Bill’s Hip Resurfacing with Dr. Brooks 2008
August 4, 2008 I am on day 11. I had the BHR done by Dr Brooks at the Cleveland Clinic. Today is the first day I feel somewhat human. My pain has been in the front of the thigh with a lot of cramping type pain in the leg. I am only allowed to put 75% of my weight on the leg for 6 weeks after the surgery. I was surprised to hear you say that you were still on crutches.
I did not do well with the oxycondon and viocodin and have stop using them although I am having trouble sleeping at night. It is also painful getting in and out of bed and car. Everyone keeps telling me have patience but I guess I did not expect how tough it was going to be.
I am 44 and was very active, 12 lbs over weight but in pretty good shape
August 23, 2008 Dr. Brooks is a VERY confident Doctor. I liked him and his assistant Phil. I was told that the surgery could take 2-3 hours, but mine only took 1-1/2 hours. I was his second surgery for the day. He scoffed at the hospital PT that treated me like a THR patient. The PT was telling me not to bend past 90 or do not cross your legs. I was surprised at the lack of knowledge of the hip resurfacing by the nurses and PT’s at the hospital.
Care at the Cleveland Clinic was very good but it did slip a little around the weekend. My first day of PT they stuck me in a small wheel chair that was squeezing on my incision. After sitting in PT for 10 minutes in excruciating pain (my med were late) they ask if I was ready to start working on my knee??? They had mixed my chart with my roommates who had a total knee replacement. Once that was straightened out the rest went smooth.
September 2, 2008 My Dr. must be very conservative because I am only allowed to put 75% weight on my op leg and walk with 2 crutches for 6 weeks. I am 3 weeks out on Wed and starting to feel better. Doing basic PT and walking everyday.
September 13, 2008 4-1/2 weeks out. I asked the resident from Nigeria how large my incision was after my surgery (he was the one who sewed me up). He didn’t know inches but he said it was about 10 cm which converts to 4″. Turns out he didn’t know cm either because it turned out to be 8″. There goes my Speedo wearing days Ha, Ha, Ha.
I had 21 staples that were taken out 12 days after surgery. They were replaced by adhesive strips that have almost all fallen out.
September 17, 2008 I am 5 weeks out and just beginning to become useful around the house. I have 3 kid that are older than yours, 15, 12, 9 and they have been a great help to me and to my wife around the house. First week coming home I laid around and complained but each week I was able to do more. The biggest problem is carrying anything around while you have to use 2 crutches. Standing is not a problem so I could set-up in the kitchen and load the dishwasher or cook when I really got bored.
It was easier to go up and down stairs holding on to both railings and having my kids carry the crutches. I never felt comfortable going down stairs on my crutches. I ask for and received crutches from the hospital PT. Make sure you request an isle seat on the plane so that you can extend the leg. I could not bend mine for very long due to swelling in the thigh.
September 26, 2008 I had my 6 week post-op with Dr. Brooks yesterday and everything is going great. He instructed me to get rid of the crutches and start walking. I had a cane ready but he said I shouldn’t need it. I am limping on that side but he gave me an exercise to do (side leg lift) that should get rid of the limp. I am to do low impact exercises like cycle, swim, walk ect…, but I should be careful and don’t over do it for 1 year. He doesn’t want to see me until my one year anniversary.
Dr. Brooks wants his patients to use crutches for the first 6 weeks and only put 70% of their weight on the new BHR hip. Then no running, jumping, skiing or high impact for the first year. He explained that the femora head is weak at the cap and compared it a paper clip. If you keep bending a paperclip back and forth it will snap without warning. The femora head is similar. He talks of one of his first patients that was doing leg press with weights at the 4 month mark without his approval. The head broke and he eventually had to have a THR.
The first 2 weeks of recovery were tougher than expected but everything else from the surgery until today has gone very smoothy. I currently have no pain except when I move my leg in an unusual direction.
October 7, 2008 I am 8 weeks post op and realizing I did the right thing. Walked 2 miles on Sunday and my BHR hip felt more solid than my other hip and it is in pretty good shape. I am using a cane on long walks to keep myself from limping. I was instructed by the Dr. to use crutches for 6 weeks, use a cane only if needed to keep from limping, and no running or jumping for a year. I was able to do light stationary bike after 2 weeks and swim (haven’t gone yet) after 4-6 weeks. I think that was more of an incision healing issue.
November 21, 2008 At 13 weeks I still have some clicking, not clunking any more. I used an elliptical trainer for the first time 2 days in a row this week and had a lot of clicking. Also feeling that pain on the outside of the hip today. Probably over did it.
Mine will click a lot if I am sitting in a certain position and bounce my leg (nervous habit). It doesn’t hurt but it does feel weird.
December 15, 2008 Started doing tai chi last week and holding stances for time to strengthen my legs. New hip feels good for first 1/2 hour then feels a little unstable as it tires. I mainly do chinese form (kata) training and am happy to “get moving again”. Getting back to working out should help me shed the extra 10 lbs.
December 28, 2008 I am 4 months out and I am just starting to forget about my hip, I mean walking without thinking about every step. I did about 6 hours of shopping on Saturday and my no-op hip became sore and my new one did not. I hope that is not an indication of surgeries to come.
At 6 weeks Dr. Brooks told me to loose the crutches and start walking and “Don’t Limp”. I did use a cane on longer walks for a couple weeks because I felt more stable. So far everything is going great.
February 25, 2009 I am still a little clunky at 6 months. Everyone on this site says that the clicking/clunking goes away with time.
I was doing step-ups 2 weeks ago (Step up on a bench and step back down) and the next day I had a lot of pain in the front of my thigh and a little burning in the hip area that lasted for 3 days. I was afraid I really screwed my hip and was ready to call the Dr. when it finally went away. Haven’t done those exercises in 2 weeks but with each week comes a new sensation in the hip/leg area after exercising.
June 13, 2009 I am 10 month out and having some of the same symptoms. I had been doing some light weight lifting on mostly upper body but got bored. My knee on my op leg was beginning to hurt so I switched to a core workout program with leg work. My Dr. does not want me to do any repetitive squats, lunges or leg presses until a year after surgery but since I was close to a year I have been doing light weight lunges a couple times a week. This has strengthened my knee so it does not hurt but know I am getting more clunking in the hip. The day after a workout I would be limping and not notice. I would not have pain in the hip but hobble like you described. If I rested a couple days I would feel better but without exercising I don’t feel like I am getting any stronger.
I am anxious for my 1 year check-up in August. I am always afraid that I have knocked something loose. I have not seen or talked to my Dr. since the 6 week check up so a good set of X-rays and his reassurance will make me feel a lot better.
changeme1042451 I am 20 months out and doing very well. There is no swelling and the incision area has filled in. Except for the 8″ scar you couldnt tell which leg I had done. Even at this point I still notice improvement. I got my one year clearance from the Dr. in August of last year and went slalom water skiing 1 week later. I was worried I would crash and I would see my leg still sticking out of the waterski when I came up but its still attached.
I am 46 and still do moderate weight lifting 2 times a week to keep tone. I also coach soccer, cycle about once a week, and still do Chinese Martial arts although not like I use to.
My other hip is showing signs of wear on the xrays but it feels good if I don’t overdue it and the above activities do not bother it.
August 13, 2010 I celebrated 2 years on 8/13. Although not as active I to notice a few twinges here and there depending on the activity.
February 28, 2011 I am 2-1/2 years on my left BHR. Skiing last week in PA on icy, cruddy conditions. Caught an edge and went down hard on a patch of solid ice. I landed directly on my hip with all my weight. I ended up with a slight surface bruise but my hip felt fine and I finished skiing that day. I am impressed with how durable the hip is and feel more confident doing other activities.
February 3, 2012 3-1/2 years and going strong.
August 30, 2012 I am 2 weeks late from posting my 4 year update. I am pain free (in that hip) and going strong. Slalom water skied this summer and remain very active. Looking forward to snow skiing this winter. I still get clicking (not the louder clunking) in that hip with certain situations and movements but have gotten use to it. I would recommend this surgery if your hip is going bad and you want to remain active.
My non-opp hip is going to have to be done at sometime. With moderate activity it is tolerable, but after a lot of activity I am limping for a couple of days. When I favor that leg then the other parts begin to hurt like my back and my knee. My Dr. said I will know when it is time. I will not wait as long as I did for the other leg.
October 25, 2012
Just made the appointment to be a Bilat in Dec. Left BHR is 4yrs & 2 month old and doing well. I have been stressing about when to have the right hip done because it has slowly been degrading. The last 2 week after a couple of hard workouts it began to really bother me to the point the pain killers did not help too much. Almost pulled out the dreaded cane to help get around yesterday.
December 20, 2012
Had my right BHR done yesterday which makes me an official Bilat. Everything went very smoothly. Couldn’t sleep very well last night but felt very good this afternoon. Up and walking with walker first and then switched to crutches. Dr said I could go home tomorrow if I do my steps tomorrow and I don’t get snowed in.
I can’t say enough about the care I recieved at Euclid Hospital branch of Cleveland Clinc. The nurses and staff have been wonderful.
Made it home on Friday evening through a snow storm and am resting at home today. This side has seemed so much better than the first. The hospital care was very coordinated and anticipated every step. From the house keeping guy grabbing me a ginger ale or an ice pack to the PT people and nurses working together. They all had very good training.
The pain medication was a big problem my first time, oxycodone, and made my sick. We were able to alternate Vicodin and ultram with a muscle relaxer and kept the pain low and me coherent.
Made it home on Friday evening through a snow storm and am resting at home today. This side has seemed so much better than the first. The hospital care was very coordinated and anticipated every step. From the house keeping guy grabbing me a ginger ale or an ice pack to the PT people and nurses working together. They all had very good training.
The pain medication was a big problem my first time, oxycodone, and made my sick. We were able to alternate Vicodin and ultram with a muscle relaxer and kept the pain low and me coherent.
January 2, 2013
2-Week update. So far so good. Had a scheduled ultrasound appointment to check for blood clots this morning and everything was clear. Thankful to be done with the calf pumps. Drove to work at my wife’s objections (don’t tell my Dr.) and did not have any problems. Going to try 3/4 days at my desk job for this week. We do have a large heated warehouse were I can get some indoor walking without worrying about slipping in the snow.
Only taking 2 aspirin for blood thinning and 2 tylenol per day. My knee is still sore and has weird bruises on the inside that looks like marks from a clamp to hold my leg during surgery. Not sure if that is what it is from. No pain in the hip which is great.
I had a lot less bruising or swelling this time compared to 4 yrs ago. Already feel like I could switch to one crutch but will keep using 2 and follow my own advice.
January 17, 2013
I am 4 weeks from my R-BHR and feeling pretty good. Hip feels good and I think I am either on or ahead of schedule compared to my left which was done 4-1/2 years ago. Today is the first day that I do not feel exhausted 1/2 way through the day. I had dropped to one crutch on Saturday and went back to 2 on Sunday after feeling sore and wiped-out. Back to one crutch today and feeling strong. May play with cane this weekend as long as I can do it without breaking the 75% weight bearing rule issued by my Dr.
My knee is still sore when I move it from side to side. I feel they must have really torqued it during surgery. It is slowly getting better. Bruises are gone and I am surprised at how good my scar is healing. Left one had staples but used the glue on latest one.
The 5 PT exercises that were given by Dr. are becoming easy. I started riding the stationary bike without resistance for 20 min at a time on Monday. Able to put on socks and tie shoes after 3-1/2 weeks without help. So far I am pleased.
January 31, 2013
Had my 6 week check-up with Phil, Dr. Brooks assistant, on Tuesday. X-rays on both hips look great. Seems I have a 50 ball & 56 cup which he said was average in the men they did. I was given one additional exercise to add to the ones I have been doing since surgery, a lying hip abductor. He said do this 30 times, 3 times a day, and this would help eliminate any limp. Having trouble doing that many on my good hip let alone the new one.
I did show up with a cane instead of crutches and he ask how long I had been using it. He told me not to do any impact activities for 1 year. He told me I could golf, bike and swim as long as I did not overdue it and to listen to my body. So in typical fashion I overdid it yesterday and am paying for it with sore muscles around my hip today. But there is no pain anymore in the joint.
I have found that my hip does tire after a medium walk. A cane does help my gate and keep me from limping on longer walks. I only have to put a small amount of weight on it. Thanks again for everyone’s help and support.
April 12, 2013
I will be at 4 months at the end of next week.
I have also been pretty aggressive with stretching, walking, bicycling, and a core workout which includes weights (no leg presses). Twice during my recovery I have had to take 3 to 4 days off just to let my body catch up. My back would lock-up, my hip and knee would get sore, and I would feel run down. After rest I would feel better and continue.
“Patients” and “don’t overdue it”, are the two words of advice you will hear the most from doctors and the wise people on this site. It is not a good idea to try to kick-start your son’s dirt bike before you are ready (yes, I did this last weekend without thinking and my hip let me know it in a hurry) and I would also not be running at 19 weeks (wink, wink). It’s a (walking) marathon, not a sprint. My biggest gains on my other hip done 4-1/2 years ago were at 6 months, 1 yr, and 1-1/2 yrs. I also notice improvement even at 2 yrs.
February 20, 2014
I was skiing on Monday in Western NY. Was carving some nice turns on very hard packed snow (what they call ice out West) and I looked up to admire how pretty the ice on the trees looked. Boom… I caught my edge and went down hard on my hip. One of those falls that jar your whole body. Of course this always happens under the chair lift. I got back up, gathered my pride, and continued down the mountain. Very minor bruise on the hip area and my back is a little sore today but no problem with the hip.
December 29, 2015
7-1/2 years on left and 3 years on right and still going strong. I cannot emphasize enough that it takes continued exercise, stretching and conditioning to keep your new (or old) hips going strong. Add a few pounds and go through a lazy spell and I will start to limp and clunk again.