Pain & Swelling

[john49]

Hi John,
I just had my right hip resurfaced by Dr. Gross last week but went with the cemented cap.  Right now I have a lot of swelling in my thigh and a LOT of bruising (red, blue, yellow, black, etc).  On a scale of 0 to 10 I am probably at a 2 (minimal pain).  I am still walking around using both crutches 6 days after the surgery.  Did you have the swelling and discoloration in your thigh area after your surgery?  I am not sure this is normal or not.

It sounds like you are well into your recovery.  Good Luck!

[TomBuell]

John - Yes to the swelling and bruising. Keep in mind that you had major surgery, and your body will take a while to recover. I used an ice pack to reduce the swelling, wore TED hose and kept my leg elevated when I was in bed. The swelling and bruising faded after a few days at home.
Keep us posted - Tom
RBHR 7/1/08

[Pat Walter]

Hi John
Welcome to Hip Talk. I gave you your own topic so more people will see your post.

A lot of people do have swelling and bruising.  That is why Dr. Gross has people use the ice machine.  If you don't have the ice machine, a large bag of frozen peas does well for icing the hip.

6 days post is if still early in recovery and it will take awhile for things to return to normal.  Having minimal pain is a good things.

You will get better as the days and weeks move on.  It just takes patience on your part.

Good luck and keep in touch.

Pat

[John C]

John,
If you did receive the ice machine from Dr Gross, put it to good use at least a couple of times a day. It will do wonders for the swelling and discoloration. I used mine at least twice a day for about four weeks. At some point, getting a gentle massage really helps to get the fluids moving and the swelling down. Be sure that any massage is gentle, no deep tissue work until things are well healed.

John/ Left uncemented Biomet/ Gross