Page 3 | Hip replacement and BMI.

JohnTheRevelator · 2025-03-08T17:36:46+00:00

Has anyone on here had a hip replacement when their BMI has been in the overweight/obese category? I am on the waiting list to have a hip replacement and at the moment my BMI is 32. A couple of years ago it was 44,but I've managed to lose 7 stone. I'm trying to lose another 3 stone at the moment. A few people have told me that it wouldn't be a barrier to having a hip replacement,but several things that I have read indicate otherwise. I'd hate to miss out on the op because my BMI is too high.

Twiglets1 · 10/03/2025 21:11

Destiny123 · 10/03/2025 19:52

No hip or knee is done by epidural. They're all spinals. Similar but different, next door space through a layer of cling film in the back. Far more reliable, epidurals have a 10% failure rates, spinals have incredibly rare to not work

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I’m just explaining why I may have had a strong preference for a GA.

I definitely had one so I don’t know why some people are implying I didn’t. I was told it was a GA so unless I was lied to… which I highly doubt!

Greybeardy · 10/03/2025 22:08

@Twiglets1 it's not that uncommon for people who've previously had a difficult time with an epidural to be really nervous about a spinal/request a GA instead (possibly more so if it's been difficulty with an epidural for labour/childbirth). It is worth knowing that they are different techniques though and that having had a difficult time with one doesn't necessarily mean the other would be the same. Sometimes when a spinal would usually be the normal plan it's worth talking to the anaesthetist about what the problem was previously/whether it's something that is likely or unlikely to happen again/work out whether having go at a spinal, but with a plan to bail out early if it's not easy-peasy, might be a good idea - some people are happy with that, but others stick with their request for a GA. Most of us are pretty approachable (hopefully!) and sensible and happy to go through the various options for any operation (and GA is always the back up plan even if plan A is spinal or one of the other local anaesthetic techniques, so it's not usually a complete disaster to do a GA, but there are often some real advantages for some operations if a spinal can be done without causing distress). Hopefully you'll never need to think about any more operations but, in case you do, hopefully it's useful to know there are often different options/tweaks to make for a better experience.

Twiglets1 · 11/03/2025 05:25

Greybeardy · 10/03/2025 22:08

@Twiglets1 it's not that uncommon for people who've previously had a difficult time with an epidural to be really nervous about a spinal/request a GA instead (possibly more so if it's been difficulty with an epidural for labour/childbirth). It is worth knowing that they are different techniques though and that having had a difficult time with one doesn't necessarily mean the other would be the same. Sometimes when a spinal would usually be the normal plan it's worth talking to the anaesthetist about what the problem was previously/whether it's something that is likely or unlikely to happen again/work out whether having go at a spinal, but with a plan to bail out early if it's not easy-peasy, might be a good idea - some people are happy with that, but others stick with their request for a GA. Most of us are pretty approachable (hopefully!) and sensible and happy to go through the various options for any operation (and GA is always the back up plan even if plan A is spinal or one of the other local anaesthetic techniques, so it's not usually a complete disaster to do a GA, but there are often some real advantages for some operations if a spinal can be done without causing distress). Hopefully you'll never need to think about any more operations but, in case you do, hopefully it's useful to know there are often different options/tweaks to make for a better experience.

Yes the epidural I had previously was used for childbirth. That’s a whole other thread!

Hope everything goes well with your hip replacement @JohnTheRevelator

I never regretted mine and it’s wonderful to be out of pain and able to walk miles again. They do get you walking short distances the day after surgery but that’s a good thing for recovery.