Has any one else had this problem since having a TLH replacement?

ozzy62

Hi everyone ,

Just over 5 weeks ago I had my complex total left hip replacement done , things have been going well by week 3 I was sleeping at night on my operated side, just using one crutch and walking around the home unaided and cutting down on meds. This past few weeks I have been having constant pain in my right buttock and pins and needles going from my hip down to the base of my right foot.I contacted the Dr who without seeing me said it sounds like sciatic ! It is non stop and today is the first time I have cried for a while, I have got bone on bone arthritis in both knees also .

I have not had an appointment yet to see my surgeon to ask him about this , I feel like I have gone back in my recovery finding the rehab for my left hip hard to do. I felt like I was doing really well but now I don’t know I just hope it is not the other side starting to play up now. Has anyone else had any problems with there other side since having the operation ? I had been waiting two and a half years for my first surgery.
Kind regards

Ozzy62

frogmorton

Hi @ozzy62

I am so sorry you are crying with pain that's awful. To be honest it does sound like sciatica to me too, but the question is why, I suppose, and what you can do to ease the pain in the meantime. Your GP should be able to help with the pain, but in your shoes I'd want to see your surgeon and get their opinion.

Are you seeing a physio yet? They might have some exercises you could try to ease it a bit too.

When I have had sciatica in the past I have used heat (my microwavable wheatbag) and my tens machine to relieve things a bit.

Hopefully one of the hippies @Janlyn , @Nurina @Lilymary @alwayssewing etc might have some ideas too.

Take care

Toni x

shacklock25

Although I am waiting to have my left hip replaced, when my condition started getting worse in January of this year, I also developed sciatica down my right leg but had pins and needles in my left leg. They have both cleared up now and the main pain is in the left groin due to the arthritic hip. I am due to have my op in three weeks. I would have a word with your physio and your surgeon if possible. The body is a strange thing. It could be you have been putting more strain on your right leg which has brought on the sciatica. Mine just cleared up on its own. Hope all goes well. It sounds as if your operation went well and you are making good progress.

Lilymary

I agree, it sounds like sciatica, have a word with your GP, or better still, a Registered Physio about this. I gave up waiting for NHS physios, private ones are relatively cheap, much much shorter waiting lists, you can have as many sessions as you want (or need), and they're worth their weight in gold. Your right leg is probably doing a lot more work at the moment, so this may be a reaction to that. 3 weeks is very early for sleeping on your operated side. I was told 6 weeks sleeping on my back or on my non-operated side with a pillow between my knees. Just because you "can" doesn't mean you "should". It's not a race, you don't get prizes for moving faster up the progress chart, the 6 week "rule" is there because this is how long it takes for the bone to grow around the implant.

The pain I had post op was due to tendon damage in my operated hip, which has foxed the surgeons as they said "we didn't touch that bit". 3 years later it's a tiny bit better than it was, but any activity that involves lifting my knee, from getting dressed or stepping into the car, to climbing ladders and hill walking, is pretty painful. 2 years of gentle yoga and pilates have helped,. but after nearly 3 years of in depth investigations finding nothing they could treat surgically, I may have to live with this. It's better than it was, so I'll take that. I couldn't walk at all pre-op.

I've also had nerve damage all down the outside of my operated leg from hip to ankle (probably sciatic nerve) but this just limited me lying on that side. However, this also suddenly improved after nearly 3 years, so while it feels tough at the time, it's not necessarily permanent, so don't panic.

So - physio first. And possibly the GP for pain meds till the physio starts to work. Hope this helps.

ozzy62

Thank you for your comments I would just like to say that my Physio told me if I was comfortable sleeping on my
operated side before the six weeks it was ok to do so. I have been to my GP and I am waiting for my 8 week consultation with my surgeon to discuss the issue with my right side .
Kind regards to all.