post op recovery

[Sal]

had r hip resurfaced by DR Gross on June 5 th.I am in third week post op. walking with one crutch now...however cant put full weight on the joint . Also had two to three very brief episode of hot flashes...
Incision looks good though....
Maybe i am getting anxious....first two weeks really kicked my butt.
Was wondering what to expect post op...

[MarvinB]

Hi, Sal!

5 days behind you.  Had my left done on June 10 with Dr. Gross.  Right was done January of ‘21.  Hot flashes, cold flashes, night sweats.  The first 3-4 weeks are tough.  Lots of factors for putting full weight on the joint.  Every recovery is different.  Good things sometimes take time.

[C.Busch]

Hi Sal,

Your slightly ahead of me but figured I’d offer up my progress so far.

I am 16 days post op.

I am still on crutches. I use 1 crutch for the most part. When I go for an extended “walk” around the neighborhood I will use 2 crutches when I get tired and then switch back to 1, then back to 2, etc. I can take a few steps with no aid, but these do cause discomfort and it is with a very obvious limp and weakness. I can walk laterally and backwards with more strength and less discomfort then I can walk forward. I was able to ride the Airdyne (similar to stationary bike) at 2 weeks post-op. Nothing crazy, just light pedaling for 5-10 min. Hardest part was getting on and off, haha.

I have some pain in glute, but not much. It feels like a deep bruise and I assume these are the deeper muscles of the glute and hip still repairing themselves from the surgery.

Much of my pain comes from aches high up in the groin and hip flexor. These have gotten better but are definitely still noticeable but not unbearable. I would be lying if I said these groin/hip flexor pains didn’t worry me, as they are very similar to some of the discomfort I felt pre-op. Keep my fingers crossed that these pains will go away with time, recovery and rehab.

My hip flexor is still very weak. Cannot do a straight leg raise. My glute is making progress but I do have difficulty feeling it contract with glute focused exercises like bridges.

It has been tough. For some reason I expected progress to come in leaps and bounds as opposed to baby steps. I am staying positive and patient.

Best,
Cole

[IRONMAN]

Hi Cole.

I am past the 10 week mark and my hip flexor was very weak and painful at your stage.

They’re a lot stronger now but the groin/hip flexors area still causes me flare ups if I do too much. The worrying thing is I’m really not doing a lot. 2-3 small walks a day and light exercises.

I swam in a pool 2 days ago, only did 8 laps of a 20m pool and the next day they did not like it! It seems a very tricky area for recovery so far.

What were your symptoms pre op? Age, background etc?

[C.Busch]

Hi Cole.

I am past the 10 week mark and my hip flexor was very weak and painful at your stage.

They’re a lot stronger now but the groin/hip flexors area still causes me flare ups if I do too much. The worrying thing is I’m really not doing a lot. 2-3 small walks a day and light exercises.

I swam in a pool 2 days ago, only did 8 laps of a 20m pool and the next day they did not like it! It seems a very tricky area for recovery so far.

What were your symptoms pre op? Age, background etc?

I am 35 years old. Very active. Phys. Ed. teacher, strength and conditioning coach and athletic trainer by trade. I coach a variety of sports (high school) and live an active lifestyle. Lifting, hiking, biking, Nordic skiing, Pickleball, disc golf and being an involved Dad are my hobbies.

My symptoms/osteoarthritis began when I was 32. My symptoms included aches and stabbing pain high in the groin and hip flexor, as well as what felt like a deeper ache in the joint. In addition, I would occasionally get some clicks and “pops” coming from my hip. The most aggravating symptom was the extreme loss of range of motion. I should mention that my pain was rarely unbearable pre-op, but it certainly was worsening with time and my lack of mobility was extremely limiting and also getting worse. My symptoms would worsen with certain activities, and the list of activities that I tolerated grew shorter and shorter with time.

The deep ache and the clicking and popping has gone since I got the surgery. I do get some pops, but they are a different sensation compared to what I felt pre-op… not sure how to describe it/them. I have felt these pops not only in my hip, but also my knee and lower back. I’m telling myself this is my body accepting and adjusting to the BHR and things are settling into place. The ache in the groin and hip flexor muscles persists, although it is less severe and it seems less constant.

I should mention that for a long time (probably since my mid-late 20’s) I did experience mild aches in the groin and hip flexor. They were most noticeable on days where I was squatting in the gym. I would stretch the adductors and activate the glutes and core during my warm up sets and this would alleviate the issue. If I had to guess, my OA began a long time ago, but did not become prominent until 32 years old when the level of cartilage deteriorated to the point of “advanced OA”.

I’m doing my best to stay positive but still have looming thoughts of “what if this doesn’t work” and “what if I don’t get my mobility back”. Ive had plenty of orthopedic injuries but never one like this and this is my first surgery. Working through this very elementary stage of rehab and recovery has been more mentally challenging than physically.

Gotta stay positive and view each baby step of progress as a victory. I hit the gym today for the first time since surgery. Did light rehab and then a few upper body machines… a victory!

Best,
Cole

[IRONMAN]

Your symptoms and activity seems very similar to mine pre-op,  38 also so similar age.

The trouble with our situation is we haven’t left it unitl it’s absolutely necessary for normal living (walking, going to the shops, climbing stairs, gardening etc). Therefore the margin for being satisfied in my option is smaller. So any lasting issues like ROM , nagging pain or the most important for us pain after training would make it feel the trade off wasn’t worth it!

I’m 10 weeks and some things are just not disappearing. A lot of people say 4-6 months it changed again and I really hope so it it’s just not worth it for our age - if we were 20 years older it’s not too bad.

You’re so early at 16 days at 6 weeks you will feel completely different… after that the gains get smaller I’ve noticed.

Time is a teller!

[C.Busch]

There are so many success stories out there and people claiming that their resurfaced hip is now the “good” hip. Even my doctor (Robert Marchand) said that at some point between 1.5 and 2 years post-op I may haves instances where I forget which hip had the surgery. This sounds like a dream but I’m hopeful it will come true. My doctor connected me with a prior patient of his who is a professional sailer. He broke down his recovery for me and told me that the first 3 months is very tough. At 3.5 months he was back to most activities and after 12 months he felt %100.

You are right though Ironman… the BHR (or any treatment) feeling less than great at our age just seems like an unsuccessful attempt to fix our issue. Yes, time will tell. Stay positive!!

[IRONMAN]

Yes there are success stories out there for sure - we all go into this for that outcome.

But I truly believe it depends on how you are going in and how you feel after - I didn’t have that “all the pain was gone” moment. Right now I think I should have left it longer unitl it was necessary for everyday living and who knows how many more years I could have had past 38 which I’ve now realised after the surgery. My mind wasn’t thinking this going in unfortunately.

You can’t change this major decision once it’s done.

You will feel so different at 6 weeks ish.

[Sal]

In my 7 th week now . How’s everyone doing w recovery. Weight bearing is getting better… but still can’t put full weight on it … still have a constant 2-3 deep pain in the hip… taking the first step is the hardest …  …still restless at night … pillow between legs helped .
Started to walk in the pool…
Going to work next Monday … stressed out !!

[MarvinB]

Good nights and days, bad nights and days.  Everybody’s mileage may vary, but it sounds like you’re right where you need to be.  Walking stairs and climbing grades is the toughest.  The joint is good, the muscles are getting stronger, but the brain keeps going into protect-and-avoid mode.  I’m pushing myself in week 7 with the leg lifts, trying to get to the point of adding a pound.  Yesterday - 30 reps.  Today - only 20.  Might’ve overworked yesterday cleaning house and too many trips up and down the stairs.

C. Busch, I agree with Dr. Marchand, with my right hip, I started forgetting about it around 1 year!  Hoping for the same on this one!

[MarvinB]

Sal, are you on Dr. Gross’s “fast recovery” or “slow recovery” track?

[IRONMAN]

Groin issues such as extension (leg straight out being with pelvis straight) still remain very tight. The niggles in the groin seem to settling a bit.

The incision area seems a little more painful in the last week but it could be scar tissue and new muscles being used….. so hard to tell!

In general the leg/hip feels heavy and pretty sure it’s a little longer which was picked up by physio.

I’ve definitely underestimated the trauma to the muscles (posterior approach). However this can take a long time to heal so I have faith with the strength coming back.

My brain is confused with the old gait/positions that caused pain but are now not there and new pain from the surgery. So it’s in avoidance both ways and over time I know confidence will help in this area.

[C.Busch]

I am 4 weeks post op as of yesterday.

I stopped using a cane a few days. I can walk but with a limp. Good days and bad days with this.. sometimes the limp is very obvious while other days my gait seems to be really coming along.

My PT exercises are getting easier and feel better.  I can feel my glutes better with bridges. Range of motion is improving too, hip flexion and external rotation most notably.

I still do having a mild nagging ache in the hip flexor region that’s similar to what I felt in this region pre-surgery. It definitely concerns me. It’s nearly constant, and I feel it regardless of what I am doing 75% of the time. Just trying to stay positive and tell myself that the hip flexor tendon is still inflamed, recovering from the trauma of surgery, adapting to my new and developing gait and hardware/joint, etc. When this ache becomes less frequent it will be a huge mental boost for me.

- Cole

[Sal]

I am on fast recovery program...

[IRONMAN]

Sal…..sorry but what do you mean?

[C.Busch]

Speaking of post op recovery… has anyone had access to a pool?

I’ve gone in the pool twice and did some basic exercises and walked around. Both times I felt great while in the pool and afterwards I had a sure sense that I had made progress. I wish I had more consistent access to a pool.

I highly recommend pool therapy or even just walking around in a pool.

[BilateralRecerf]

I went to public swimming pool few times and then week after op was in hospital pool in belgium. Started driving a car 14 days after bilateral so getting to gym etc was easier

[MarvinB]

Sal…..sorry but what do you mean?

Referring to Dr. Gross’s “fast recovery” and “slow recovery” post-op plans.  They are posted on his website grossortho.com.