Here's some advice/warning for anyone planning or contemplating getting a total hip replacement...things that weren't necessarily told to me in advance.
Clip your toenails as late as possible right before the surgery. You won't be able to reach the toes on your surgical leg for at least weeks, if not months.
During the surgery, you are likely to suffer another leg injury that will be inflicted on the operating table, while you're under general anesthesia. The injury is essentially the result of a couple of things the doctor has to do.
First, to begin the procedure and do the required work, the surgeon will have to dislocate your hip -- get the femur head out of the hip joint. Obviously dislocation of any joint causes residual injury/pain. Then, during the surgery, he/she will likely have an assistant twist, torque, and hold your leg in an unnatural position (or use a special operating table) putting the femur bone in a certain position so that the surgeon can accomplish his work.
Secondly, apparently before they close you up, the surgeon will purposely twist and contort your leg into more unnatural positions specifically trying to dislocate the new artificial joint. This is done to make sure that it is inserted properly so that they can fix it and not have to re-open the incision after it, and your muscles have healed.
All of the above maneuvers are likely to inflict injury on other parts of your leg. In my case it was in the knee, the patella area. As I previously said, I wasn't made aware that this would be, or had been done. They literally have you begin PT within hours of the surgery in the form of some slight movements and muscle contractions that you do while laying in bed. Later in the day, you will be up and walking with the assistance of a walker or crutches. But it may be several days before you do any knee bending, or attempting to bear weight on the surgical leg. So, when I got to that point, I didn't realize that the 'twinge' in my knee was the result of a slight patella tear, or bursitis. I dismissed it as just a
minor muscle/tendon strain sustained as a result of the surgery. It didn't really hurt...until I tried to bear weight on it, attempting stairs, during the first home visit for PT. The therapist said if I needed assistance to pull myself up with the bannister. Again...I wasn't aware of the severity of my injury so I tried to exercise through it. But unfortunately I was re-aggravating the injury. By late that evening the pain in my knee was worse than the pain in my hip. The next morning I called the surgeon and he explained that it was completely normal. And, to treat with ice, and elevate it. Well, that's all good except that had I known that the 'twinge' in my knee was more than just a 'twinge'...I would not have attempted those exercises, and thereby setting my recovery back several days. I stayed off it, and didn't bend it for two days and it's finally back to feeling the way it was before attempting the bending/stairs/weight bearing.
Otherwise, I feel like my surgeon (an active duty Navy LCDR) did a very good job, and my recovery is going very well. My surgery was done on March 21, 2018. Within a couple of days I was walking with only the assistance of a cane. I can't stress enough, as others told me beforehand, that being in good physical condition (especially the muscles in and around the hip) really makes recovery much easier and quicker. If you're holding off until a later date...use that time to get into the best physical condition that you can.
If you are contemplating hip replacement, do yourself a huge favor and do some research beforehand. Make of list of things to ask the surgeon well in advance of the surgery. I asked LOTS of questions, felt like I may have been annoying my surgeon. But he told me "I wouldn't be in this business if I didn't like talking about it." He said you'd be surprised how many people get surgeries of this nature and don't ask a single question, and have no idea what is implanted in them, or how it works. Examples of questions to ask:
- Company that manufactures the device that will be implanted.
- Is the design and material used the best for your lifestyle? Research it on your own too.
- anterior (front) or posterior (rear) incision/entry
- ball and socket material
- how attached (glue/cement)
- time for leg length to settle afterward.
- pain meds - tramadol, oxycodone (I was initially prescribed oxy. But switched and had best results with tramadol. It's not an opioid).
- Other pre- and post-op meds you'll be required to take.
- antibiotics for dental the rest of your life.
- Who all will be in the operating room?
- Here's a link to the device I received --
http://www.smith-nephew.com/professi...cts/anthology/ and
- Immediately following the surgery, and for six weeks or more, you will likely be on a blood thinner/anti-coagulant to prevent blood clots. In my case, at the last minute, the doctor changed it to simply twice daily aspirin. Nevertheless my blood was thinner. You'll recover quickly from the surgery, and in a short time you will be back up and around, and doing the things that you do. If among those things is any activity that might cause small wounds...like for me working at my workbench in the garage, the smallest cut or puncture will bleed profusely. So, it's a good idea to have a good supply of bandaids on hand. Or, in my case the 'super glue' I use to mend small wounds.
Good Luck.
Dan