Help with anxiety before hip op

anxioussarah

Hi everyone

I've been doing meditations but can anyone give me advice please on how to stay calm before the op ? I met the consultant today and he said because my hip is so bad it has extra bone & the op will take longer

Also he advised that the spinal block is better than the general anesthesia?

Thanks in advance Jean

Poppyjane

Hi @anxioussarah

I hope that you will find the attached conversation helpful. It is from a couple of years ago but still very relevant

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/57394/total-hip-replacement-surgery-with-spinal-anaesthesia-epidural-my-experience

Best wishes

Poppyjane

Janlyn

Hi @anxioussarah I had the spinal block and I honestly didn't feel a thing and I don't know anyone who did. The staff were all so used to terrified patients and were so good at putting me at ease and I'm sure yours will be too. As they told me it's all they do day in, day out. I had been determined I wanted a general anaesthetic and to be put out but really I was so much better with the spinal. I was eating within minutes of being back in my room, on a video call with my family, laughing and joking, and within a couple of hours walking to the bathroom with help. I can't say that was easy but it wasn't dreadful.

Possibly a good idea for you to do as Poppyjane suggests and call the Helpline?

JPT

Hi @anxioussarah I had spinal block recently and although I was really scared about it, there were no problems at all and much easier to recover from the anaesthetic than a general. You really won't know a thing and the theatre team are amazing. Julie x

Netty46

I had spinal block and sedation. I did not feel anything and had a lovely sleep.

Try not to worry to much . It is worth it to be able to walk again.

Good Luck with your operation

Nurina

I don't think there is an easy hip replacement because when we need it, our joints are really damaged. My surgery was complicated due to my RA during childhood but the surgeon didn't have much problem. It just lasted a little bit longer. For them, it was just another routine surgery.

When I went to the anaesthetist room I was shaking because I was cold and terrified, almost on the verge of a panic attack. The nurses noticed that and they naturally kept me asking a lot of questions to make me stop thinking about what was going on. They asked about my job, my family and were joking. One of them told me she knew me from the telly and we started laughing because she totally made it up just to keep me distracted. They were explaining every step beforehand so you get ready. They put the IV on my hand. They made me sit with the back bent grabing a pillow. I only noticed the cold spray they used to assess the sensory levels of the back. After that, a little pinch that was so fast that was almost nothing. The process lasted no more than 10 minutes. They put me on a wheelie bed, brought me to the theatre and the next thing I remember is, they were waking me up.

Netty46

This was the same for me too.