Hip replacement operation.

[JohnTheRevelator]

Has anyone on here had a hip replacement operation? I'm hoping to have one in the near future,I've got an appointment with the orthopaedic consultant in 6 weeks and I'm hoping that I will be approved and put on the waiting list. According to the X rays,my hip is in a pretty bad way and I'm having trouble walking,and find it nearly impossible to get comfortable in bed to sleep. No painkillers seem to help. Basically it's interfering with my quality of life. My questions are these - how long did you have to wait for the operation after being out on the waiting list,and did you find a real improvement afterwards in the reduction of pain, and being able to walk more easily?

Hips aren't normally done under GA we do spinals and light sedation if the patient wants it. Some hospitals are day surgery most are 24-48h. There's a national shortage of bone cement at the moment so many hip and knee replacement are being cancelled unfortunately

(Anaesthetist

I had mine done at 41 and 14 years later it’s still brilliant. I was fairly fit and recovered really quickly. I was doing Go Ape 8 weeks later (not sure I’d recommend!) and walking in the Alps. I spent several days in hospital but things have moved on and day surgery is quite common. I’ll have to have the other one done at some point…

From mainlining paracetamol and ibroprofen before the op and having real difficulty in sleeping, I was off drugs within a week or so. The worst thing was the constipation pain from the Codeine!

Can't be.
Your in.bed for the rest of the day when you've had it done.
The next day up and walking and you do exercises.
The final day they check you are okay to go.home and do final checks on you to see your managing.

Anything under 2 days would be wrong and it would be too early and you couldn't have done your exercises and been checked out properly.
This is for a full hip op.

I don't know what to say- he really was out the same day- it was a thing we joked about between us at the time as we had ours done quite close together and I was in there so long compared to him coming out the same day despite him being two generations older. It was my third operation on that hip though and they can't reuse the same scar site so they had to do mine in a much less optimal way. The NHS has reference to same day discharges for hip replacements on their website-

https://www.nhsgoldenjubilee.co.uk/news/press-releases/pree-releases-2020/same-day-discharge-nhs-golden-jubilees-hip-replacement-patients#:~:text=Orthopaedic%20specialists%20at%20NHS%20Golden,just%2011%20hours%20after%20admission.

I definitely saw at least one UK place that does it as a day surgery when I was planning mine. Very common for it to be a day surgery in the US.

I was 38 when I had mine done (46 now). I was in for 2 nights. Out of bed and walking on crutches with the physio on the morning after my op.

I had spinal and sedation. I was asleep for most of it. I did wake up very briefly at one point but went straight back to sleep and didnt feel all that different from previous GA when they were putting me under. I felt amazing when I woke up as I wasn't groggy at all and the pain was under control.

I think I only waited about 10 weeks but was on the cancellation list as I was young, fit and healthy (apart from the crippling pain in my hip) but at the time had young children and was a carer so they did rush me through. Best thing I ever did. I have a tiny bit less mobility than I do in my other hip but nothing that restricts my life in any way.

There's a fb group for people who've had replacements. Quite a lot are having day surgery. I think it's based on where they make their incision. If its posterior the surgeons have to cut through larger muscles to get to where they need to be whereas if its anterior the muscles aren't as large so recovery is quicker.

I’m 45 and need a new Hip but have been putting it off as I’m scared it will be worse… I can’t even squat at the gym anymore and sleeping is the worst.. but same days are better than others and I’ve just learnt to live with it

I had both hips done at 43 and 45. The man in the room opposite was definitely a day case.

I am so happy about the ops as the pain I was in compared to no pain now , and being able to walk anywhere for any amount of time - is something I feel immense gratitude for.

Honestly it will change your life. I'm totally pain free 8 years later. I can even run and did a sprint triathlon a couple of years ago.

It’s day surgery for many where I had mine done. The only reason I stayed overnight was that I was the last to be operated on that day (about 4pm) and the spinal anaesthesia hadn’t completely worn off.

Dont be I was , I left it too long, start planning now. I really regret not having it done sooner and enjoying life more with my teens

Yes - in America anterior as a day case seems very popular. Can’t help thinking it’s also about the money there though.

Not all posterior techniques are equal. I had a minimally invasive posterior procedure that leads to a smaller incision and faster recovery. My scar is tiny compared to DH’s who had the traditional procedure.

It’s one of the surgeries with the highest patient satisfaction rates. You’re young and fit so likely to have an easy recovery. I dithered for a couple of years because I was managing OK. Had it done at 53 and I have no regrets.

I was back to all my usual exercise after about 8 weeks.

I had a hip replacement 14 years ago, at the age of 61, and it’s been fantastic. I actually stayed in hospital for 5 days, as it turns out I can’t tolerate morphine and felt terrible. Once the pain meds were changed things were fine and I was back to walking without a stick after six weeks. I don’t remember how long it took to be fully recovered, but I don’t think it was very long and I’m still walking 5-8 miles a day.

anaesthetist here..... deffo can be day case.

Then they would be failing in their duty.
There are steps you need to go through to release someone from hospital. The things I mentioned wouldn't have had enough time to be carried out in a day.

Just FYI, I live in France and mine was under GA . Great progress has been made in anesthesia and I wasn’t groggy afterwards at all.
I had a slight hip dysplasia so it was done on ‘posterior’ side. In and out within 24 hours. Physical therapist had me walking the same evening . Amazing ! Took about a month to feel healed.

Thank you to all who work in medicine and health care and make this possible.

My husband had a hip replacement and pelvic reconstruction at 57 due to childhood perthes disease, the surgery was complicated and took 4 hours. He had 2 nights in hospital and was off work for 6 weeks, now nearly 4 months on he is pain free for the first time in 40 years, he is mobile and active, his mental health has massively improved too. He says it was totally worth it.

Ambulatory-Hip-and-Knee-Replacement-Guide-March-2023-FINAL-V1-1.pdf

I read the earlier article to this one

NHS secures bone cement rescue package so surgery can resume - BBC News

but it looks like you should be ok - maybe with a slight delay to your surgery.

This is good news! I was really worried that it was going to lead to an even longer wait for the operation.

Another question - how much notice do they give you regarding going in for the operation? Also,if anyone has experience of being given a cancellation to be seen sooner,how much warning do they give you?

Totally incorrect. We use short acting spinals and do day surgery hips all the time. My 89yo gran was fit for discharge at 22h post op when we paid privately

Look up eras (enhanced recovery after surgery). The patients are specifically selected ie young fit motivated not old grannies. Theyre put first on the list.. Their discharge drugs are made in advance so grab and go. The surgeon writes the discharge documents whilst we anaesthetise the next. They get given anticipatory pain meds preop. Soon as the spinal wears off (short acting) then physio see and discharge ASAP. Discharge is protocolised so nurses discharge with no Dr involvement if fit criteria