👯‍♀️ 👯‍♀️ 👯‍♀️ 👯‍♀️ Hips and knees part 6 👯‍♀️ 👯‍♀️

NON OPERATED SIDE PLEASE. A pillow between your legs and another behind your back.

No..thats incorrect lying on your operated side...give me strength here as some of your are really making me super anxious with your contradictory comments...consultant and nurse said to try and lie on NON OPERATED SIDE...

MaizieD, I wondered that. I would’ve found that near impossible!

'operated side' Retired65?

At least, there is a nip in the air and a good breeze, so my fully exposed mattress will have to dry naturally, and I will have another night in the single bed with my knees knocking the wall.

Everything washable is outside. I have been promising myself a new duvet for ages, so this is my excuse, and it is coming tomorrow. Mine is a king-size 15-tog, which I also use in summer, just flicking it off on the rare occasion I am too hot.

The NHS, your new hip book, suggests that you sleep either on your back or on your operated side with a pillow between your legs for six weeks after your operation to minimize the risk of dislocating your hip.

grammargran

That’s really interesting charleygirl. My scar’s around 6” long (although I’m rubbish at guessing length, distance, etc) and smack in the middle of my side. I now have a vision of all us hipsters trying frantically not to twist ourselves too much to measure scars and note position of same!

I stood on a low stool in the bathroom and looked at my scar in the big mirror over the wash basin. No twisting involved

I think we need pictures to see just where the scars 'should be'... I think mine is indeterminate.

So, which 'insertion' is more vulnerable to early side lying?

Or, to rephrase, which one indicates that you absolutely must sleep on your back for the first 6 weeks?

Oh dear, Charleygirl, a leaking hwb, what a nightmare. Will you be able to get the mattress dry?

grammargran Please don't, as I do not want to be responsible for many dislocated hips. It sounds to me as though yours was a posterior insertion. I think my finger slipped and it is more common than anterior.

If it does its job and "sees you out" why bother?

I must do something practical as my hwb leaked last night, so the duvet and even the mattress are soaked, + everything in between.

That’s really interesting charleygirl. My scar’s around 6” long (although I’m rubbish at guessing length, distance, etc) and smack in the middle of my side. I now have a vision of all us hipsters trying frantically not to twist ourselves too much to measure scars and note position of same!

Yes, the posterior is more to the side and the back. The length depends on the surgeon and the difficulty of the operation.

MaisieD A posterior approach usually means more stringent post-op precautions to avoid dislocation. From memory, it is usually an anterior approach taken.

Is it possible to tell from the position of the scar which approach was taken?

I found lying on either the operated or unoperated side to be too uncomfortable for at least four months after both operations. I got used to sleeping on my back. I found a pillow between my knees to be hot and uncomfortable, but that’s just me!

MaisieD A posterior approach usually means more stringent post-op precautions to avoid dislocation. From memory, it is usually an anterior approach taken.

The "lips" of the acetabular cup are not all the same size—there are many considerations to be made, and as it is all internal, we do not know unless the consultant is given searching questions.

MaisieD I strongly suspect the latter, especially with the "old school" consultants. Nursing staff would not dream of changing anything without the consultant's advice.

Bea You will feel even more comfortable with a pillow at your back to prevent you from rolling back onto your back.

I’ve accidentally rolled onto my non operated side and immediately was bit frantic as it’s only 3wks 3days but then remembered to place my ortho pillow between legs and .. what bliss .. my lumbar spine felt relief and my hip 🤞

Also have stopped doing the ankle to knee exercises lying down as could feel the sensitivity on back of heels and do not want cracked skin or pressure sore as someone above mentioned they take a long long time to heal

Point taken, Charleygirl, but I still wonder why advice varies so greatly across different centres. Is it based on modern research evidence or just because that is the advice that has been given for years and years?

As a matter of interest, what is the rationale for the difference in advice between anterior and posterior approaches? (genuine question)

The best solution is a ripple bed , but I doubt one will be available till after the Easter break

I don’t think a week is going to make much difference to the hip , but a week is long enough to exacerbate a pressure sore

I am sorry, MaisieD and Aggie, but that is dangerous advice. Neither of you, nor me, has any idea if there were problems with her surgery or what approach was taken, anterior or posterior.

Not every replacement is the same. I am aware of her problems, but I gave my advice earlier.

This is given with 30 years of ex professional advice.

I agree with MaisieD sleep on your side with a firm pillow between your knees
If the skin breaks it is so hard to get a sore to heal
Use the barrier cream by all means , but take the pressure off your sore area

I’d suggest starting sleeping on your non-operated side right now, travelsafar. It’s standard practice to allow it from the start in some areas (like mine 😀) so I can’t see that it’s going to do any harm when you’re 5 weeks on. Just keep a firm cushion or pillow between your knees and keep your pelvis upright so as not to let the operated side cross the dreaded centre line. I slept on my side like that practically from day 1.

Reading these threads makes it clear what a wide range of post op advice there is, some of it utterly conflicting, but somehow most if us seem to come through the whole recovery period without any harm to the new joint whatsoever.

Perhaps I shouldn’t be subversive, though…

Poor travelsafar! I hope the antiBs are kicking in now.

travelsafar that sounds very painful and worrying. grammargran I also had very sore heels both from sleeping on my back and from doing some of the exercises which had to b done lying down, but no pressure sores anywhere else.
bea I hope that your remaining stitch works it’s way out soon. I had one after my first hip op but the doctor removed it at my 6 week check painlessly with a pair of tweezers!

I never thought about using a hotwater bottle so I shall give that a go. Thank you for the idea. 😊

Oh Lordy, “travelsafar* that sounds uncomfortable! I had very sore heels from sleeping on my back which was a mere inconvenience compared to your problem. Been racking my brain to think of something and all I can come up with is a not very full hot water bottle (cool) that you could slip underneath you like a sort of water bed that you could somehow “float” on?Just a thought which probably won’t work anyway. Or pillows to lift you up a little ….