To ask you for stories, good and bad, of hip replacements?

[AnnOMalley]

I have posted in General Health, but no luck - and as the date on offer is pretty soon, I need to make a decision soon.

Please let me have your input - recovery in particular. I need to recover quickly!

I had one resurfaced in 2007 and it's been brilliant. I'm waiting for a full replacement of the other one (sadly resurfacing isn't offered to women any more), and it can't come quickly enough. I was on crutches for 6 weeks with about 12 weeks to full recovery, but I'm sure that could be condensed a bit. It's a pain in the bum (literally) for such a short time really, and I'm so glad I did it. I regularly run about 15-20k per week with no pain in the fixed one, but I do set off the metal detector at airports 😁! I hope this helps - good luck!

My dad had a full replacement about 8 weeks ago. He’s like a new man. He was driving at 4 weeks, walking without any sticks at about 6 weeks. He’s been signed off by the surgeon as a success. He’s 72, and has been religious about doing his rehab/exercises.

My dad had his first at about 72yrs. I don't remember much except his goal set by the surgeon was to be walking a mile within a week and he did it!

I’m quite young (30s) and have had both of mine replaced (one at a time, both in the same year about seven months apart) due to health issues. Recovered fully in six weeks with both, and have had zero problems since. With the second, I was up and walking the same day. The pain was fine, and the recovery was encouragingly quick. I had physical therapy to help me recover and it was helpful and not at all awful. Both of mine were total hip replacements, and now I’m able to run around after my DS like it never happened. Can’t think of anything (except skiing, maybe, but I don’t ski so it’s not an issue) that I can’t do. I never think about it now. The scars are barely visible, and it was a decade ago. Best thing I ever did, hands down. Even had my DS naturally with no issues at all from the hip replacements. I wish you all the luck in the world.

I had my left hip replaced over 10 years ago. I was driving and back at work a month to the day after the surgery.

I had my left hip replaced in October. I was 46. My was done by what I think they call the “Superpath” technique in the U.K. (I’m in Canada). I was in hospital less than 36 hours. Off the painkillers within a couple of days and blood thinning injections for two weeks.
I was fully mobile pretty quickly and had no issues with stairs (luckily, as a live in a 3 storey townhouse).
I went skiing in February on greens. I was never a huge running fan anyway but go out for daily walks and run around after my 9 year old.

My dad had to have one a few years ago after tripping over and smashing his. Absolutely no issues once he was recovered. I think he was home in about a week afterwards, although I think he had to have physio for a little while. He was in his 70''s.

Sorry - I have been ill so have only just seen these. Encouraging to know that stairs are manageable. Mediumbrownmug, natural childbirth after hip replacements is quite a recommendation!

I used to walk miles every day, and now can only walk/stagger from the kitchen to the sitting room , so the idea of being able to walk a mile is very appealing. The only problem is that both of mine are as bad as each other, so I don't have a 'good' hip to help with recovery.

Thinking further...

My sisters friend. Needed left hip replaced, they replaced the healthy right!

My advice would be to do exercises advised for strengthening after, and keep this up, building up over time. I healed fine and it was the best thing ever.

My dad had a hip replacement on Wednesday after it was delayed all last year.
He looks great, home the day after the op and going up and down the stairs. He said the hip pain has completely gone and the only pain he is in now is from the actual op (incision etc)

My mum had her first hip replaced a few years ago and recently had her 2nd hip replaced (delayed due to covid). She's still building up her stamina but it's given her a new lease of life and she said that she's pain-free for the first time in over 2 years.

It's essential to do any exercises you're given, both pre-op and post-op. They make a huge difference to both the time and the effectiveness of recovery.

Both mine done, pain went straight away just soreness in the actual incision but none of the grinding debillitating pain i had, after the first i was up and walking with crutches, long walks too, after about six weeks it was all fine and crutches were ditched. There are physio dos and donts after like bending down and sleeping was awkward as you cant lie on it for a couple of weeks or so. Second was even quicker as i knew what to expect and now after two knee replacements too i am like a new woman even if i could be recycled as a ford escort 😁

There’s a young hip replacement group on Facebook which has absolutely masses of helpful information and posters who’ve had or are waiting for new hips. I’m going to need this myself soon and it’s very daunting.

Good luck.

May I ask how old you all were when you had it done? I need one hip doing and I've been told I'm too young at 55, because they only have a life expectancy of 15 years before they need redoing.

My great aunt had a hip replacement when she was about 70 and she was like a new woman, she’d been struggling so much as she’d previously been so active and it gave her a whole new lease of life

My aunt's went wrong. It got infected. It was blindingly obvious that it wasn't healing properly but she chose to ignore it for weeks and weeks and she's never walked properly since. The surgeon said that if she had come to him straight away it could all have been cleared up with antibiotics, instead she needed to have it taken out and replaced again.
So if you think something is not right get straight back to the doctor, no messing about.

Had my first THR at 40, my second at 45 and had a twin pregnancy in between.

1st - 6 weeks on crutches, 12 weeks recovery, although I'd say full recovery takes about a year.

My second dislocated after 3 weeks which wasn't fun then I spent 12 weeks in a brace, however, it's now my strongest side.

The pain of surgery is nothing compared to the pain of bone-on-bone grinding, Plus it doesn't last long.

I now have the occasional painful period but it never lasts longer than a day or so. I often wish I had my old hips back - new hips don't feel like real ones in my opinion, but then DH will remind me of the state I was in at my worst and I am relieved to have them!

@TwoAndAnOnion

May I ask how old you all were when you had it done? I need one hip doing and I've been told I'm too young at 55, because they only have a life expectancy of 15 years before they need redoing.

I had my first at 40 and surgeon told me it could last the rest of my life. GPs seem to have little knowledge of new approaches to THR. I hear this all the time and it's simply not true!

51 for first and 54 for second, the consultant said i was young and they didn't normally like doing them until later age but said he new he could significantly improve the quality of my life so went ahead. Thankful

My mum was age 72 when she had her 1st one, 74 with the other. She has also had knees done, and felt the hips were MUCH easier to recover from.

There are 2 techniques that I'm aware of. The regular approach from the side, and a newer procedure where its accessed further back. 2 of mums friends had this back approach procedure- 1 had remarkable recover and all good. The other found it awful!

After the op, they got her up the same day and into a chair. She was going up stairs with the physios on day 4. Mum was driving within (I think) 4 weeks, although normally its 6.

You can't sit at 90' afterwards, so mum had a frame put around her toilet to lift the seat up, she also had bricks behind her lounge chair to tip it forward slightly and a booster pillow on her car seat. She bought a long handled show horn and one of those litter pickers- so she could pick things off the floor without bending too much. She also bought a device to help put socks on, but it was utterly useless unless it was a very stretchy, oversized one like a bed sock!

My mother had a hip replacement three years ago. She was 83 and physically frail. She has dementia so recovery was challenging as she cannot remember/follow instructions. However despite all that within six weeks she was walking unaided, and her mobility has been fine ever since.

My friend also had a hip replacement two years ago (she was 56) and within six weeks was back to her normal routine.

Good luck with the surgery OP, I hope it goes well for you.

Thanks so much. Laughed at the Ford Escort comment, @StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes

I was told when I was about 40 that I should wait as long as possible to have mine done, as there wasn't enough research into how long they last in younger and more active people. The consultant said I'd know when there was no option. What I now need to make sure of is that it isn't the compressed discs in my spine that are causing the problem - I don't want to have surgery and then find that I'm no better. That said, my hips have been problematic since my first pregnancy, and that was 20 years ago.

@MatildaTheCat Thanks for the Facebook suggestion. I'll look it up.

Full replacement aged 39, it was amazing. Pretty straightforward recovery despite having a 11 year old and 7 month old to deal with.
In hospital for 5 days then home, just make sure you do the physio

@TwoAndAnOnion

May I ask how old you all were when you had it done? I need one hip doing and I've been told I'm too young at 55, because they only have a life expectancy of 15 years before they need redoing.

Whoever told you that hasn't updated their research. Current view is that it is more likely 40 to 50 years with new type of replacements.