Your experience of hip replacement - posterior, anterior, lateral anterior

KC1

Hi everyone

I hope you are keeping as well as possible. We have a little sunshine and warmth to look forward to for a couple of days and I hope that means many of you will have less severe symptoms.

I have been very fortunate to be offered a hip replacement. I would really appreciate your insight on which procedure you’ve had and how that’s worked out for you. Also which type of joint did you have - metal, ceramic, plastic, mixed? How’s that been? What advice would you give in terms of recovery, I’m keen to get up and about as quickly as possible. Any other hints and tips? Anything you wish you’d known ahead of your procedure

A huge thank you in advance

KC

PJoanne

Hello @KC1

I did a little search of the forum to try and find some posts about hip replacements, the link to the search is here:

https://community.versusarthritis.org/search?domain=all_content&query=Hip%20Replacement&scope=site&source=community

Here is a link to the VA information about hip replacements:

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

There's a lot of reading, grab a cup of tea!

Best Joanne

Trish9556

Hi @KC1

I will be 9 weeks post total hip replacement (right side) on Monday.

I had an Epidural at 16:15 and was back in my room by 17.30, eating dinner at 18.30. I had a combination of ceramic, metal and plastic inserted into a 13" wound running down the side of my leg. A catheter, drain and drip had been put in.

I was up fairly early after breakfast the next day with the physio moving me about and after the drain drip and catheter were removed I walked to the toilet with help. I went to the toilet unaided later in the day and got told off but hey, the nurses were busy. Lots of exercises , lots of moving about using two walking sticks, crutches only when pain levels were too high.

After doing the stairs with the physio the next day I went home.

Surgical stockings for 8 weeks and blood thinners for 4 weeks. I couldn't use our shower as it's over the bath and used the old fashioned strip wash method with wet wipes wrapped around the back brush for anything below hip level.

I was discharged by my surgeon after 6 weeks as he was thrilled with my progress. I do have another physio appointment on Monday which I don't think I really need but booked it for reassurance.

I am mobile with no sticks walking around the house and can do most things myself. I use one stick outside for my own reassurance as if I do too much walking my hip tells me off.

I use nordic walking poles for walking around the countryside.

I didn't need any special equipment at home that we hadn't already installed including a second stair rail, grab handles at the bath, small steps on the steps at front and back door, litter picker type grabber, folding dressing stick and long handled shoe horns.

Would I do it all again, yes.

Do your exercises, try to keep a positive mental attitude - it's easy to sit in a chair thinking you don't want to move because it hurts so you stay there. You need to move, the pain will slowly eases. Please feel free to ask anything you're worried about.

Good Luck!

Trish xx

KC1

Hi Trish

Thank you so much for your reply. Sounds like you are making great progress, I’m so pleased for you.

Did/do you have to be careful regarding dislocation. I think that’s the thing I’m most concerned about. I am a very keen gardener and also volunteer at a local school gardening with the children. Just concerned I won’t be able to do that or be able to play with my grand children in case the joint dislocates.

Am totally up for being active, doing exercises etc. I go to the gym twice a week and have a daily exercise regime. thank you for the encouragement.

Keep making progress.

Karen x

Trish9556

Hi Karen

Yes, I was warned about dislocation. You will soon know if you move the wrong way and learn not to! I've only done that a couple of times - turning over in bed, getting in/out of bed (some people use something to lift their leg when getting out of bed but I was taught to do it unaided in hospital and within 24 hours of being home I'd mastered it), twisting/bending more than 90 degrees/sideways will also give you a signal not to do it.

I think gardening will be trial and error for a while but not something you will be able to continue when you come out for a while. Being 9 weeks I can get onto the floor in an awkward style and get up off the floor in an even more awkward style but I didn't try to do it until i was 7 weeks.

I can stand in the garden and play catch with the grandchildren but can't run or jump with them. It's just trial and error - if it hurts, don't do it as much/at all.

Try not to worry about dislocation - just as likely to happen slipping on ice in winter but then again a normal person would be likely to dislocate as well. Take turning/twisting slowly and if it hurts, stop. Wouldn't do any bungee jumping, parachuting or trampolining either 😂

love n hugs

Trish xx

stickywicket

Hi there, @KC1

Between us, Mr SW and I have had four THRs, four hospitals, three surgeons, all with excellent results. I've no idea which implànts. I'd guess mine, being old were all posterior. Mr SW's were more recent and he clearly has two different scars.

My understanding is that different people require different implànts depending on several factors and that surgeons sometimes have their preferred methods.

For these reasons, I wouldn't dream of telling my surgeon what to do. Ours have all chosen well.

My advice would be, if NHS, go for a teaching hospital. They tend to have better surgeons so longer waiting lists. If private, well MR SW's second hip was. done privately, so we researched hospitals, surgeons who were qualified to work in NHS and who were qualified to do revision surgery. (A harder task.)

Don't try to rush recovery. As @Trish9556 says, just do the exercises. Timelines have to be flexible. We're all different. Be guided by your surgeon and physio.Don't have hard and fast plans of what you will do. With luck, eventually, you will but I've learnt from my time on here that the two ways to sabotage surgery are to not exercise enough and also to do too much too soon.

Good luck!

Janlyn

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/724861#Comment_724861

Hi @KC1 I agree with all Trish says. I had my left THR last December. I live alone and coped with just minimal visits from family for the first few days. I was home after two nights but could have been home earlier - I chose to stay in and be looked after until I felt more confident. The first two weeks were the worst, but really not bad at all. My biggest problem was trying to sleep at night. Lying on my back was difficult but I could sleep in a chair downstairs more easily.

Getting about, up stairs and down again, getting dressed, getting washed all took time but now I'm back to normal, or really even better as I hadn't realised how much pain I'd been in. My hip is now part steel and part plastic, my scar is completely healed, although one end of it took a few weeks. My scar is towards the back and I can't really see it - around six inches long.

Before my surgery my two year old granddaughter used to use my stick and pretend to be an old lady - now I can roll around on the floor with her. My Fitbit tells me I am averaging over 11,000 steps a day with no problem - last week I topped 20,000 on one day. It is essential to do your exercises. My physio told me after six months I would feel back to normal but actually I would continue to improve for 12 to 18 months if I exercised properly. I did have some problems bending and walking without a limp initially but I was given different exercises and now I have sorted those problems out.

My physio told me after two weeks that I was no more likely to dislocate my new hip than my old one. I did feel very fragile at first and walked cautiously but now I rarely think about it and am much, much more steady on my feet. More so than in years I think.

I can do most things, although I have now developed carpal tunnel syndrome apparently from leaning too heavily on my walking stick pre-op. So I can't dig in the garden or do anything too heavy but everything else is back to normal.

Happy to answer any questions if you have any, but I would definitely do it all again, and much earlier!

Nurina

Hi.

I did a lot of research before my surgery trying to find new methods in surgery and prosthesis. I had to pay for my first THR because of the excruciating pain and the long waiting list so I looked for the best procedure and consultant possible. Many of the trendy anterior approaches don't have much studies behind to support them in terms of effectiveness and durability. Because my OA was due to a degenerative process and not to an accident where bones are healthy, my surgeon needed to make a reconstruction of the joint it had to be done via the traditional pack: long scar, posterior approach and the metal-ceramic-plastic prosthesis. Everything tested and supported by many studies for years. My surgeon did a good job and got my hip ready for a easy revision in 20 years. I'm not sure but I think surgeons don't do the lateral approach anymore. Posterior approach is more a diagonal cut from the buttock to the side.

About dislocation. New techniques are amazing and they don't cut much so the muscles and ligaments hold the new hip as nothing happened from the beginning. That's why it's very important to do the exercises before the surgery. Dislocation possibility is scary and I think surgeons are right scaring us because some of us are really impatient to start activities as soon as possible. From the third month, dislocation is unlikely even with a fall. I'm in my 6th month and I feel my operated leg like nothing ever happened to me before.

Good luck

KC1

hello and a huge thank you to everyone who’s replied. All of your responses are so helpful and supportive. I really appreciate you sharing your stories and talking about your research, concerns, feelings and progress. Your encouragement and insights have been incredibly helpful and you’ve helped to put my mind at rest. I’m up to speed with my exercises and keeping as fit as possible so fingers crossed from that perspective.

Thank you again, a very reassured Karen

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/724858#Comment_724858

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/724864#Comment_724864

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/724870#Comment_724870

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/724877#Comment_724877

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/724892#Comment_724892

KC1

Thank you so much for doing this search and bringing everything together for me. That was so incredibly thoughtful and helpful. I’ve dipped in and out of the information and advice and found so much to help. Along with the amazing responses from other community members you’ve really helped and reassured me as I move closed to my operation. Thank you

KC1

Thank you Trish, that’s such helpful advice and very reassuring. I hope you continue to make a good recovery and can get on and enjoy life to the full.

Karen

KC1

Thank you so very much. So sorry to hear about the CTS, I know that’s so very painful. Will you be able to have an operation? My sister did and it made a huge difference to her.

Keep getting well and enjoying life.

Karen