Hi all, I hope this isn't a daft question.
I find it really uncomfortable trying to watch any of the live surgery videos, knowing that It's gonna happen to me.
One thing I'd like to know is- when the surgeon separates the joint, how easy does it come apart?
When I look at hip x-rays, the ball of the femur looks as if it's just resting in the socket and could come out really easy.
I'd always assumed that it was a really snug fit, and would take a lot of force to get apart.
Anyone seen it done? (and how gruesome was it?)
Cheers, Mike.
Mike,
There are videos of the op on You tube & links via a couple of the experienced surgeons website's showing all the detail.
Personally I couldn't face watching it prior to my op but I was really interested post op and watched it all post op. Really glad I waited until then to be fair. I guess ignorance was bliss until that point for me!
Cherz
Kiwi
Hay mike. I believe it depends on several factors. Type of arthritis, how muscular the patient is, size and morphology of the bones. There's loads of things. However I think it's actually quite a hard joint to dislocate. I really wouldn't worry mate. You are going to have really one of the best surgeon's in the world. And you'll be out cold.
I watched before my surgery and really wish I had not.......that said, by the time I hit the operating table I didn't give a $h1t cuz those drugs did their thing. So - watch if you want, but try not to get freaked out cuz it won't matter :P
And in the end - the results are worth it no matter what!
They forcibly rotate your hip till it dislocates and it pops out, it's really the easy part of the surgery. The hard part is getting to your acetabular socket to implant the cup, remember in a HR they do not lop off any part of your femoral neck so everything is in the way.
A few surgeons have started doing a mini hip as it's easier to get at everything, if I wanted my femoral head cut I would have just went and gotten a THR and been done with it.
If your surgeon is very experienced and has a good record don't worry about it, let your surgeon worry doing his job correctly, you worry about doing your end of the job by rehabbing correctly. Remember we pay our surgeons to do the job correctly and for him to worry about the results.
Chuck
I'm seeing Mr Treacy in April.
I know he's the man for the job, and I've gone from dreading it to looking forward to it (since I found this site)
Looking at both the BHR and the natural hip, it amazes me that either of them stay where they're meant to!
It seems like they just 'rest' in the acetabelum and could be easily knocked out, but I know that's not the case.
I'll definitely look at the videos when I'm a hippy.
Mike,
You'll be fine, you can take it to the bank. You cannot get any more experienced.
We all dreaded it, it's a necessary evil to get your life back.
Chuck
Thanks Chuck.
The positive outlook on here really drives me on.
I'm looking forward to coming on in a few months and being able to help someone who's where I am now.
I don't want to know. My first BHR no bruises. My second looks like a Mack Truck hit me on the side. Bruise is worse than the scar. I'm taking pictures!
I am not saying this happens a lot, but it has happened where patients were accidentally dropped off of the table. That would hurt for sure!
Chuck
To me, it was like my college age daughters wanting to confide in me about their life, unless they wanted advice or help on something vital, I just don't want to know. Lie to me please!
I didn't see any of the videos before, just proudly contemplated the result.
My surgeon said it was really hard to dislocate the joint once the BHR was set prior to the final install so I'm guessing the first dislocation requires some effort.
I'm with Kiwi and Hern, wait til after surgery to watch. I've been digging through McMinn's book and there are some really graphic and fairly well-displayed surgery photos. I'm not usually squeamish, but when you start to think about all of that happening to you, it can make you a little uncomfortable.
With that said - The surgeon's assistant was not a big fellow and I even asked my surgeon this question. Surprisingly when you twist the leg (toe inward), I think you get a lot of leverage on the femoral neck, so I don't think they have to get too forceful to dislocate. Also I think it's a bit like anything you do several hundred times, you find just the right amount of force, just the right way, with just a bit of English oon it, you get it down to a science.
I've seen surgeries where just a little twist and it pops right out of the socket, remember, a lot of the stuff holding it in ie: muscles and tendons have been released at that point.
The really hard part is getting a good look at the hip socket to get that cup placed at a nominal angle.
Chuck
Quote from: obxpelican on February 13, 2012, 05:55:18 PM
I've seen surgeries where just a little twist and it pops right out of the socket, remember, a lot of the stuff holding it in ie: muscles and tendons have been released at that point.
The really hard part is getting a good look at the hip socket to get that cup placed at a nominal angle.
Chuck
Or an abnormal angle as lots of surgeons seem to have managed.