Pre-op preparation and Post-op expectations

[BozemanHip]

Dear Hippies,

I'm a 58 year old male.  About a year ago, I was diagnosed with fairly severe arthritis in my left hip. I was told that I'd need a new hip someday. As a longtime climber, trail runner and backcountry skier, I was crushed by the news.  Fast forward: That "someday" came a lot sooner than I expected. I am scheduled for a hip resurfacing on June 28, 2016 with Dr. Pritchett in Seattle.  Since my femur is rather small, I'll likely receive the polyethylene implant.  I have questions for some of you successful hippies out there.

1) What sort of pre-op physical therapy is recommended? My plan is to continue with a healthy dose of the typical hip stabilizing exercises mixed with some stretching.  I still backcountry ski (there's still snow here in Montana) and hike when I can, but I'm worried that I might damage the hip joint to where it can't be resurfaced.  If anyone has pre-op experiences/methods that worked for them, please share. 

2) If all goes well, I'm hoping that I'll be able to hike a little by the end of Summer (8-10 weeks, post-op).  Is this a realistic goal? Of course I've read numerous stories on this site and recognize that each individual has a different experience, but please share your experiences.

3) I haven't seen many posts from backcountry skiers with resurfaced hips. I've skied my whole life, so I'd like to think that I'll return to this wonderful sport after my resurfacing. Does anyone have any thoughts or insight about this?

4) I'll be traveling from Montana to Seattle for surgery. Can anyone share ideas about where to stay and what to expect from Dr. Pritchett?

Even though I want my pre-arthritic life back, I understand that life after resurfacing is going to be something new.  I guess this post is mostly about getting reassurance from others that I'm going in the right direction. 

Thanks.

-TK

[badbone]

TK

I am sure Dr. Pritchett's office has a listing of places to stay-make sure you check with them and then I am sure other hippies will respond with personal experiences.

I plan on getting back to hard core skiing!!! Yes sir!!

As far as hiking.....I am 7 weeks out and I could hike if I wanted to.  Dr. Prichett will instruct you on your limitations. One thing you will want to be careful about is the possibility of falling!!!  The femoral neck is one of  the delicate portions POST OP.  Since the surgeon is drilling a hole down the center of the femoral head, you are effectively removing some support/strength.  That's why driving is limited until 6 weeks post op.  Putting stress/pressure on the neck too soon is not recommended. If you were to fall, it could spell trouble by fracturing the femur or worse. A bone density test will dictate if you are on a slow recovery or quick recovery plan.

I am sure other hippies will respond.

And of course a huge thanks to PAT for making this site !!!

[catfriend]

I had my right hip resurfaced by Dr. Pritchett On January 19. If you haven't received it yet, you will shortly be receiving a packet from Susan (Dr. Pritchett's assistant/patient coordinator). The enclosed binder has a set of exercises you should do pre-surgery. There is also a list of suggested places to stay. The popular recommended choice is the Inn at Cherry Hill. If you want details of my experience with Dr. Pritchett, they can be found elsewhere on this site as well as on my site hipresurfacingwoman.com  I'll be updating this shortly since I've reached the four month mark today.

Hard to say about hiking at 8-10 weeks. You'll be having a follow up appointment by that time, so you can always ask then. It also depends on what you mean by "hiking". If you mean a relatively short hike, 1-3 miles, on rolling, but not steep, terrain, then I would say "probably". If you mean an all day multi-mile hike with a huge elevation gain, then no. A couple of weeks ago I went to Sequoia and Yosemite NPs, and I walked over 5 1/2 miles at Sequoia one day, and then about 4 miles the next day at Yosemite. These were close to car walks, not Big Time hiking. This was not a problem at all. However, there are definitely some mountain hikes here in Washington I wouldn't try yet. I plan on building up to those!

I'm not a skier, so I can't answer that one.