My mother needs a hip replacement and has been given a 1/5 chance of dying. This sounds bad right? anyone have any positive stories?

[belledechocolatefluffybunny]

It's surgery that will last half a day, she has mild copd, mild heart failure, arthritis and kidney problems. I know that all operations are a risk, does anyone have any stories, good or bad? I've no idea what to expect. She's bed ridden unless they operate.

Well, in statistical terms, belle, she has an 80% chance of pulling through. Also remember that the 20% rate they gave will include things like immobility post-op and risk of chest infections, and so on, not purely the op itself. This is good news, because if she can be motivated to really work at getting up and about, co-operate with the use of TED stockings, take the pain relief so that she is willing to mobilise, etc, then the risk will reduce.

Is she having it under GA? They could explore the option of a Spinal Block with Sedation rather than GA, which would reduce the risk slightly.

The fact is she HAS to have the OP, doesn't she? A woman with COPD, heart failure and kidney problems is more likely to die if they are bedridden, which means that she doesn't have an option about the OP, in real terms.

I know it sounds scary, but 20% isn't a desperately bad chance of dying, in the scheme of operations. And to be honest, whatever the odds, if you are the one, you are the one, the other 4 don't count.

It is a worrying time. But please be reassured that the stats aren't terrible. If 1000 people have the op in her condition, 800 of them would be here to tell you all about their improved quality of life.

Thankyou

I'm not sure if they are doing it under a GA, the anaesthetist is going to see her tomorrow, they are waiting until my sister is there as they want some family input. She was told several years ago by her GP that she'd never wake up from a GA so she's always very anxious when she's in hospital. She's in alot of pain at the moment, she fell in October (after the same hospital she's in now discharged her with an infection induced dementia) and shattered her femur, it was pinned and plated under a spinal anaesthetic which has left her with urine retention so she's been having alot of UTI's. She's in mild heart failure so is retaining fluid and has consolidation on her lungs because she's not moving about. She has no life at the moment, the pins have moved and caused damage to her hip, they can leave it or fix it.

They are not going to operate, she's too high risk. They have told her that she'll probably die within the next 2 years because of the heart failure. All of this because she was sent home unwell from a hospital

Oh belle that's awful :(

Sounds like she has a lot of health problems. What's her quality of life like at the minute. Is it worth you both doing all those things you have always meant to do now? Use the time you have left wisely IYKWIM?

So sorry you are in this situation. I'd love to tell you doctors are often wrong but in COPD cases they rarely are, sadly. :(

so sorry what horrid news.

She's been in hospital for 11 weeks, she's pretty much bed ridden. All they are going to do is physio and pain relief, they have not done any x-rays since January though so who knows what the hip looks like (this hospital is crap by the way). It's destroyed her life, she used to care for my nephew for a few hours a week whilst my sister was at work, she'd come over to see ds in his school plays and end of year ceremony, she can't do any of this now. I think it's a case of having to do things when she gets out of hospital, I was thinking of taking her to see sister act, she's never been to London and would love this. She wants a party for her birthday so I'll organise this. A solicitor is sorting all the legalities out, she should never have been sent home, it was obvious that she had an infection but they wanted her off the ward because she was a handful and they thought she was mad I'm so angry.

:( That's awful.

If you do plan to go down to London, may I suggest you contact your local shopmobility/red cross branch and borrow a wheelchair and go by train. Prebook it with the theatre and book a lunch beforehand - they are very good at taking care of wheelchair users in London theatres if they know in advance. Also book your train in advance. And I know this sounds horrible but work out the nearest hospital to the theatre before you go.

Why don't you wait a month then you can go see the Christmas lights too (yes I know, in September!)

She'll have one anyway I imagine as she can't walk now, just a few steps. I'll take her to the Savoy (she thinks it's very swish). The Christmas lights would be good, I just hope the hospital settle quickly so she can enjoy what time she has left. They have already admitted liability for the bed sores they left her with last time she was there, bastards.

So sorry,Belle

Thankyou.
I hope 1-2 years is a worst case scenario .

Havnt read thge replys, but just wanted to say mt nan agaed 92 had a hip replacement that went good

My 88 year old grandad broke his hip in April. He also has under-lying heart problems and has previous mini-strokes. The first hip replacement was not done well and he was in a lot of pain as the screws had moved. He ended up losing loads of weight and was down to 7st. However... and here is the good part! He went on to have a second hip op, made a good recovery and has now been home for 6 weeks. His mobility is getting better daily and he this week left the house to walk his dog a little bit. He too was told that given his heart condition a GA was risky but like your mum, without the op would have been bed-ridden for the rest of his life. In total my grandad was in hospital for 13 weeks and there were times when we thought he'd never leave but somehow he did.

Hmm. Do you think it's worth getting a second opinion? They have told her that the operation will last half a day, your standard hip replacement takes a couple of hours. I think they have frightened her too much by telling her she may die in the operating theatre.

That's reasuring Hanging and Loopy.

Am sorry to hear that they're refusing to operate on your mum. Am posting this in case anyone else is reading this aswell

My friend had a hip replacement at 35 years old (due to a inherited hip defect, which means she's had lots of ops). She recommends it as the best op she's ever had. It removed the underlying nagging pain that had been there for as long as she could remember.

She says she'd recommend a hip op to anyone suitable for it but would give careful consideration to whether to go for a knee replacement as that's more complicated & the surgeons aren't quite as good at these.

My mum wouldn't have needed the operation if they had not have sent her home ill!

That is dreadful. I am struggling to work out why it would take half a day to replace her hip TBH.

My MIL has lung problems (can't remember the name for a minute, but causes similar problems to cystic fibrosis0 so can't have a GA.

She has had both hips replaced using a spinal block. The first one was 14 years ago and she recovered very quickly, second wasn't quite so good, but she also suffers from diverticulitis and the stress of the operation caused that to flare up.

My father has just had a bypass - the op itself took around 2 1/2 hours, but the surgen said that the overall process would take at least 4 hours, with all the pre and post op activity (anaesthetist etc) - that could be where your half a day comes from.

So sorry about all of it, belle Just wanted to add that my gran had a hip replacement in her early 90s using a spinal block (in France) and was absolutely fine. She had no heart or lung issues, but did have hardened arteries and raised cholesterol so they took no chances.

I would certainly ask the doctors if they are talking about her odds under GA, as opposed to her odds under spinal...and possibly get a second opinion. Especially if its the same hospital that sent her home ill before.

My mum is 67 and had a double hip replacement earlier this year. It went really well and she was walking on the 3rd day after the operation (which was lengthy and under a general due to needing both hips done). Really hope your mum can get a 2nd opinion and better treatment in future Belle.

"That is dreadful. I am struggling to work out why it would take half a day to replace her hip TBH."

probably cos they had previously had to plate the femur. The screws that hold the plate have to be removed to make room for the prosthesis, and that can shatter the femur.

I had a plate & 8 screws in my femur from being a toddler, and my op (aged 42) took 7.5 hours (& burnt out 2 drills apparently !!).
Thing was that the femur shattered anyway after 3 months, so I needed another 8 hour session to wire that all back together, & a year non-weight bearing.

Belle, sorry for your mum

Thankyou for all your kind words. I will suggest that she gets a second opinion, there's no harm in trying, especially as they have not actually x-rayed her hip since January. It is the same hospital that sent her home, I've updated my mum's socitor and she said that this doesn't change the origional complaint though which I don't agree with, if they had not have sent her home she would never have fallen. It's being put through as a human rights issue rather then a clinical negligence case, I'm