How Soon Downhill Skiing After Surgery?

[sdunn4]

I intend to follow my surgeon's advice to not ski downhill until the 6-month mark.  Unfortunately that is April 24th, and it is highly unlikely we will have any skiing left here in Upstate NY.  Whiteface and Gore Mtn's will both be closed.  Just wondering- were any of you given the okay to ski prior to 6 months?  My doctor's advice was that a fall or a hard impact on the femur could lead to a fracture.  Even on the Bunny Slope.....

Thanks,

Steve

[obxpelican]

Sorry to tell you, it's usually a hard and fast rule.  Many doctors feel that it takes 6 months to get the blood supply to the femoral head enough so that it's strong.

Dr. Gross told me he never has had a femoral neck fracture post 6 months.


Chuck

[stevel]

Steve,

You will need to wait six months since that is Dr. Gross's protocol.
It is also Dr. Su's protocol and I waited six months and skiied on March 28, 2008, two weeks before the end of the season.
But I snowshoed at 5 1/2 months and enjoyed the outdoors.

[ScubaDuck]

I wouldn't take the chance.  There are some activities with a higher degree of risk for high impact and skiing is one of them.  You can be the best skier in the world and some out of control idiot could run into you or a snow snake grab your ski.

You have your whole life to enjoy this now.  Why rush it?

Dan

[WTW15]

Come to Colorado!  We'll still be skiing.  That would be a worthy goal/reward  ;D

[MattBrunner]

Well I should listen to Dan, but I started running at 10 weeks so why not skiing at a few days before 5 months?  I have been working the abductors and medius almost every day and did 4hr of downhill skiing yesterday at Mt. Hood Meadows.

It was a little slow for the first 2-3 runs and turned to the right quicker than to the left but after about 6 runs it was feeling really good.  I stayed on all intermediate runs and the could feel the op side (left) more after so many turns but really thought it was a great workout.  I am finding that muscle building is only part of it as the with the scar the nerve impulses need to rebuild.  I bought a 10 pass it was so good and plan to get at least 5 in before 6 months post op.

Honestly my biggest fear was an out of control boarder hitting me. 

I'm ready for a hippy ski trip because it looks like my BHR is more up to date than my 210cm skis. (o:

Matt

[WTW15]

I'm ready for a hippy ski trip because it looks like my BHR is more up to date than my 210cm skis. (o:

Matt

OMG Matt - ya gotta get some shapers > will really make you feel like a superstar with that new hip now! 

[John C]

Hi Steve,
I would really suggest sticking to the six month rule. I tried to ply Dr Gross with all sorts of rationalizations, such as; I have skied for well over 50 years, I have averaged well over 150 days a year for the past 40+ years that I have been teaching, etc,etc. Dr Gross never blinked, he just kept looking me in the eye and saying six months. Personally, I would not want to bet against how determined he was. Remember that Mr McMinn insists on one year before skiing.

[sdunn4]

Thanks!

I will definitely wait the 6 months and then some.  By the time next year's snow skiing season rolls around it will be around 14 months since my surgery.  Water skiing season usually starts with drysuits in late April or early May; this year I plan to wait for warmer weather and that will give me around 8 months of healing on the rt. hip.  It is heartening to see most everyone is waiting to get back, but then they are getting back at the activity level with a vengeance!

Steve

[lswall46]

I hit the slopes at 5 months, very cautiously.  My doc was okay with that.  In retrospect I made lots of progress at between 6 and 7 months and I concur that it may be wise to wait until the 6 mo. point.  I just finished the season with 100+ ski days and by the end my bionic hip felt equal to or better than the other one.  I am now almost 10mo post op. 

RBHR, Dr. Hickman, Bountiful, UT. 6/20/2011. 

[stephen1254]

With daily temperatures here in Tahoe in the 60's, what snow is left is melting before our eyes. Assuming a mid-November start for next season I will be 8 months post-op. I can hardly wait!

[Tin Soldier]

I was ok'd at 6 months, but I only went one day and my hip squeaked afterward.  Not planning to do it again for awhile.