post op concern

[vanessa0908]

  Hi everyone, i`m a newbie here,
         I had total hip resuface done on 4th jan this year. I think it gone ok but i have a concern that whilst sitting or lying down i cannot raise my leg more than an inch of the floor and it takes all my strength to do this and its extremly painful, but i can lift my leg a good foot no problem at all when i`m standing.My concern is driving as i have a manuel car and need my left leg for the clutch .Is this the norm or should i contact my consultant. Thanks Vanessa

[Pat Walter]

Hi Venessa

You are only 2 weeks post op if I understand your message. 

Goodness - that is very early in your recovery.  It will take you many weeks before you can lift your operated leg from the bed into the air any distance. I was more than 4 weeks post op before I could lift my leg very much.  I was also not able to do the abduction exercise where you move your leg out to the side on your operated side.

There are many muscles that have to heal and it takes a whole year or more for eveyrthing to heal.  Most people get a lot of their MOM back after 6 weeks or so - but it takes time.  Some people heal quickly and others much more slowly. There seems to be no reason why we all heal at different rates.

Most doctors won't let their hip resurfacing patients drive for several months - especially if you have to operate a clutch with your operated hip.  You just don't have the strength or agility to do so.

I drove 12 days post op - but I had my right hip done and drove an automatic car.

Have you talked with your surgeon about this.  I am sure they will not release you to drive.
If you have not been released to drive and get in an accident - you insurance may not pay for the accident since you are not following your surgeons directions.  I would be very careful.

I hope you continue to have a good recovery - but give yourself some time to heal. Normally the best exercise is to walk.  Are you using a walker, crutches or a crutch?

I was on one crutch at 4 days and none at 4 weeks.  I was lucky to recover quickly.

Good Luck.

Pat

[Ronnie]

Hi Vannessa
                    I am just 6 weeks post op. All i can say is keep trying even with help to start and it will come . I could not believe i could not get one leg raise on my own for 2 days but once igot 1or 2 it got better real fast. So stay with it and don't hurt you'r self it will come.
                             Good luck Ronnie

[john]

Vanessa,
I had my hip done Dec 18th. Dr's instructions were not to do any leg raises. I have stuck with the 12 PT exercises that are in the booklet and do them 3X a day plus upper body work with lighter weights than normal and feel good. Great range of motion but I'm still not doing leg lifts even though I know I can. Sounds like you need to take it slower and be patient- get other people to do stuff for you and don't do leg lifts, don't break 90 degree rule and don't cross your legs. My Doc is conservative- see previous posts, but so farI'm glad he is- I feel good. He's xraying me next Wed and then I assume he will let me walk. Don't overdo. It's too expensive to wreck it.
John

[Jamcam]

Hi Vanessa

Wow driving after 3 weeks and in a manual car. My surgeon told me no driving for 6 weeks. Also said one of the reasons was insurance (New Zealand, in the south pacific), that after the anesthetic insurance co's wouldn't pay out if you drove within 6 weeks. Definitely sounds a bit early. the leg lifts were only encouraged after I had done about 3 months and are now working fine.

Cheers

James

[rotag]

Starting last week, I was finally able to lift my new hip leg, up about 2 inches off the ground while sitting in a chair.  Now at 10 weeks I can raise it a bit more.  It is all baby steps.  Everyday, I would at least attempt to do what I couldn't do..even if it was just once.  Then one morning you wake up, and you could do what you couldn't do last week.  Patience, and diligence is the combination that has worked for me. 

PS: Prior to surgery, I could not lift that leg off the ground while sitting, nor could I cross it over the other leg...for years.  I can actually cross my leg over the other one now...that was an amazing feat.  I am 10 weeks however, and I know the restrictions of not crossing are for the first 6 weeks, so don't attempt to do that until the proper time.

[vanessa0908]

Hi everyone, thanks for the support and advice . I`m 4 weeks post op now and things are starting to resume, ie leg lifting off floor 3 inches now while sitting.I now walk abit more than a mile a day.However still get quite abit of aching but not sure if thats nothing to do with the resurfacing and all to do with the SC (synovial chondromatosis) which is why i had to have the resurfacing done in the first place, I also had a lump on the head of my ball joint and athritis which was caused by the bits floating round and jamming in the hip space.The consultant did say it won`t get rid of the SC but at least i`ll be pain free as its now MOM.
   There does seem to be a big difference in relation to what you can and can`t do post op.I live near Derby UK and had be referred to Birmingham Royal orthopaedic hospital who specialized in BHR,although i did go back to Derby for the op as they have a brilliant consultant who specialized in BHR too and wanted to get his hand on me because of the SC which is very rare and i became his lab rat so to speak.Here its a case of get up asap and walk. Take care everyone and thanks once again,,,,,Vanessa x

[Pat Walter]

Hi Venessa

That's what I loved about Dr. De Smet and Belgium.  They move you right along.  I was on one crutch at 4 days and sight seeing again at 5 days post op.  Back in the US on day 10 and walking all of Wal Mart on day 11.  Walk, Walk Walk are the instructions.

I did and I am great almost 2 years post op.

I wish the best for you.  Keep up the "get up asap and walk"

Pat