Hip replacement

Floriacosta I had a hip replacement a year ago. Do you have someone to stay with you for a few days after the operation? I think that is when you may need some support.
I did not find I had bad pain at all and used no pain relief after leaving hospital.
The worst part for me was lying on my back in bed for 6 weeks post op. As well as all the sticks grabbers and toilet adaptors the most useful things I bought was a strong square cushion to fit an upright chair and a u shaped cushion ( which is meant to relieve pressure when side sleeping pre op) which I used to keep my heels from getting pressure sores in bed.
The first six weeks I did all the recommended exercises and believe me it seemed to take up most of the day by the time I had got up and washed and dressed.
You will not be allowed home until you have shown you can get up and down stairs which I was able to do on the third day after the op.
From memory I started walking outside on the tenth day with one stick and husband by my side. After two weeks I was walking back and forward to the local shops on my own 300 yards there and back 15 mins each way! Lots of progress from then on 3 lots of Physio and driving again at 6 weeks.
There seemed to be a lull in progress around ten weeks. However by mid January I was back to dancing twice a week.
I forgot - the stockings are most uncomfortable and getting them on and off is a struggle.
I hope this helps I was 75 at the time and very pleased with the outcome I suspect my other hip is going the same way now and would not hesitate to go through it again.

My second hip replacement is 5months old now and I'm pretty much back to normal. Good post covering much from blossom above.
It does help to have someone with you for a few days or at least popping in and out.
I had 6weeks physio as I had groin pain after the 6week check the physio did the trick no pain now. My first replacement is 13 yrs old and still going strong.

I was taught a trick to getting the stockings on easily as you need to wear them for 6weeks if you want I can describe it as they are a @ugger to get on as blossom says. Good luck.

I had my hip op on Friday 13 th and can heartily agree with all the advice given here , I would add that if you can , get a very sturdy trolly to keep bits and pieces handy and to transport the odd cuppa . I managed to get out to the kitchen , make a cup of tea but had to drink it there and then as no way could I carry it back to the room , DD had just gone out for a few minutes ,

TBH my replacement (Sept 2014) still gives me pain, especially in bed, and when I bend over. I think something must have irritated a nerve so no amount of physio etc has improved things. The pain was persistent from Day One, so clearly something was not happy inside. It has been investigated and they suggested repeating it - I said no thank you!

The only gain for me is that my hip no longer locks in place and leaves me standing like a lemon with no way of going anywhere! So it was worth doing for that.

I am the only person I know whose replacement continues to give trouble - everyone else I know who has had it done are hopping around like spring chickens! Jealous, moi?! On that basis I think you can be optimistic about the outcome and look forward to greater mobility and less pain.

It is good to have someone at home for the first week whilst you are finding your feet - and you might be feeling tired still.

Good luck!

I’d add to the above good advice to wear an apron with big pockets around the house. Handy for carrying bits and bobs from room to room when hands are occupied with sticks or whatever. And do the exercises!

As above, plus try to keep active in the months before your operation.
If you give up and lose the level of fitness you have, it will take longer to rebuild.

Oh those blooming stockings! Definitely don't need to change them every day but try putting a plastic food bag over your foot first, helps stocking to slide on then take bag out through hole in toes, much easier. And I agree you MUST do your exercises-I did them with whoever was visiting too! Lol!

A very big “Thank you” to everyone who replied with their very sensible and kind suggestions and tips. I take all your comments on board and will be well prepared when the time comes. I’m on a mission to find a tea trolley on wheels which I know now will be very helpful (apron with big pockets too!). I found after my last operation that very liberal dusting my legs with talcum powder helped pulling on the not so glamorous stockings. Thank you all again - what a lovely group of GNs,,

I have had two hip replacements and both of them have been successful, the pain you will feel after the operation is the pain of the surgery, but you will be very aware that the awful pain you had before the op has gone!! Be patient, relax do your exercises, catch up on your reading, let the world go by and after a month or so you will be very pleased that you had the operation, you will be pain free and full of life again! and the pain a distant memory, Best wishes

I had mine done two years ago and it has been brilliant. I'm sure you will find the same. I was very frightened of not becoming unconscious from the anaesthetic (coward - moi?) but I had a lovely anaesthetist who talked me through what was going to happen and promised to stay by my side throughout. He did and next thing I knew I was back on the ward with no pain at all. You've been given lots of good advice above, so I'll just add that I found a v-shaped pillow very useful for the first three weeks when you must sleep on your back. One other thing - you may not have to wear the stockings. I did, but the 'other' hip surgeon at our local hospital advises his patients not to bother. It seems to be the luck of the draw. Good luck!

If I had to have the other hip done I would borrow dh's fishing waistcoat. Loads of pockets and hooks . Absolutely ideal or a tray for ice cream like they had in cinemas. Excercises all the way. I'm still having trouble two years down the line but it's the knees. The scar hurts when I'm tired.

At our local hospital where I had my knee done last year, the stockings are no longer used.
They give you injections in your stomach (heparin?) while you are in and then you do them yourself for about 14 days when you go home.

Re buying a trolley- look on line at Mobility shops because not all kitchen trolleys bear the weight of a person. You may be able to hire one.

When I have my second knee replaced soon I intend also to get one because the first time around I was dining and drinking coffee in the kitchen because I could not get anywhere carrying even a mug and using crutches.

Good luck with your second knee, Charleygirl. I hope it goes well. I remember you were very reassuring to me when I was about to have my hip done.

Floriacosta
I had RTHR almost 5 months ago. I got lots of advice from Gransnet, and had a fair idea what to expect. I had an epidural, so no nausea after. I didnt have to wear stockings my consultant prescribed tablets I had to take for 30 days. It took me about 12 weeks before I felt the benefits of the op. I'm doing well now. Best advice I can give you, remember we all progress at different rates. So dont take any notice of Foolish "friends" who will delight in telling you how much faster other friends recovered.! I'm sure you will be just fine, do your homework and collect as many "aids" to help you in the house for the first few weeks.

DH had a THR in May. He had been in terrible pain in the months leading up to the op. We were both absolutely amazed how well things went, he has been pain free since then, wonderful thing to have done. Good luck!

Slightly off topic but in today's Telegraph there is an obituary for Professor Robin Ling who developed a new hip implant back in the 1960s, the Exeter hip as it is now known. My brother was a doctor in Canada then and he spent a year doing research into post operative care on a ward with hip replacement patients. As a result it is standard practice to get patients out of bed asap after the operation.

Had my right hip replaced 2 years ago this week. I was dreading it as I didn't know what to expect the recovery would be like as I am very active. I was absolutely fine, pain from old hip went immediately. I had 3 days in hospital and was soon walking fine. You do need to organise a trolley and things on it as you have to think ahead as you can't be getting up and down in the first few weeks. But the pain going is remarkable it really is. I have to have my ankle done and that I am dreading as cant find anyone who has had the op to give me information.

TerriT and anyone else looking for advice and helpful information - try doing a Facebook search for "hip replacement" or whichever part of your body is a problem. I had my hip replaced two months ago and found a mine of information on FB

Chocolatepudding - thanks for the info on Prof Robert Long, that's particularly interesting as I now have an Exeter hip

My DH had hip replacement 7 months ago and has made good recovery, now resumed walking with the Ramblers, regularly doing 7 to 8 miles, but does ache a bit sometimes. He was reasonably fit prior to op which I think makes a difference, and its good to maintain what fitness you can (pain allowing) beforehand. He had spinal anaesthetic with sedation and slept throughout. You definitely do need some help for a few weeks afterwards. The worst thing for him (and me) was him sleeping on his back for 6 weeks - snoring! He didn't have the dreaded stockings but anticoagulent injections which he had to inject himself for 4 weeks. Was in hospital for 48 hours, and they had him doing steps after 24. He was advised no exercises necessary after op but to take care for first six weeks as there's risk of dislocation. We know someone who started yoga too soon and dislocated theirs. Lots of good tips on here. What a long wait you have. Hope all goes well.

If you have a local hospice furniture shop try there for one of the special trolleys!

Best thing I ever did 10 years ago and getting rid of that pain was worth the inconvenience of the recovery period. I am now very active, walk, swim, go to the gym and do zumba which would have been unthinkable before.

Lots of good advice given already on here. Strangely my main memories are having to get DSs to help change the dreaded stockings and the itchiness under the plaster.

By the way my physio told me that short of a car accident or major fall the hip was unlikely to dislocate even in the early days. However the amount of exercise or length of time crutches were recommended depended on the consultant in charge of the operation so I guess there are differing viewpoints.

Am surprised Grandma2213 that Physio said hip unlikely to dislocate in early days as you are told that it is a rare but recognised risk, and you are advised to use raised chair, toilet seat etc in early weeks post surgery and crossing legs beyond midline is a definite no no. Some elderly people who are less active are sometimes given a fixed hip, which unlikely to dislocate but restricts movement. As you say it must depend on particular surgeon.

My S-i-L is on his third set of hip replacements. (Osteoarthritis necessitated the first set, he wore those out and was then given the deadly Johnson and Johnson "last a lifetime" version that leaked heavy metals into his bloodstream) 18 months after the last op he was still in pain, but scans showed that nothing appeared wrong. DD persuaded him to join her at her yoga class, and when he went for a check up 6 months later, he was happy to report that he was pain free. He was told by the surgeon to carry on with the yoga, but not to sit cross-legged on the floor, to put his feet together and let his knees flop out, but he is now able to sit with his legs crossed.