I am having BHR resurfacing Tuesday, met with the hospital staff and so forth and they are recommending that I go under with a spinal and IV that will put me to sleep, Has anyone gone under this way? of course its still my decision what I want but most of the joint replacement surgeries they do are done this way. They said that recovery time is much smoother in the recovery and the heal process.
Hi cliff, welcome to the site!
I didn't go under with a spinal first, they put an IV on me and I went down fast. Got a little goofy first, but not for long, then woke up immediately (it seemed) and was told immediately that everything had gone well.
I then composed some epically bad poetry and puns that I inflicted on my daughters by text.
You're dealing with a lot of information right now, getting ready and all. I met my anesthesiologist first and we discussed what we were doing, I basically trusted what they offered. The main thing I considered was that they did many procedures, several per day; if they were confident about it, then I was good with it.
Where are you having it done, and who is the surgeon?
Did a lot of research on this before hand.
Waking up from a general really sucks. It in most cases requires you to be intubated, so you have an awful sore throat for a few days afterward. And the anesthesia has long lasting sedative effects that are not pleasant. But most importantly, the pain receptors are still transmitting information to your brain during the surgery. Your brain registers the pain, even though you are asleep to it.
With a spinal, that information never travels back and forth. Your brain doesn't really know your body had undergone major surgery until the spinal wears off. Through patient survey, it's been revealed that people who undergo lower extremity surgery with a spinal, report significantly less post op pain than those with a general.
You'll ultimately be fine with either one, but when I have #2 BHR installed, I will most certainly opt for a spinal once again.
Good luck.
I had both. I was put out via a general through a cannula in my hand, then they gave me the spinal whilst I was out. The spinal was great, I came around and had zero pain, but you also can't move your legs for about 24 hours!
One side effect I had with the spinal, although I don't wish to say that everyone will get this, was that because you're numb from the waist downwards, I had no control or feeling of when I needed to pass water! So for the first few hours I had to be tended to by the nurses in that area. Quite shocking for me as I had no idea that would happen - no one had warned me!
hernanu,
Thanks for the reply, the surgeon that is doing my procedure is Dr. Steve Lyons in Tampa, he is very experienced and has come highly reccommened. thanks for your info it is very helpful. I have had surgery in the past with general but nothing with a spinal so I guess sticking something in my back kinda spooked me out but I guess this is a popular way of going at it. I am scheduled for September 18th. Thanks again
Rubyred,
I thought the same thing how am I going to pass water, well I was informed that catherter will be in during surgery, I'm not to keen on that but I guess as long as its done while I'm out its ok. I have played Hockey for 45 of my 51 years of age and I guess this is where the body starts to breakdown but I am looking forward to getting my life back without a limp and severe pain.. thanks for the follow up.
I just had surgery tuesday . They opted for general over the block because I have a herniated disc . It wasn't to bad. Go to sleep wake up done. My throat was really sore the first day but better now. I did have a pain pump after a I could feel my leg and it did hurt.
Hoyt66,
Glad things went well keep us informed of your progress...
I've had a number of generals, but when I got my HR I received a spinal and I would do it again in a heartbeat. When you awake from a spinal it's like waking up from a nap.
Chuck
Chuck,
That is very comforting to hear, I appreciate the feed back. I just don't want to wake up during the surgery. Hope all is well Thanks
Hi Cliff, I'm going under tomorrow to have Bilateral Hip resurfacing done at HSS in NYC with Dr. Edwin Su. They do the Spinal epidural and IV sedation there also. I've had it related to the same type of sedation given to the patients of colonoscopy exams.
I've been under General before and while it was an okay experience, I much rather go with the epidural / sedation technique.
Mr. Box
Good luck and keep us to date on your recovery.
Cliff
Quote from: cliff on September 13, 2012, 05:41:40 AM
Rubyred,
I thought the same thing how am I going to pass water, well I was informed that catherter will be in during surgery, I'm not to keen on that but I guess as long as its done while I'm out its ok. I have played Hockey for 45 of my 51 years of age and I guess this is where the body starts to breakdown but I am looking forward to getting my life back without a limp and severe pain.. thanks for the follow up.
I never got that option unfortunately although there was talk of that when I stopped being able to pass water for whatever reason, thankfully my body sorted itself out.
Cliff,
Ditto what Barista said. Also, one of the things I've read is that you have a higher chance of blood clots when you go under a general.
I had the spinal and IV, and never felt the spinal....they put me to sleep before that. I woke up and felt great. Yes, I couldn't feel the legs for a few hours (or the full bladder), but they'll take care of you.
Good luck!
Hi Cliff
I echo what Ruby said above. I had my op two days ago and had a general anaesthetic but the anaesthetist put a spinal block in whilst asleep. I woke in recovery feeling great and totally pain free and eventually went back to the ward. BP was a bit low post op so I was on a fluid drip and I had a dry mouth so was drinking a lot of water ....... what do I do about peeing I thought as I had absolutely no sensation from the mid-rift down. Too late! If you're not cathaterised, get a bottle in place asap and let nature take it's course on it's own! God bless the nurses.
I found the period when the block was starting to wear off the worst part of the whole episode; not the pain (I haven't had any) but the feeling of no control over the legs (and other bits) which made me feel totally helpless. The feeling of panic lasted for about 30 minutes until enough sensation came back in one leg to let me move it a bit. It would have been nice to have been prepared for this before hand. I'm sure you'll be fine. I have to say that everything else has been fantastic, without a single problem.
Quote from: lycraman on September 13, 2012, 11:07:22 AM
Hi Cliff
I echo what Ruby said above. I had my op two days ago and had a general anaesthetic but the anaesthetist put a spinal block in whilst asleep. I woke in recovery feeling great and totally pain free and eventually went back to the ward. BP was a bit low post op so I was on a fluid drip and I had a dry mouth so was drinking a lot of water ....... what do I do about peeing I thought as I had absolutely no sensation from the mid-rift down. Too late! If you're not cathaterised, get a bottle in place asap and let nature take it's course on it's own! God bless the nurses.
I found the period when the block was starting to wear off the worst part of the whole episode; not the pain (I haven't had any) but the feeling of no control over the legs (and other bits) which made me feel totally helpless. The feeling of panic lasted for about 30 minutes until enough sensation came back in one leg to let me move it a bit. It would have been nice to have been prepared for this before hand. I'm sure you'll be fine. I have to say that everything else has been fantastic, without a single problem.
I agree completely. Looking back that was the worst part of the hospital side of recovery, was the sheer lack of control of my bodily functions! At least until the spinal had worn off, then I could ask for a bed pan - believe me, if you're a lady, those things are NOT comfortable to use following a BHR! But once they have you up and about and you can walk to the loo by yourself, it's easy from that point onwards.
Lycraman, I hope your surgery and recovery are going well! Are you still in hospital?
The only issue I had from the general anesthetic (I think) is that I had a nearly terminal case of the hiccups. It was brought on by my asking for and receiving ginger ale. I knew I should have given up beer for the operation.
The ginger ale did me in with continuous and very embarrassing hiccups for about three hours. It quieted down, so naturally in my opiated state, I immediately asked for more to test whether that was the problem. Three hours after that I concluded that ... indeed it was. I am a scientist, after all, sacrificed to knowledge.
My daughters concluded that I was a dolt to do this, which, after some reflection I also came to believe. Water the second time around.
Thanks to all that replied the information was very informative and makes me a little more comfortable going ahead, after all there is no turning back now, just looking to get a quality of life back with little or no pain.
Cliff
Spinal + twilighted (with "milk of amnesia") for both my BHR's was way better than the general I had for 2 spinal fusions in the early 90's. No post surgical nausea due to the general, awake and mostly not loopy afterwards, and no vomiting or need for oxygen. It made a huge positive difference. Also didn't have the general hangover for days like I did back then.
I would opt for the spinal every time, hands down. for me.
Thanks
I had a spinal for the first time ever. I asked why they opted for that, they said it has less side effects. When I came out of surgery I had 0 nausea. I felt better than I have, than with general anaesthesia. Lyn
Spinal for both, on the first one I had a little too much nerve block and it took a little longer to get feeling back in the legs and I also had the shakes pretty bad, but the warm blankies felt sooooo good, along with some ice chips. I was pretty goofy for awhile in recovery, but still very aware everything, no nausea, no pain. I actually had less pain in the hip all the way from recovery on. I kept expecting the pain to come in after the initial numbing went away, but it never really got there. Except for a few PT sessions. Maybe it had to do with the spinal, like BB said.
Second one, the anesthesioligist looked at the records and turned down the meds a bit. The block didn't last as long in recovery and I didn't have any shakes, I also didn't fall asleep until right before they cut into into me and I woke up during the procedure when they were hammering. I helped the staff get myself on the operating table, and assisted with getting in position for the spinal. Then I pretty much went out, but I do recall them clamping me in place and the jovial conversation in the room. It was a pretty amazing experience. Anyway, the benzo that they used was Versed and I think that's a pretty common anesthetic for putting you into twilight. It's a super anxiolytic and once you're on it, dude, you're not going to care one bit about what they do to you.
You'll most likely meet with the anesthesiologist in pre-op. That's a great time to ask questions and get comfortable with the options and you'll gain a lot of confidence there, no matter which way you go.
I was worried about what I would feel during the operation but I had a combination of general and block. Didn't feel a thing and even though my legs were not mine for a little while it did get better and was the best option. Throat was a bit sore but soon passed. Definitely a good means of coping with this procedure. Ka
I had a light general and a spinal. I reckognised that you recover faster with just a spinal but there was no way they were sticking a needle in my back while I was awake! Put me out then do what's best was my train of thought. The spinal did take about 24 hours to wear off from me though which apparently is a long time it's normally faste to wear off.
LoL, I'm meeting with the anesthetic group in a few hours. 1st question. Can you put me out before putting the needle in ?
Good luck Mr.Box 8)
The needle in the back isn't that bad. I was happily goofy on oxy when they put it in. It stung just a bit initially and then it was numb and pretty quickly the legs started getting numb.
Good Luck Box, you'll be fine
Thanks all T-3 days.. keep you all updated
Cliff
Do that, cliff - why not start a thread for your T day.
For the record. Spinal was way easier than the General. I'm in my own room right now and I feel like I was hit by a truck. It's being managed... but wow Bilats are NO JOKE.
I had both. My surgery took so long that they had to do general after 3 hours. My second surgery all Spinal and no problem. I didnt notice much difference.
Ed
Today is the day, getting ready to head to the hospital to hopefully become pain free and at least be able to tie my own shoes soon... :)
Great cliff! Good luck and remember to lean on us. There's a lot of people here who have been where you are and where you will be. See you on the other side.
Good luck, and don't sweat it. It's easier than you think.
Good luck, Cliff!
Hello all, well BHR left hip surgery was a success, 1 day post op and already have done some walking with the walker, but boy I feel like I was kicked by a horse and have the the worst charlie horse, but pain meds and muscle relaxers help with that, suppose to be released Friday but we will see. keep all to date .. thanks
That's great, cliff, congrats!
Day 3 update, drain removed and ROM is a little better today hoping to head home today. just getting a little heel pain and other then that things ae progressing well. Will let you know when I'm home and hopefully things will keep going forward. Thanks again for all the well wishes.
Cliff
Good news cliff - just remember, you're just starting out, be patient, ice elevate and rest... but do your exercises...
Ok it has been 1 week post op, still pretty stiff some days better then others I am having a hard time with pain meds, severe headaches and the hot and cold sweats, not even sure at this time iif I even needs the meds, as my pain is not really that bad, I think the stiffness is the worst. walking still ok with walker when i do get up, PT 3 times a week and a regular visit from the nurse, I know its a natural thing to be thinking if this was all worth it and I know deep down inside it will be. I know its only been a week. :-\
All true, cliff - keep the faith, be steadfast in your PT and walking and bitch and moan about it to us. We've all done it, it's normal and healthy.
It sounds like your recover is going pretty standard for 1 week. Your doubts will fade away quickly once you round that corner. I'll estimate that right around 2 weeks you'll hit that mark.
Like Hernan said: Rest, Ice, Elevate, Ice, PT.
Keep up the good recovery.
Yesterday I had my 2 week checkup and am happy to say everything is right on track, I have graduated from walker to cane with some good walking to go along with the pt. No swelling and have got rid of the pain meds. I will tell you that being idle for 2 weeks really does a number on your muscles that you thought you had, such as now when I walk a longer distance my lower back is sore but doctor says that is from being basically bed ridden for 2 weeks and your muscles need to get back at it. This morning had a weird feeling tho, went to step in shower and felt a clunk which from what I have read and the doctor verified is normal and its just the muscles and tendons that are trying to rebound. best news is no pain. I just want to say thanks to all my new hippie friends for all the well wishes and good lucks.
Cliff
That clunking is weird, isn't it? I started clunking around weeks 3-4, and did a LOT of clunking up through 4 months. Then, it slowly started to subside (never did hurt). I only clunk now when I'm in the shower, bending all the way down to wash my ankles. I feel a subtle "clunk" when I go to stand back upright.
So....
a) sorry for the visual
b) not to worry!
Ohhh that clunking is very weird, but because I had dysplasia I had the clunking a fair bit before surgery anyway so was somewhat used to it, however I don't have it half as much now as I did before!
And Cliff, 2 weeks is so early on. I remember a turning point at 4 weeks :)
It it so nice to hear that everyone has the same symptoms and its completely normal, but I got to tell you it does feel weird, and also actually knowing you have implants in your body.
6-8 months from now, you won't even think about the implants in your body. At least not 95% of the time.
Ok it has been 3 weeks, I seem to have hit a level spot as far as my recovery, have been walking and doing my exercises as required but I am having an awful lot of stiffness and some discomfort in and near the incision area, my lower back aches and i know that is probably from not having a normal life for a couple of weeks, just curious if all this is normal or am I just being to aggressive in what to expect.
It all sounds very normal, cliff.
At 3 weeks, your activity level is ramping up, you may not be using crutches anywhere near as much, painkillers and other drugs are probably being attenuated. The healing of the surgical incision is nearing the end, and you may become aware of discomfort that was either being masked by larger discomfort or is new from things like scar tissue, etc.
Your muscles, as you move more are becoming attuned to your new architecture, because you know you're walking differently, and muscles and tendons that became unused over time are now coming back online and being asked to do more.
In other words, you're a mess... But an incredibly good mess that is going to quickly coalesce into a much stronger and happier cliff.
Let it flow cliff, and realize that it is a long stroll with some flat parts, some hills and valleys, but going forward and making huge breakthroughs along the way.
Thanks Hernanu, you are correct in saying I'm a mess LOL. I guess as my wife keeps telling me I'm very impatient. Its just nice a I keep saying there are so many nice people here going thru the same thing, granted everyone heals different but its nice to have answers from other hippies going thru the same aches and pains and hopefully forward to a better life.
Thanks again for all the kind words
At three weeks it felt like full recovery could never come fast enough. At 8 months, that is a distant memory.
Don't put that kind of pressure on yourself to feel perfect. Your 3-week description sounds completely normal. Like you've read, it's a marathon and not a sprint, and it will be a little bit better each week....typically not a LOT better each week. But really, those weeks will add up faster than you think.
Well put Hern and Imgetin, I totally agree. Keep in mind, that there will be a few major positive events coming. They'll be upon you pretty quickly and all of a sudden you'll realize it. So don't get discouraged. A lot of folks in the 3 to 6 or so week have some really positive days where they seem to wake up and walk out of the fog after they noticed some new feat or less pain, or a good PT session, or a good nights sleep (very important)....or simply their mental state just becomes more postive and clear.
Hang in there.
Not a bad day today, I did 2 sessions of pool therapy and that seemed to work out well as the resistance really works those muscles. Today I actually walked most of the day without the cane and just a slight limp, it is amazing that things change day to day.
Good to hear that you are getting there Cliff! My walking looks like a drunk Irishman ( I'm Irish ) I'm worried about being without my crutches when I return to work. They might think I had a liquid lunch.
Cliff & Mr. Box - 6 months ago I was were you are and had the exact same feelings and all. It's amazing what each week brings and then looking back at my posts, where I've come from. Guys - hang in there and just take each day, don't rush it, your body will talk back if you do, push but not too hard, etc etc etc... All the guys here have so much great advice! It's so comforting to know there are so many that have SUCCESSFULLY gone before you and blazed the path, even if your path takes a little different turn and twist.
As of the past few weeks I have realized that the 1 - 2 step limp I had each time I'd get up, no matter how short or long I'd been sitting, that limp is NOW GONE! I can get up and just walk normal. Yes, even at this time in my recovery, I'm still making gains. They really do mean it when they say the recovery can take 1 yr to 18 months, but by 6 months you'll be so psyched!!!
Happy Hippy Healing!
WTW15, great advise and your correct today I think I pushed a little to hard with some free weights because my lower back is screaming at me, I'm trying to build up the upper body again and I'm sad to say that after 45 years of being an athlete and being on top of my game, my legs are a sad sight, its amazing how fast you lose all your muscle tone after not being active for 5-6 months, I feel like I'm starting over and yes being a little impatient at the same time. I need to listen to the body as everyone keeps telling me.
Cliff
Ok here is my week 5 poll. How long was it before you or I can at least tie my own shoes or put on a sock? I still feel that even when most pain is gone other the the sore back and some groin pain I still have some of the same pain issues going on. I have backed off my excercises as I think maybe I am pushing a little to hard. The PT girl told me just listen to the body, I think she is right. Would like to here from other hippies that have gone thru this. Its pretty embarrasing to still have someone else tire you sneaker. LOL
Cliff
I'm nearly 6 weeks post op now and can walk for miles and miles, without any stick now. I get little pain apart from when I make certain movements, however I still can't fasten the laces on my operated leg's shoes and I have only just managed to get socks on, and that is with difficulty. I live on my own, most of the time, so have devised strategies to cope such as the most appropriate foot wear etc.
The walking part has been great, the thing that kills me is the sore muscles in the lower back, after being up for a few hours and and kinda being active the lower lumbar just screams. Its funny yesterday we went to a home show and I was talking with a women who had both hips done and she said the difference was that when they did her left side they cut thru the muscle and her recoup time was horrible but when they did her right side all they did was sread the muscle and her recoup time was cut in half.
My physio did a lot of work on me pre-op to ensure that everything was as loose and free as possible. She said that so many post hip-op patients have low back problems, partly because of the muscles cut during the surgery but often because the sacro-illiac joint seizes up when the hip is bad before the operation, as a protective response to stop the painful hip from moving. When the painful hip has been removed with the prosthesis, the pelvis and hip try to swing (literally) back onto proper action, but the sacro-illiac has seized up and fights back, causing the low back pain.
Thanks for the reply, I will ask my physio, but how long does it take for the back to subside??
Yeah, the Si joint. That's what I'm working on at the minute because of lower back pain with amazing results. It is the joint which joins the lower back to the pelvis (sacrum, the triangle bit in the bottom of your back, to the illiac) with lots of ligaments. It naturally does not have much movement but It can get locked like a stiff draw. Chiropractors have techniques to jolt it back to position and movement, but there are simple gentle excercises which can do the job. Apparently this joint can affect leg length by up to a 1cm. All muscles around it need to be supple too so that it functions correctly.
It has not taken me long at all to correct my back, about a week but everyone is different. I started lying on the floor and placing ice pack under the small of the back for 5-10 minutes followd by a hot water bottle for the same followed by general back stretches, hip stretches and specific SI joint stretches.
Sorry if I sound a bit like a nerd with all this but I find it all utterly fascinating, the human body is amazing.
Putting on socks etc took me a while (about 3 months maybe). One day I just did it without thinking.
Great Info Morph, Thanks 8)
As Morph say, we're all different. I had 25 minute sessions with my physio once a month, working on the s-i joint pre-operatively and after each session I felt fantastic, so loose. At that stage I wasn't actually having back pain but whenever I do get back pain it is localised to exactly that joint. Good luck with the treatment and let us know if you have success.
Some good news, I had my 6 week post -op today, I have not used a cane for 2 weeks and today the surgeon lifts all restrictions, still sore muscles but even those are coming along. Hoping to be able to tie my shoe before long as I am still a litlle tight at the bending stage but considering how painful it was and still is to a certain point but its a good pain if thats possible. I have 5 more PT sessions and hopefully some more good stretching and I will be to go. Thanks to all that I have communicated with and those that gave great advise, we are in this together and the support was wonderful. Thank you
Cliff
Great news Cliff! sounds like you're on your way.
Hi Cliff. Sounds like your progress is perfectly normal. There is no template for this, some things are easier than others, you will be able to do some things that others will stuggle with and vice versa. It will all come together there is life after, Enjoy! Ka
Thanks Guys, latest update is that I was on the golf course today acutally hitting balls on the range. Tuesday will be 7 weeks post op. I would have never believed it at first but after the 4th week things started flying towards a positive note.
Today I went out and played my first round of Golf in 12 weeks, Tuesday I will be 10 weeks post-op. I have to say that I am feeling pretty damn good at this point even my golf partners are happy they no longer have to pick my ball out of the hole because I can bend to get them myself LOL. I really don't know why I waited 2 yrs to have this surgery, but anyone that is thinking about it don't wait long as you will find that the sooner the better, and a special thanks to this web site and all the friends that I have met on line, it makes the road to recovery so much easier.
Really good, Cliff - glad you're getting back to what you like.
You still need to be careful to stay within the restrictions (if any) that your surgeon gave you, but you sound great.