bit like childbirth, the delivery is the easy bit, the hard work starts when you get home!

Bella59

Hi I am three weeks post operation left hip replacement.I also had right hip done seven months ago,both were spinal with sedation.You get a warm feeling running down your legs when they insert spinal,that was last thing I remembered.I came too about a hour later operation over and being wheeled into recovery room.Stayed there about forty five mins then back to my room.I had both knees replaced ten years ago had spinal and light sedation was awake part of the time and heard a lot of what was going on.Be brave get your name on the list sooner rather than later.Unfortunately there is a long waiting list partly due to covid.Best Wishes.

Sueyluey

I have just been and signed my consent form and was told a 2 year waiting list my consultant has said once on the list he can clinically prioritise me, found this thread useful as it scares me to think i may have to be sedated with a spinal rather than general eeek.. really ready to have mine done so sick of the constant pain 🤞🏻

Lilymary

I’d prefer sedation over general any day. Much faster recovery, less vomiting, same level of oblivion during the op

Blondie

I also had an epidural with sedation. I a warm feeling while the epidural went in then I had to lie down, he held my hand to put sedation in the cannula then I came round in recovery. 45 minutes later I was drinking tea and eating a sandwich back in the ward. Brilliant

Sheelee

That is so reassuring Blonde. Thank you

Whiskey26

Hi @Sheelee Thank you so much for writing about your feelings and fears of having a hip replacement operation. I have read all of the above replies and they have all helped me to try and realise there's nothing to be scared of. I haven't got to the stage of even meeting an orthopaedic surgeon to discuss going on a waiting list (don't know how bad I have to get, to get to that stage), but having severe OA in both hips, I guess that day will come. Apart from a few rounds of stitches as a child and having two children, hospitals are an unknown territory to me and to say I'm frightened is an understatement. I hope all goes well for you and I hope whenever you have the op, you're back on here to let us know how it went!

Lilymary

I was the same @Whiskey26 , tonsils out when I was 6, then nothing till I hit 61 and then "Bam!", suddenly I'm a frequent flyer with the NHS. I decided to just put my faith in the people who do this for a living after years of training and even more years of experience. Me overthinking it wasn't going to change the outcome, it would just terrify me for nothing. They were all lovely, reassuring and efficient, and the anaesthetic procedure and going through the surgery were the easy bit - the recovery was the harder part! 😅

Whiskey26

Thank you @Lilymary for your reply. Sorry for my late response. I've been knocked sidewards with a flare up that's been going on since Easter. I am 58 at the end of this month and my GP hasn't mentioned a hip replacement or even speaking with an orthopaedic surgeon yet, but I'm sure that day will come. I'm just trying to gather as much info as I can, beforehand. For most of the time, I battle on, helped by daily co codamol and amitriptyline, but sometimes I break down in tears with not only the pain, but the inconvenience of it all and if I had the money, I'd go private, I truly would. My left side is playing up at the moment, as I think it's had enough of compensating for my right side, which is slightly worse. My smile stays on, but it hides a lot!

Sheelee

Hi Whiskey,

All of us will be nodding, knowing all you say. That includes the tears, and the miss timing of things, forgetting we can't move as quickly as we used to!! I get very frustrated with it all.

And I always get a bit down when I have a long flare up. I start to wonder if this is it. Is this my life from now on. That sadness with the pain is enough to make anyone cry.

I don't know about other people, but I'm sure my GP had me in the hands of an orthopaedic surgeon by the time I was experiencing the sort of problems you are. Of course, we don't know how much the pandemic has changed referral policy between GPs and hospitals.

Anyway, I am sure you have the understanding of all on this site.

Thinking of you,

Sheelee