Anyone had a hip replacement at a youngish age?

[D0G]

Posted in chat as this is outing me a fair bit and I’d like it to disappear at some point.

Long story short, 2015 I had a riding accident, horse reared toppled landed on me and broke my shoulder pretty badly, 6 ribs, 3 vertebrae, punctured lung and hip socket. The hip didn’t need operating on at the time and as I was only 29 they wanted to wait to operate.

I Had several ops on arm eventually culminating In shoulder replacement, The shoulder although limited movement wise is the best it’s been. Sod’s law now my hip is horrendous, I’ve had some xrays and have severe osteo arthritis in my hip and back. I’ve been in so much pain it’s unreal, and I’m no wimp I’m crippled in morning and struggle to even sit up. Everything is painful! I’m waiting to see the specialist but gp thinks it’ll need replacing. I’m a bit concerned they’ll say I’m overweight and not do it, I am a bit although I have lost loads of weight, a lot of this is due to limited movement.

Has anyone had replacements and did it change the pain you were in also how long till you were up and about again?

Not quite as young as you OP but I’m 45 and had mine done about three months ago.
I feel almost completely back to how I felt before the pain started.
The pain from my arthritis disappeared literally from the moment I could get up and about.
They like to move you either the same day or next day following your op. Obviously there’s some pain from the incision and surrounding muscle damage while it’s healing but I would advocate it to anyone who’s offered it.
As you’re younger you’ll probably heal really fast too.

My mum was considered young but in no ways as young as you. However she was up and about the day after the op and was home that evening. It was life changing for her and she's pain free. She had the replacement due to arthritis.

Andy Murray is the obvious example although he's had a resurfacing rather than replacement.

Thank you that’s really encouraging. How is your mobility now? I’m hoping my back pain will improve when I’m not compensating for my hip.

I’m concerned though as I have 4 children, 3 horses that will still need looking after, 2 high energy dogs and a self employed husband and depleted savings from the horses and all my previous ops health probs. So I need to be able to drive dc to school and muck out etc as soon as possible after the op. Trying to save a bit now but it depends when they operate I guess

How scary, that is a horrific accident (fellow horse rider here so I can empathize fully!

My brother had a hip replacement at 40. At first he delayed as he was worried he was too young (despite all the doctors advising him to get it done), but he was in a lot of pain and lost more and more function. He was up and about right after the operation, had some recovery pain but nothing compared to the pain he had before and can now do everything including hiking and kite surfing.

My best friend had been be done at 30. She'd needed it for years (about 10) but had put it off due to fear, worries about longevity etc. She finally had it done and wondered why she had waited! Said it was the best thing ever and it was the first time she'd been pain free in over a decade.

Hello! I had mine done at 34. Since then i’ve had a baby and lived life exactly as I’d planned. I’m very active and rarely thjnk about the hip. I did a yoga class this morning and body pump yesterday. I don’t do high impact stuff ... sadly itwas goodbye netball. Overall it has been great. The recovery has was easier than I had expected (though no walk in the park).

All really encouraging. Although I’m gutted, I haven’t done a full year without an operation since 2012! I will be relieved to get it sorted and be able to hopefully walk normally and at a normal speed. I feel like it’s always one step forwards two back if that makes sense. I also just want it over with now, the pain is excruciating especially at night where I’d usually put my feet up - it seems to spasm, almost like contractions that radiate down my leg.

TheAir that’s amazing! Does it bother you walking? I can barely hobble to the corner shop atm.

Hi! I had one done at 21 and my knee done at 27! Due to a vascular necrosis. Each time I waisted until the pin was too much to bear then was so relieved to get it done! With the hip, it was 10 weeks on 2 crutches and 2 on one. Honestly, you will need help. Especially with kids. You can’t bend your body more than 90 degrees at the hip while recovering which makes even putting on shoes impossible. So you will need to ensure you have someone to care for you (and your animals) while you focus on recovery. Not what you want to hear I know, but I would rather be honest with you on the recovery question. BUT I will say, 10 years on, the hip is brilliant! Has never given me an iota of pain, I still wear stilettos and live a totally normal life! I would 100% recommend this surgery. Any other questions, please ask. I’ll have to get the other hip done at some point (when it gets symptomatic) and obviously revise the existing one when it also needs revision.

Temporary thank you glad to hear yours is really good now. How long until you were able to drive? I wonder if there are any organisations that can help with the children if nothing else? The bigger two dc get the bus the littler two could walk to school but I’d worry about the younger ds who is 9. Maybe a mobility scooter could be an option for school runs if nothing else.

Really delighted to have such positive responses though, actually any response - aware it’s a fairly boring thread

My sister is not that young, having hers done at 59 but she does lots of Scottish dancing. At least weekly plus frequent weekends and she is back doing it just the same as before

My DH had them both done at 35, it has been truly life-changing. He has had 15 years of improved mobility, much less pain, and they show no signs of wear and tear so far.

Honestly it was 10 weeks before I could drive my (automatic) car. I’m so sorry I can’t give you a different answer but it really is one of the most major orthopaedic surgeries you can have, so while the benefits are absolutely massive, you really do need to accept the limitations of the recovery period. Having a DD now I completely understand how it’s a nightmare though! Do you have a partner? Could they drop the kids at breakfast club in the mornings to take that part of the days logistics away? You’ll also need help to get to your weekly physio classes (weekly for the first 6-8 weeks if I recall). Do you have family near who could come and stay during the week, or friends you could enlist for a school run rota? You’ll need a little help too for showering and putting on your post-op TED stockings and things like that.

I had my first hip replacement at 26, (early onset Osteo Arthritis due to Congenital Dislocation of the hip and Perthes Disease). It lasted 20 years before needing to be redone.

Yes it knocked the pain on the head, and enabled me to walk again. It took me longer to be up and about again as my whole skeletal structure is dodgy, and there was a bit of nerve damage. It took about 5 months before I could safely say, I was glad I had it done. It’s given me 30+ years of mobility I wouldn’t have had otherwise. However I am very glad I had it done, and will have a 3rd in a few years.

I had mine done a year ago at 38 due to dysplasia. Honestly pain wise i wish I'd had it done years ago. Recovery was a bit brutal, the first two weeks especially but i was hobbling around the house with no crutches within 10 days, painkiller free after about 3 weeks and driving my manual car 8 weeks post op.

I now have no pain in the joint and don't have a limp. Any pain i do get is muscular and generally happens when i overstretch the joint.

Am a bit concerned about the crutches part. Don’t think my shoulder will support me on crutches but guess that’s all stuff I can discuss with consultant.

Definitely. I had a full OT assessment and home visit before the op.

but it really is one of the most major orthopaedic surgeries you can have,

This is completely untrue as any orthopaedic surgery will confirm. They do over three thousand of hip replacements per week in the UK, the vast majority on people over 60 and many on those over 75 and even 80.

It is not one of the most major orthapaedic surgeries you can have; it is a very common operation done on thousands of people and every physio will have helped hundreds if not thousands of patients back on their feet.

You will be helped out of bed within 24 hours.

You will need help putting on shoes for a couple of months.

You will walk with crutches for up to eight weeks, probably less at your age.

You will need to do standard physio and hydro therapy helps a lot if you can access it.

You will need various pillows at nighttime so your leg doesn't cross the midline and risk dislocation.

At your age any orthopaedic surgeon would be confident of a complete, full and fast recovery with you being able to do 90% of activities you could do before the pain started. High impact and those at risk of high impact eg mountain biking on rough terrain or contact sports such as football/netball will be advised against.

Can you turn the horses away whilst you're out of action? Get a sharer? Friends who can do the school run for you?

OP, I've no advice but just wanted to let you know that threads in Chat no longer disappear after a certain time.

So if you don't want this thread to hang around you might like to ask MNHQ to move it to 30 Days Only or 90 Days Only.

You've really had a tough time, hope you get your hip sorted soon

Can’t really turn horses away, mine is a poor doer and will prob need feeding a minimum of every other day, the two ponies are my girls and are clipped out so in. I am at a yard that offers services girls already ride and muck out after school. I would consider a sharer for mine simply for the feeding part but am a bit —very—fussy about anyone riding him .

Don’t really have any mum friends in this village for school run but sure we will find a way.

Mum has a very warm swimming pool so if I can get in and out that could be helpful.

Thank you Drama didn’t realise that not been on here for a good while now. Am now well and truly hooked again

@lightandairy56 As someone who has actually had a hip replacement, it IS one of the most major orthopaedic surgeries you can have as it’s the largest joint in the body (something my own consultant told me, unless consultants here in Ireland are backward or
you know more than him). Yes, they are carried out with enormous frequency but it is still massive surgery - which I found even as a 21 year old who had youth, energy and no commitments on my plate - and it’s important to treat it as so, particularly the recovery. I was crutches till 12 weeks (10 weeks on 2, 2 on 1) but granted that may have changed slightly with enhanced recovery processes in the last 10 years. I was only trying to impart my first hand information to the OP and don’t think your rude tone was necessary. Even if you turn out to be actually an orthopaedic consultant yourself.

Good luck OP, I hope you manage to get help sorted for your recovery period. Honestly, I know it’s a scary (and impractical!) prospect but it will absolutely change your life for the best x