Both hips at once?

[newdog]

bri,

I had both done within 3 days of the same week. First one Monday then the second one done on Wednesday. I'm glad I had it done that way and would do it again. My surgeon is very experienced at doing bilats that way. It was a challenge with mobility at times but nothing I could not deal with. If you have any questions just ask.

[bri]

Why did you not get both done on the same day? How long before you could walk? Take pain meds?I work at a computer most of the time.How long do you estimate before I could go back to work? I only get 2 weeks of vacation, the rest I am going to have to work from home. I need to get back  as soon as I can. How long were your scars?Is it extremely painfull or do pain meds do a pretty good job? How long did you have pain?

[bri]

How you recover after surgery has a lot to do with attitude, condition of the hips pre-op, your general health, how well your surgeon does the job and many other factors.  You will also need to consider what type of work you are going back to as to how quickly you will be able to get back to it as well. There are quite a few people here who have had their surgeries a couple of days apart and less that have had them done on the same day and there are a lot of differences on the length of recovery but I think that the common consensus is that we were all glad to have done it this way for various different reasons. 

I don't think my rehab was twice as hard as one side at a time and even though I did have some minor complications that held this up, I would have had these had I just had one done and I would have had major pain on the un-operated leg trying to be the support for the other. Discomfort sleeping seems to be pretty common for one or two - it's just something that you have to get through.  I could tolerate sleeping on my side at about 4 or 5 weeks.  I did need to have the pillow between them to make sure that I didn't cross the midline but I had slept that way for almost 20 years as it was the only way that I was comfortable so it wasn't a big deal.  In the grand scheme of things, I don't think the sleeping discomfort was enough to make me say don't do it. 

If you are aiming for a fast recovery, I'd be doing as much as you can to get as fit and healthy as you can pre-op to set yourself up for the best possible outcomes.  This is one factor that you at least have some control of going in.

[Lori Cee]

Annie:  I don't think I'll ever get rid of the pillow.  I'm too used to it and it feels really strange not to have it.  I guess it's like any habit now - if I don't have one, I can't sleep.  I also need one to hug and my head height needs to be just right too!

Bri:  Some surgeons prefer to do the surgeries over a couple of days, this isn't uncommon.  It would probably be about as common as doing them both in the same surgery.

Pain really wasn't an issue for me - it was just discomfort, lack of strength and fatigue more than anything else.  I am allergic to endone and oxycontin so my pain meds consisted of brufen (nurofen) and panadeine forte - so nothing too strong. 

Having said that, I think that two weeks is a little optimistic even for one side but I may not be the best one to offer an opinion on that since I had a few more strikes against me going in.  Did anyone go back that soon? 
I'd question how you'd go energy wise working fulltime and getting all your rehab done.  Interesting in hearing other hippies comment on this one.  Maybe a really fit person with lots of ticks against their names going in could do it so I won't be completely surprised to hear a couple of you guys say you did it :)

[hernanu]

Why did you not get both done on the same day? How long before you could walk? Take pain meds?I work at a computer most of the time.How long do you estimate before I could go back to work? I only get 2 weeks of vacation, the rest I am going to have to work from home. I need to get back  as soon as I can. How long were your scars?Is it extremely painfull or do pain meds do a pretty good job? How long did you have pain?

bri, do you have short term disability at your work? I went on that for both surgeries; that's what it's for, medical procedures. In my work, we have to use one week for each absence, but then the disability kicks in for the rest. I was out for 5 weeks per surgery, 1 week vacation + 4 disability.

I know people here have gone back to work earlier, and more power to them, but that felt right to me. I also think you'll need more time if you're doing both... will they let you do some work from home?

[Dannywayoflife]

Bri,
     Im no surgeon but I think one of the main reasons that lots of them don't do both hips the same day is because it massively increases the chances of having to have a blood transfusion. I think Derrick mcminn mentions this in one of his video interviews with Vicky marlow.
I would also think that 2 short surgeorys is less stressful on the body than one long one. 

[ScubaDuck]

Bri-

I am only had one hip done so take that in to account.

I was able to get around with one crutch after a couple of days except for long walks.  I was using a cane after a couple of weeks.

I never really had a problem with pain.  I was off of the Oxycodone 24 hours after surgery and off the Oxycontin 84 hours after surgery.  After that it was acetaminophen as needed.  Ice is a really good painkiller as well.

I was working on my computer from home just a few days after surgery.  I couldn't focus for long periods but could get probably 3 hours of work done at first.  By the third week I was getting about 6-7 hours of work done from home.  The fourth week I was working at the office about 6 hours a day.  And the fifth week I was back fulltime but it was not easy.  I work at a desk for the most part. 

There is a poll on this site about length of scars.  Mine is about 7 inches long.

Dan

[newdog]

Dannywayoflife is correct. The reason is because of the increased chance of needing a transfusion because of excessive blood loss. Also it is much less stressful on the body to have them done separately. Dr. Gross must have it right or at least right for him because he rarely if ever has to transfuse anyone. As of September 1, 2010 he could not even remember the last time he had to. That's the day he called me on the phone and we dicussed my surgery. He said to me and this is not a quote, I just don't have to do a transfusion anymore. He doesn't even have blood collected from the patient before the surgery(s). Even if I wanted to have both done the same day, he would not do it. Personally I wouldn't do it that way anyway, but that's me. There are a few on this forum who had both done the same day.

I was on two crutches two weeks, one crutch almost one week and used a cane for one and one half weeks. That was not the doc's schedule, that was just the way it worked out for me. At four and one half weeks I dropped the cane and never looked back. I carried it along with me in my vehicle when I went out somewhere just in case I needed it but I never did. I walked with a very slight limp that didn't last very long but did quite well other than that.

Heavy pain meds were taken for one week then I switched to X-strength Tylenol two tablets three times a day then weened off of them over time. I was never, NEVER in any kind of awful pain.

The time off depends on the individual. If I had a job that I could be free to sit and get up and move around when I needed to, I suppose two weeks off minimum then limited hours such as half days, I don't really know for sure. Everyone is different and have different experiences  with pain and discomfort. There is no way I could have gone back to my job in one or two weeks. I am a CNC programmer/machinist at a major university research shop and there is a lot of walking, lifting, stretching, etc. and all on a concrete floor. My surgeon wanted me to take off work for 6 weeks minimum. He cleared me to go back after that but I stayed off for another 4 weeks. If I had to I could have gone back at 6 weeks but I wanted the extra time to rehab and recover.

My scars are both 4 inches long, they have a slight curve at the one end. Plus there is a small scar about 1 inch above the main scars. That was where a metal rod was inserted and removed. The rod was used for measurement.  Can't remember now what it measured. I love my scars!   :)

Dr. Gross has a very effective pain protocol during the stay in the hospital and after. As I said before I was never in any bad pain. Mostly there was what I would call discomfort around the incisions. Just a little soreness. I was up walking within hours after both surgeries. Slow and a unsteady but with a walker I loved gimping around the hospital floor that I was staying on. I walked it a few times a day.

Keep sending the questions, that's what this web site is all about.

Oh, I forgot, ICE, ICE, ICE. Ice is VERY important and helps a lot with discomfort and swelling.

[Anniee]

Steve, the little extra scar is from the pin Dr. Gross puts in to check leg length.  That one was a surprise to may fate I woke up enough to check out my hip after surgery!  We had very similar experiences, I'm sure because we have the same surgeon.  Dr. Gross put me on iron supplements before the first surgery, and I'm back on them now.  This is to avoid transfusion in case there is some major blood loss, which I did not have for the first hip.

I think that if I had absolutely had to, I could have gone back to work after two weeks.  However, my energy level was still pretty low then, and working would not have left me time to do the required walking and post surgery PT.  I went back to work after 4 1/2 weeks, and I was ready.

Lori Cee, I think I keep waking up at night because the darned pillow falls on the floor and then my leg hurts.  I want to be able to sleep without pain!

[newdog]

Anniee, I couldn't remember what measurement the rod was used for. Thanks. You can see the rod being inserted in Dr. G's surgery videos. I was put on iron supplements for 30 days after my surgeries to build my hemoglobin back to a normal level. There was some blood loss but not enough to require a transfusion. If you look at our surgery reports there is an amount of blood loss listed. I believe it is an estimated amount measured in cc's. I did read mine, but I can't remember what it said.