Canna Believe This

[jennyjoan]

Next door neighbour is home to recuperate after being 6 weeks in hospital getting a hip removed (Not his hip) it was put in 10 years ago. Anyhow he has to go back in and get another new one in 3 weeks time.

Just in from Credit Union and one of my old colleagues aged about 78 is unbelievable working away. She got a new hip 10 weeks ago. From what I have seen from various people with new hips - they were left using crutches, in tremendous pain etc.

I am speaking on behalf of my cousin who got the hip 4 years ago and she is in excruciating pain. I met her about a cuppla weeks ago and she was on one crutch and bending badly to one side and her face just etched so much pain.

How come CU lady has done so well. Do you think it depends on the surgeon.

[jennyjoan]

PS - or maybe CU lady went private.

[Mamyalynne]

There are so many variables around how different people recover from surgery, general health and fitness, the strength of the surrounding muscles and more.

[pixie374]

Probably a lot of things. We had a 94 year old lady who had a hip replacement and was walking within hours and off painkillers in two days.

[jennyjoan]

Hit and Miss or Luck of the draw - Mamy.

[jennyjoan]

while we are on the subject of hips. | at times am led to believe that not always a person gets a NEW hip but their own hip is "shaved". Anybody care to embellish on that - thanks

[Peter Pedant]

surgeons have to tell patients their results -
and needless to say there are surgical factors
and patient factors relating to success

generally the results are VERY good - something like 95% say they are improved with a huge majority me included saying it is life changing

I was down to about 20m and night pain - I said to the surgeon - I dont care if it triggers a recurrence - my quality of life can be described as awful....

he said post op - the results from radio-therapy arent that good but your hip looked normal .....

You pays your money - or taxes and makes your choice

[jennyjoan]

What do you mean PP - You pays your money - or taxes and makes your choice -

[ummmm]

I suppose it depends on the reasons why the hip needed replacing. My uncle had one and he religiously stuck with the exercises regardless of how much it hurt.

[woofgang]

bone density is another biggie....also the reason for the replacement. Statistically, hip replacement is one of the most successful of orthopaedic ops.

[Peter Pedant]

// but their own hip is "shaved". //

no I think they have stopped doing that ( I had one in 2008)
I offered to pay (!) and the surgeon said no ( hey what was that?) you will have to wait until you are bad enough for a total hip....

( results not as good - effect of bone sparing not as fantastic - greater difficult in conversion to total hip, failure rate greater than first thought) so I am pretty sure it has been abandoned. We ( all 120 000) had assessments a few years ago.

[Peter Pedant]

// What do you mean PP - You pays your money - or taxes and makes your choice -//

nothing is free in this world - the NHS is not 'free' you pay for it in your taxes.....

[Sqad]

So many variables, so many degrees of competence of surgeons, so many different stages of arthritis in a hip.
Pick your surgeon carefully and pick your Orthopaedic unit just as carefully, as i have mentioned so many times on AB.
Obese people do badly as compared to thin people for a variety of reasons.
Yes ,JJ, there are two main types of surgery..."shaving" and total replacement and there are surgical indications for both.

I had a Charnley Hip replacement in both hips, 35 years ago and they are both still going strong.....no problems.

NHS or private? No guarantees either way, BUT if you can afford it go private.

[ummmm]

"Pick your surgeon carefully and pick your Orthopaedic unit just as carefully"

That's the thing Sqad...most people don't have a choice or are not given one.

[Sqad]

Ummmm
I agree, that is life I'm afraid.
If you can do some research into the competence and results of surgeons in the area,chat to your GP and then make the suggestions.
If you can afford to go privately, then it will be money well spent in the majority of cases, but if you can't..........then you can't.

[ummmm]

Yes...but most people wouldn't know what questions to ask. You're at an advantage there.

My recent stay in hospital I just found they overload you with information.

[NoMercy]

There are different types of hip replacement (cemented or uncemented), different prostheses, and everyone will have a different recovery time.

From my experience of working in Orthopaedics, most people have a satisfactory outcome from joint replacement surgery. It is so important to have one's analgesia optimised in the immediate post operative period, to follow post-operative instructions and comply with the daily exercises and is perfectly reasonable to ask for physiotherapy input too.

A whole joint replacement surgery only actually takes 2 hours but Sqad is right, some surgeons are sometimes just better than others.

[Sqad]

Mummy yes, but all you need to do is to ask your GP if he needed a total hip replacement, to whom would he go. That would give you a guide.

[Sqad]

LOL.... ummmm.

[jennyjoan]

so many answers and very informative indeed. thanks