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Original poster

Hip replacement

25 replies

Apples2021 · 15/01/2022 19:31

My DH is 34 and is having a hip replacement this week. Does anyone have any advice for the recovery and recuperation? We have two small children who leave toys all over the house, so I'm a bit nervous. I also have no idea what to expect. Has anyone had a hip replacement recently?
Many thanks

OP posts:

Mindymomo · 15/01/2022 21:31

A friend of mine had a double hip replacement in her late forties. Consultant didn’t recommend a double, but she wanted them both done together to get it over with. Operation went well and she came home 2 days later with two walking sticks and needed strong painkillers for around 4 weeks, then she gradually decreased these. She needed someone just to stand behind or in front of her when she used the stairs, she took it slowly at first, but soon got the hang of it. She had around 8 weeks off work and went back part time for 2/3 weeks until she felt able to do a full day. My MIL had a hip replacement at the age of 82 after falling at home, she was in hospital for about a week and she used a walking stick for around 6 months, but that was because she had lost confidence with walking without it.

TurboTheChicken · 15/01/2022 21:42

I had a hip replacement in December 2020, I'm 47. I had all the equipment I would need for recovery assessed and delivered before surgery, frames for the toilet and a fab walking frame/trolley thing that I quite wanted to keep. I needed a shower stool for a week. We have very steep stairs in our house, but the physio at the hospital wouldn't release me until he'd shown me how to do stairs with crutches.

I was surprised how much help I needed for the first few days but also surprised how quickly I healed. Within two weeks I was down to one crutch and back to doing all the cooking!

The difference it has made to my life was worth every stitch though. And I have a smashing scar on my ass.

Good luck.

Toothsil · 15/01/2022 23:31

I'm having one this week too! Hope all goes well with your husband's and he recovers well. I'm nervous about mine!

TurboTheChicken · 16/01/2022 11:50

@Toothsil I was very nervous before mine but it was ok, all the staff were amazing and the difference it has made to my life was very much worth it. I'm horse riding, going on water slides with the kids, out walking the dog all the time etc.

I opted for a GA, and didn't need all the pain killers they sent me home with.

I will probably need the other one doing at some point and I feel quite relaxed about it.

Don't watch any You Tube clips of the surgery and accept any help you are offered in the first few days! Good luck.

Toothsil · 17/01/2022 01:18

@TurboTheChicken thank you so much. How long were you in hospital? My surgery is in a few hours, eeeeshk! I'll be getting a spinal and sedation, I'll definitely be going for full sedation! I'll definitely need my other one done, it's just as bad. I'm worried about how I'll cope with one operated hip and one that's so painful and gives way when I put any weight on it 🤔

MooseBeTimeForSnow · 17/01/2022 01:43

I had mine in October 2020 at the age of 46. I was in hospital 36 hours. They will make sure you can climb up and down stairs before you leave.
The most helpful thing I found was a thick, heavy duty garbage bag placed under my bum to help me swivel out of bed in the middle of the night when I needed a pee. You’ll probably need to be on stand-by to help for a few nights.

MooseBeTimeForSnow · 17/01/2022 01:45

I’m back to tap dancing and skiing greens and easy blues. I am more risk avoidant now though and make concerted efforts not to fall over!

Toothsil · 18/01/2022 17:06

I had mine yesterday

I was up walking around 4 hours after surgery, and fully dressed. I got to come home about 11 hours after.

He will need a lot of help at the start. I'm finding I need my husband to lift myegs onto the bed - I can, with difficulty, sit on the bed but can't pull my legs up and round so he's doing that and helped me to get changed for bed last night. He also helped with the exercises (they are not fun!). I can get up and walk around, I can stand unsupported for a minute, like to take my meds in the kitchen. He will need to keep on top of the pain relief. I hope all goes well, any questions just shout

Sportslady44 · 20/01/2022 13:49

its the best thing ever. You need some help to start with thats all things soon return to normal.

Hodibiddy · 20/01/2022 15:55

I had my hip replaced when I was 29.
I will be 60 later this year and it’s still going strong

Original poster

Apples2021 · 23/01/2022 22:16

@Toothsil how are you feeling? My husband had his on Monday too and I'm surprised how swollen his leg is and how slow the progress has been. I think I thought the recovery would be much quicker! I hope you're managing ok and making steady progress

OP posts:

Original poster

Apples2021 · 23/01/2022 22:17

@Hodibiddy that is wonderful to hear! I'm so pleased for you. Have you got any tips for prolonging the life of your replacement?

OP posts:

Toothsil · 23/01/2022 23:05

@Apples2021 thank you for asking! I managed out of the house and into the car to visit my parents on Friday, and Friday night I started being able to swing my own legs into bed - our bed is very high, so that's quite an achievement! I've been so so exhausted though, it seems to be quite a tough surgery. I've been sleeping late in the morning and napping in the afternoon and going to bed early. Today (Sunday) the pain is worse after being really not too bad, and DH said there's a lot of bruising right down from the top of the dressing to my knee. I have more mobility than before already though which is amazing .

I can't sleep for the pain tonight which is annoying because it had eased. I think it must be the bruising. The exercises hurt so much today.

I hope your husband starts to improve soon. I've been assured that while it's tough at the start, it's totally worth it!

ethelredonagoodday · 28/02/2022 12:57

Just been reading this as my DH, who's 46, is having his op in a couple of weeks. He's starting to get a bit nervous, so want to do my to support him through it.

Glitterblue · 28/02/2022 13:44

@ethelredonagoodday

Just been reading this as my DH, who's 46, is having his op in a couple of weeks. He's starting to get a bit nervous, so want to do my to support him through it.

I'm 6 weeks in today, and my recovery has been amazingly painless. I was so very nervous but really didn't need to be. I'm now on one crutch because my other hip is also knackered but I have so much mobility in the new hip, it's amazing. I can sleep on either side now, tie my own laces, there has been no pain since about 1.5 weeks in, other than very slightly sore muscles if I've been doing more walking. One piece of advice I would give is use Deep Heat all over his leg apart from near the incision, especially at night. The muscles all down my leg were agony for days and I've since discovered that they haul your leg into all sorts of odd positions. My husband put deep heat all over my calves, shins, round the knees and up the front and back of the thigh as far up as he could without bothering the incision. Both of my legs were really painful with muscle pain, I don't know if it was just because the other hip is so knackered and I had to lie on that side for 2.5 hours during the surgery.

Your DH will be exhausted for a while, I had to nap after lunch every day for the first 4 weeks.

I hope all goes well for him - I'm happy to answer any questions he may have 🙂

ethelredonagoodday · 28/02/2022 19:34

Thanks glitter, that's very much appreciated!

LINDAHOAD · 23/10/2023 18:19

had a hip replacement at 78 years no problems walking the same evening - after months of pain
what a relief. do not bother with all the alternative therapies they are in the end a waste of time and in the end the only thing is a thr.

do not hesitate you will be so pleased that you did
it

wellSmart · 23/10/2023 18:36

@Glitterblue Hi, I'm a man with hip arthritis which is not really that painful yet so I'm putting off any operation for as long as possible. I'm almost 57.
I'm intrigued that you say that you can now tie your own laces as that is something I really struggle with on my left leg due to stiffness, so wear slip on shoes mainly.
How much greater mobility have you gained since the operation?
I appreciate that's difficult to quantify. eg, were you totally unable to tie your laces before and now you can quite easily or is it still a challenge?

Glitterblue · 23/10/2023 18:53

@wellSmart hello! Well I’ve now had the other hip done as well, and I’ve gone from being completely crippled, unable to walk without crutches, completely unable to tie my laces at all, to pretty much back to how I was before I had the arthritis. The only things I struggle with now are it’s still a little bit difficult to get up from the floor - I can do it by putting my weight on the foot of the first side and coming up from there, but I still need something to lean on to finish pushing up with my hands if that makes sense? And I can squat but it still hurts and is difficult to go right down and back up - I can just about do it but it’s uncomfortable. I think it’s all just a case of strengthening the muscles etc though. I can easily bend right down to tie my shoes, put my socks on, pick things up off the floor, I can climb stairs like an adult rather than a toddler - all things I absolutely couldn’t even imagine doing before due to stiffness, weakness and pain. I got rid of the crutches at 5 weeks post op with the second one, for the first time in 18 months. I wasn’t on one crutch for long after the first one when I had to go to two because of the other hip.

please ask me anything you want to know about the surgery, the recovery and the time before and after it all.

wellSmart · 23/10/2023 18:56

Thanks @Glitterblue that sounds like an amazing transformation.
Just for context, what age are you?

Glitterblue · 23/10/2023 19:22

@wellSmart I was 43 when the pain started, 45 when I had the first operation, 46 for the second one and 47 now. It deteriorated very quickly!

wellSmart · 23/10/2023 19:32

For those of you who have had/or are planning for an operation, how long are the doctors/surgeons telling you that the hip replacement will last for?

I'm almost 57 and not in much pain but limited in the amount of activity/exercise I can do, eg I used to play golf but couldn't play a round now as my hip gets sore after a certain amount of exercise.
Any thoughts?

Glitterblue · 23/10/2023 21:45

My consultant said 15+ years, maybe 20, as long as I stay at a healthy weight. I was in extreme pain, bone on bone, absolutely no cartilage left on either side and I couldn’t walk without crutches so he said in my case it was important to think about my quality of life rather than putting it off until I was older, even if it meant having it done again.

My mum had hers done 14 years ago and has had no issues yet.

I can definitely recommend the surgery if you’re struggling and it’s affecting your quality of life. It’s given me my life back.

Glitterblue · 23/10/2023 21:50

@wellSmart if you’re on Facebook, there’s a very helpful and friendly group called Hip Replacement Support Group UK - there are people at all stages of recovery and pre op as well and you would get some helpful advice there. Thankfully it’s a private group so not splashed all over for all your friends to see every time you post or comment, like some of the other ones. A lot of people feel this is quite personal, and certainly some of the questions people have can be quite personal. I’d recommend joining that group, I’ve found it very helpful.

LINDAHOAD · 29/03/2024 14:46

yes 6 weeks ago at the age of 79 years. had the left one done 18 months ago. walking without aides and walking to the shops 500 yards. no painkillers now

yes you will have to look out for toys etc., but you will not regret it - the pain before i had it done in the groin was awful and used to get fixed so i could not walk until i got it into action, if i was on a bus or train i would have to get it going before the stop and stand up otherwise i could not move.

just remember every day you will get more mobile and every day will become better. best of luck you will not regret it - if you can have a spinal injection which is much better than a ga. had ga the first time but this time spinal and a heavy sedation because i did not want to hear the 'nuts and bolts' marvellous - got the feelings back in my legs from 4pm onwards and we to the toilet on a walking frame about 8pm. eat dinner and was home after 2 nights the best piece of equipment i found was a perching stool and i could then do chores etc. and put it in the shower and sat on that to do personal care.

good luck

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