Hip replacement surgery imminent

DC8136

Hi everyone,

Have just been assessed for total hip replacement my x-rays show bone on bone in left hip but right hip not quite so bad BUT 90% of my constant terrible pain is in my RIGHT HIP (there is a throbbing sharp pain -heartbeat- together with other pain which radiates down to my knee) so I fully expected the surgeon to say the right hip needed urgent replacement first. However as the left hip is bone on bone he says he must do that first. Due to excessive waiting times I had no alternative but to try to come up with the private fee BUT my nagging feeling is "why is nothing being done about my right hip which surely will be much much worse if I am leaning on it post surgery." I have posted on Health Unlocked and several replies are that my problem is because my left hip is 'out of balance due to excessive wear this is causing my right hip to be so painful and once my left hip is replaced then my right hip should start to immediately feel easier'- does anyone share this opinion and experience please as I am now hyper-stressed worrying about the forthcoming op on 5th December and is this a massive expense & experience that I am going to so regret or should I try to respect the surgeon's decision and experience??

DC8136

Naomi33

Hello @DC8136 and welcome to the online community.

We are a friendly and supportive group and I hope that will be your experience as well.

Sorry to hear you have concerns about your hip the following links maybe helpful......

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

https://www.versusarthritis.org/news/2021/november/ways-to-help-manage-hip-pain/

Please keep posting and let us know how you are getting on and I am sure others will connect with you soon.

With best wishes

@Naomi33

[Deleted User]

I went to the doctor because I have a terrible pain in the left hip. Right hip is very stiff but not painful. Currently, I can't walk. After the xrays they've found out both hips are end stage of OA and they have to be replaced at the same time because the 'good' one is as bad as the other. I've read a lot about this here. You can be bone-on-bone without pain or have perfect bones and unbearable pain. Like you, I'm getting the surgery in a private hospital because I have 2 years of waiting list ahead of me. X

swimmer60

It is awful that those of us who have contributed to the NHS all our working lives, should now, when we need it, have to resort to private medicine, or face intolerablely long waiting lists..

[Deleted User]

@swimmer60 I know and it's unfair for people that can't afford the private medicine and they have to live in pain for years. I've always criticise people using money to pay for privileges and now, here I am, being a privileged myself.

DC8136

Hello Everyone,

Now for a quick update- I now have a different surgeon and who has adopted a different approach and before resorting to any surgery he insisted that I have an MRI scan of my right hip as he "suspected there was something more sinister going on there..." so I agreed and attended a further appointment for this (£305 !!) and have now been back to see about the results. He said that the scan appears to show a huge amount of inflamation in my right hip caused by my rheumatoid arthritis and has now decided that he wants to have me back on 9th. January 2024 (this was the intended date for my hip replacement) in order for me to go into theatre to be injected with a dye and then with xray scanning to insert a needle containing corticosteroid precisely into the right hip joint and this SHOULD give some relief such that we can then concentrate on the replacement of my left hip! It was not until yesterday that I was contacted by the hospital to confirm my appointment and I then asked what the cost would be as this was never mentioned- the lady surprisingly said she didn't know and said she would have to call me back which she finally did and then the SHOCK - £1,974 !!! I was staggered especially as the price of the eventual hip replacement was £10,720 which as a retired senior citizen was already beyond my means. I told her she would have to hold fire until my son had visited me at the weekend and we had chance to discuss this. I have now done research online and note that opinions vary very much as to the success of steroidal hip injections - between "didn't work at all to eventually eased the pain for a few months only...." So you will understand my predicament as this cost AND an MRI scan were not expected and a final resort for me is equity release in my home. I will mention that until the call yesterday I was ironically noticing quite an improvement in my mobility indoors (no walker/no stick) so feeling fairly optimistic BUT after that phone call I was so distressed and agitated that I hastily donned hat & coat and with my stick set off for my first walk down the road for quite a long time - sadly though there are several moderate inclines to navigate and eventually I struggled to return home. Very disappointingly soon after that the throbbing excruciating pains returned in my right hip ( with my left hip twinging a little in sympathy) and this has continued throughout a horrible night and today as well - I now think "whatever have I done!!" So there you are - any comments or suggestions will be greatly appreciated as I am now at my wits end as to where I go from here.

Thank you

swimmer60

@DC8136

Hi! I had a cortisone injection in my hip but it was too far gone to be any use. I went to a "Pain Clinic" attached to a local GP's surgery. My GP seemed very reluctant to send me for an x-ray, I don't know why. I had to make an awful fuss and then the x-ray revealed I had no cartilege and it was, like you, bone on bone so no wonder the injection was no use. it was a bone fide clinic and the therapist had done many of these injections and had the proper equipment. He wasn't a snake oil salesman! It cost about £250. Still a waste of money. He did tell me though, if I'd gone private it would've cost me x4!

I suggest you go back to your GP and get him/her to refer you to an NHS clinic and have the injection there. Tell him what you've told us, you can't afford it. Make a fuss! That way you wont have lost any money if the injection should prove useless. Or possibly refer you to a similar "pain" clinic.

Why did you change consultants and what was the advice of the previous one?

My blood is boiling here at the way people in chronic pain are being treated.

Take care.

Denis68

Hi, I would just add that I have recently had a full left hip replacement, I'm still in hospital in fact. I saw the consultant in mid November 2023. I was told the waiting list was around 6-12 months! Sometimes things can happen quicker, I've been NHS all the way through. Can't fault the care I'm getting so far

swimmer60

@Denise68

Really pleased for you!

Trouble is it really is a post code lottery. Here wait is 12 montha plus and I just met a woman who has been waiting over a year and is now scheduled for Fen 2024. My friend got herself referred to the next county and her wait was 6 weeks,

Denis68

Yeah @swimmer60 that's sadly true. It does very much depend on where you are referred/ live