THR on 2/3/2011

[svanci02]

I had my Right side done on 2/3/2011 and scheduled for my left one on 3/3/2011, is this too quick for my second one?
I have to admit, I amd 12 days past and it has been a lot better after that first week.

[svanci02]

I had my THR two weeks ago and I have tried to sleep on my back since my operation. I have never slept on my back in my life, when is it safe to try an sleep on the side of my THR?

[jamie b]

    Hi Svanci02

   I have had bi lateral THR. I had the first operation in September, and i waited for six weeks before i slept on my side with a pillow between my legs. It was awful, as i only managed to sleep for a few hours each night.
    I had my second operation on January 10th, i was dreading the six weeks without sleep again. This time i put a folded pillow between my legs, and turned over onto my good hip(the first operated one) after about two weeks. I rested in that position for about ten minutes. I tried this again after about an hour, and i tried it several times during the day. After a few days at this i slept the night on my good hip, sometimes waking at night to alternate between lying on my back and side.
   I had no probems after, it is about six weeks now since my last operation so i am getting there.I checked through this site and ive noticed more people who tried the pillow between their lags after a few weeks, so check it out! But be careful, as you dont want to do harm to your new hip, take it gently. It worked for me, but it might be harder for you. I am just sorry now that i didnt try it after my first operation.
     
     james

[svanci02]

Thanks for your reply James, I have been so worried to hurt something that I have not tried to turn on either side. Like you, I get up every couple three hours and walk to help keep things moving. My next THR on my left side is in two weeks so I want to find the best way to handle my slet as this is a part of the healing process that I would have to think is very important. It sound to me like I really can't "hurt anything" to try it, just whether it would be comfortable?

[jamie b]

Hi Svanci02

  God you were lucky to get your second hip done so soon after the first one! How did you manage that? I asked my surgeon if i could do the two together, or at least a couple of weeks appart. He woudnt let me, he insisted that i would have to wait at least three months before he did the second operation. I was anxious to get the two done as close together as possibe, so that there would be ony the one recovery period and less time off work.
Anyway its all over now, so i am well on the way to recovery. One thing though, which might concern you, it is nearly six weeks now since i did my second hip, but there is no way i can lie on that side yet. I can just about lie on it for a few minutes, but definatly i am not able to sleep on it. It took about 10 weeks the last time before i was able to sleep on the operated hip, so be careful! The important thing is to try what is comfortable for you, dont risk a dislocation! It wouldnt be worth it!
                james

[svanci02]

James,
Thanks for the advice!
I had an MRI done and one week later after two diff surgens looked at it I had my first THR because I had a break in the neck of my right hip. My left hip they tell me is in worse shape then my right one was without the break. They are afraid that it will break just from walking on it because it is so bad. I thought for years that this pain was arthritis and never had it looked at until the neck cracked on my right side. I am a little worried about one month apart but will just have to sleep on my back for a while longer. I have to admit, it has been two weeks and I am walking with a cane and getting around pretty good. I little sore after PT yet but I am pushing trying to make ssure I am ready for the next THR. I exercise 3 times a day and use alot of ice.

[ReneeP]

I'm almost 10 weeks out since I've had my THR (a revision 5 weeks after resurfacing due to a fractured femoral neck).  I was able to start sleeping on my operated side comfortably at about 8 weeks.  Prior to that, I slept either on my non-operative side with a couple of pillows between my legs, or on my back with my knees raised.  Now, I can sleep in any position comfortably.

Good luck...you'll get there eventually.

[svanci02]

I have to say, if you have a choice, I would have three months in between the two operations. I did not realize how hard it would be to use your first operated leg as your lead leg 28 days after the operation. I will make it through the whole thing but it is not an easy thing to do.

[FlbrkMike]

This is something I've been thinking about a lot, since I had my first BHR on 2/11 and am scheduled for my second this Friday, 3/11 (28 days).  It's the one thing (OK the main thing) that makes me uneasy about the second surgery.  The rehab on my left side has gone really well so far.  I'm walking without a cane except for when I go on 1.5+ mile walks on the hills in our neighborhood.  ROM on my left side is now better than on my right side.  But it's still not nearly 100% strengthwise and, as you said, it will need to be the lead leg.

How strong is your first operated leg?  What specifically do you find most challenging about your current recovery?

Another main consideration that I have is that if I had waited another two months then the total recovery would be two months longer.

[hernanu]

I had three months in between, and the recovery went well. It's hard to say, though, since others have had both hips done and recovered well also. Good luck, I'm betting things will go equally well for this hip.

[svanci02]

Flbrkmike,
I have to say that the hardest thing is going #2 and this is because of the first leg is not to full strength. The bad is that you always are in some type of discomfort/pain for a long period of time. The nice thing is that in a total of eight weeks, both will be done and a "normal" life will be back. It helps that I have an angel for a bride and she is very helpful. My AVN was at such a late stage that THR was my only option. I would say my first leg is at 85% and this is because I worked it 45 minutes three times a day.
By the end of this week, I will be glad it is all over!!! Good luck, if you are willing to work at it, you will do fine

[newdog]

I had both hips done within 3 days. First one on Monday, second one on Wednesday. Maybe I'm not a good example since mine were so close together and not weeks apart. I didn't plan it that way, my surgeon (Dr. Gross) told me we could do it that way. I was going to ask him what he thought about having them both done the same time, but he beat me to it and suggested it right away. I guess it was because both hips were so bad. I really wasn't sure if I was willing to go that way so I was going to get his input before I made that decision.

The whole time before my surgery I wondered if I was doing the right thing, getting both done at once. I knew it would be a challenge and not much fun. It turned out the two surgeries weren't bad at all. I just had to rely on my two crutches more and learn to move around with both legs out of order. I think the first week or two I wasn't sure if I would do both if I did it over again. Once I started to get more control in my legs, I was glad I had both done. I'm glad I don't have to look at another surgery. At 8 weeks post op I'm doing fine and feel more strength every week.

[svanci02]

My recovery is going as ecpected but I noticed that my left leg is about an inch longer then my right on now, has anyone ever had this problem and how big of a problem will it be as my life goes on?

[John C]

Sometimes the inequality is more of a feeling than an actual difference, and sometimes it is temporary due to muscles rotating the pelvis. However, having an actual difference in leg length after surgery is not that uncommon, and you can confirm that actual difference either with your surgeon, or a good PT. If you want to try measuring the two sides yourself to confirm the difference, the landmarks often used in measuring are from the iliac crest (the bony ridge on the side of your pelvis, above the hip joint), to the tip of the bone on the side of your ankle.
If it is a full inch different, that is quite a bit, and may require you to make some adjustments to protect your back. The most common adjustment is to put lifts under the soles of your shoes on the short leg side, to balance you out. My new hip came out about 4mm (.15 inches) longer, and it has not been an issue at all, though I did feel it at first. My mother's hip came out about 1cm (.4 inches) longer, and she had to put lifts on the soles of all of her shoes, even house slippers, in order to keep her back from acting up.

[svanci02]

John,
Thanks for the reply and I will try that

[svanci02]

I am 14 days post op on left and 42 days post op on right hip and I just got back from a half mile walk on a beautiful day, a little tired but feels GREAT!!!!

[svanci02]

OOPPs half mile might be pushing it because my upper leg is starting to swell some, will put ice on it and see what it is like in the morning. I just stopped waering my TEDs today also so that might be adding to the swelling also