Hip Talk Forum About Hip Resurfacing

Greetings everyone -

Anybody have any firsthand (no pun intended) experience with recovering from a hip surgery with little to no use of one hand?  I had a deep flexor tendon repair surgery on my right hand two weeks ago.  Six to eight weeks to go before it's supposedly back up to speed.  I need to get another resurfacing...this time on my left hip...and would like to get it done ASAP so that I'll be recouped in time to start back at my seasonal employment by mid-May to early April.

The primary problem would be crutch manipulation...I think!?

I'm penciled in with Dr. Pritchett on the 24th of February.  All thoughts and or suggestions would be welcomed.

Thanks, Bruce

Hi

Is your good hand on the opposite side of your bad hip?  You might be able to use a walker for a very short time, then switch to an elbow crutch.  Most of us De Smet patients only used one elbow crutch after surgery.  You use it like a cane on the opposite side of the operated hip.  We were taught to walk with them.  They are much easier and easy on your arms and hands.

Just a thought.

Pat

Wow...I'm not worthy!  Thank you Pat...good to know and I'll look into that.  Just the kind of knowledge I was hoping for. 

=8^)

So I'm 4 years post op. December 2010 had a Cormet hip resurfacing component put in. After a year or so of stretching and strengthening post op, everything felt great. A good candidate, male, good bone structure, etc.

A couple of months ago started having pain raising my leg, although I could still do a cardio workout at the gym, ride my bike etc. For about the past month, I've noticed other symptoms. The foot on my operated side gets numb during the day. No longer able to work out due to worsening pain lifting leg, that reminds me of the osteoarthritis pain I was having pressure. Additionally,  I seem to have decreased energy and sort of feel out of it at times.

Visited my (new, same practice --the operating surgeon has retired) Dr. He suspects failing implant. Examined new x-ray and stated the cup has an angle of inclination of 56 degrees, on the high side and may be causing edge loading and metal ion release. He thought the numbness is fluid build up impacting the sciatic nerve. I am in the process of getting my blood test results and MRI. It's very deflating, as the past couple of year were really great.

At this point I have made contact with a different, very experienced and respected Dr. for the revision. I am feeling frustrated as it seems like this implant was voluntarily recalled(can anyone confirm this? I believe Stryker and Cormet are the same).

I am looking to hear from people that have been in a similar situation. Has anyone else noticed the fatigue, etc that has had high metal counts? Anything else I should look out for? How quickly should I move for a revision(although this may be limited by the surgeon's availability)?

I'm interested in feedback to this post.  I've been feeling very fatigued as well and recently starting feeling burning sensations in my hip, this is a first since my surgery and a bit scary.  My normal workouts are getting harder to get through.  I still struggle with my flexibility.  What are the symptoms of high metal ions?

Hello ,

I'm scheduled for a hip resurfacing with Dr. Pritchett next week. His office just told me that my medical plan ( UMP administered by Regence ) added a clause to exclude resurfacing on Jan 1st. The plan is via my wife's employer which is the state.

I'm thinking of signing onto another Regence commercial plan individually because Dr. Pritchett is in the network for Regence. He mentioned that state and govt offered programs usually exclude these things randomly but commercial ones don't and the regular Regence PPO plan should be fine.  Given obama care and if Dr. Pritchett is in the network I assume that I will be fully covered?  That is, they can't deny coverage because I have another insurance ( that doesn't cover the surgery )? 

This is all very confusing and frustrating...

thanks for any info

Just what you wanted to hear a week before your procedure! 

Sorry...I can't offer any advice on this topic, but I'm sure plenty of others will chime in shortly.

Welcome and best wishes to you.

From what I know if you are on more than one plan, they do a 'coordination of benefits'. That is your primary insurer contacts the secondary and figures out how much they will pay and then pays the balance of what they (primary) would cover. Or something like that.
It's a headache and a lot of paperwork but might be easier if your secondary doesn't cover anything. I know time is short but you should ask the provider that you're going to sign up for how it works.

Hi there

I'm a 33 year old former footballer and have recently had my right hip resurfaced at the royal orthapedic hospital in birmingham, operartion went well and have no arthritic pain but my lack of movement wih putting socks on or shoes is limited still and it's been 5 months now, been having physio to work on it but it seems not to be improving at the rate I would like to see, physio has mentioned that I might have to be out to sleep to get the movement back! Has anyone experienced this problem?? I'm panicking now

Thanks

Hi people progress and recover at different rates. Is your device properly placed? Have you tried working in the pool?

Danny

I found Dr Su's "Guidelines after Hip Resurfacing Surgery" and have been doing his recommended exercises and stretches. They seem extremely reasonable and I feel your doctor would approve.
They helped me with flexibility a great deal. I am almost at my one year anniversary and I have all my flexibility back. ;D

http://www.hipresurfacingnewyork.com/immediate-postop-instructions.html

Beth

Hi mate.  Did you have an X-ray at your 6 week check up?  If so, what did they say about it?

Thanks everyone for the Replys!!

I had my 6 week x-ray and everything was fine, I didn't have any physio on my hip untill 9 weeks post op!! I'm seeing a slight improvement wih the physio I'm having now but not enough to get me excited, would ideally like to play football again if I could, every time I try to reach down and out my socks on or try and bring my knee to the chest the pain I feel is like a pinching pain deep down in the joint and it sometimes shoots up my thigh!!

I had a very slow recovery for many months after my op. It took me a full year to recover and I'm still getting stronger 31/2 years out. Some people take time to recover it's not super fast for everyone. People read stories of swift recoveries and I think they sometimes forget this is a HUGE surgery that causes massive trauma to the human body.

Hi there,
I'm also a fellow UK Hippy.
I know that you are only 33-how long were you suffering arthritis? In addition to your arthritis did you also have impingement due to osteophytes/bone spurs?
What was your ROM/Hip Flexion like before surgery?
Who was your surgeon at ROH?
Answers to these questions might enable fellow hippies to offer further help and advice.
Toby

I had my hip resurfaced by Dr. Su on Dec  31st 2014, I feel so great going up and down stairways, walking more than 3 mi daily but I would like to swim, my postop should had been done by Jan 27th 2015 but due to the weather the HSS postponed my appointment to Feb 17th so I'm in my one month post op and have one question, I was hoping to get it already answered and is about on the sheet Dr. Su gave me when I left the Hospital said I would be able to swimming once the incision  dry out, it is dry but still with the tape from the surgery, I'm already doing stationary bike and waking on one crutch so I more than ready to swim but because I have red a lot about leave the tape alone! I haven't been able to take the risk.... so could anyone tell me what I should do: wait until see the doctor or just jump into the pool?
Thank you for all the help anyone can give me on this matter
Ruben Jauregui

I just wanted to update as the results of my tests came back. It seems my blood tests and MRI looked good, so at this point I'm going to start up some physical therapy. It seems like a sciatic nerve issue, but time will tell.

Thanks for all the replies, it turns out that they do cover it. Apparently the language was added to just say that it's covered unless it's not osteoarthritis and non surgical means were not exhausted or if non FDA devices were approved.  But the initial thing that went out was that it wasn't covered so the Billing office got an alarm. Basically all of the above apply to me, so I'm eligible. I delayed my surgery a few weeks until I got confirmation. So it didn't happen on the original date, but will soon.

Hi toby

Thanks for the reply, I suffered with a condition called fai, which is impingement of the joint, I had key hole surgery to try and delay or stop me from having a resurface but unfortunately the operation didn't work, my flexion before the op and was pretty good to be fair, my left hip needs doing aswell but at the moment it is not giving me any pain, my surgeon was Callum mcbride and came highly recommended! Hope this helps, I'm still having physio once a week and are due to see my surgeon on April the 8th for a consultation!

Thanks

He's certainly a talented surgeon so I doubt it's an issue with placement of the device. Range of motion is usually the last thing to return so unless there is something wrong I have no doubt that you'll recover eventually.

Hi,
Yeah, hence my question about impingement. Many of us had FAI(some like me cam and pincer). However, this is ok as your surgeon would have corrected in surgery. Also, the fact that you had good ROM before surgery,  should leave you with much optimism that in time and with an appropriate stretching/strengthening/conditioning programme your former ROM will return. In my case in my 20's a serious climbing accident and femoral/pelvic fracture- resulting in large plate/pin restructure surgery. In my early 40's joint became arthritic and because I had my problems for around 10/15 years before surgery significant impingement/shortening of soft tissue etc meant in addition to horrendous limp and pain my ROM just before surgery was about 70 degree flexion and zero abduction! Now, flexion about 120/130 and abduction around 60.
So Jordan with good ROM going in to surgery, I've every confidence that you will get there in time-Pat used to say that it will take a good year to recover from surgery.
Best Wishes and keep us updated.
Toby

Absolutely Toby it certainly took me a full year to recover from my last bhr and I'm sure it will take a similar timeframe this time around.

Try and do something to take your mind off your recovery. This time around I am round a load of career development courses. :)

Hi Danny, are you still on for 12th Feb?
Best
Toby

Yes mate bilat on Thursday

Hi guys

So I seen my surgeon this morning Mr mcbride, I've come away rather disappointed and gutted to be honest, he has told me that sometimes an outcome like mine where I can not put my socks on and my flexion is not passed 90 degrees sometimes happen and that I might have to live with it, he made me aware that the pain from the arthritus had gone and maybe I had to live with my lack movement as a result! He is going to give me a ct scan to see if everything is in line, I had a pelvic x ray on arrival this morning and everything was perfect! To say I'm gutted about the outcome is a understatement, I'm still only 7 months into the operartion and the physio I have been getting has helped it but there seems to of been a halt in the improvement! Just feeling really down at the moment!

Sorry 23jordan. That is quite a surprising and disappointing answer from a surgeon.
Two things I can think of.

One is that I recall regaining range of motion after resurfacing surgery was quite an uncomfortable painful activity. I imagine that you must be experiencing excruciating pain when trying to flex past 90 degrees?

Second, I wonder if a manipulation can work in your situation - where you are sedated and then the leg is forced through the range of motion.

If CT scan doesn't show anything maybe it is time to seek out another surgeon to consult with.

Chuckm

Thanks for the reply chuck!

My pain as I try to get past 90 is quite servere!! What I also notice is that when I try to bring my knee to the chest my leg tends to point outwards and when I try and correct this the pain gets worse!! I'm so grateful for this site!! Is there any exercises or anything I can do to try and improve my movement, I don't mind going through the pain barrier I just want to be able to do normal things again, has anyone ever been sedated so that hey can improve the range of movement?

Hi 23jordan,
Just seeing this string now. I haven't read all of the posts, and you are clearly very concerned about your range of motion issues. I can't comment on your particular issue too intelligently, but I just wanted to note that after HR on my second hip last year, I was surprised for how long it was still difficult to do socks and shoes. It definitely was still a challenge for me for the better part of a year.
I don't remember it taking that long after the first surgery (I really just don't remember, period), but as with the first surgery it was almost exactly one full year at which athleticism and ease of movement came flooding back. Hampered a little the second time around by an Achilles injury, but I just wanted to second what at least one other person wrote and that is, while there are stories of very rapid recoveries on here, I think my experience is more the norm.
Best of luck for your continued recovery,
Mike

Hi I am another uk based hippie! It definitely took me 18 months to be able to get to putting my socks on and I still find at nearly 2 years (May18th) that tying my laces takes a big effort and still hurts from a muscular of view.  My consultant told me this pain is due to the muscles scar tissue pulling back in if you don't keep stretching it. With my desk based job I don't exercise as much as I would like to and I really notice it some days. Keep going with the physio and keep stretching. I found Pilates a big help (I started this at about 10 months post op)and need to get back to that again. Give yourself time. Some people take longer than others.
Kate 😊

Happy summer, everyone! I'm now 6 months out on the second hip and 18 months out on the first one.  Life is good, my friends. 

I cheated the 6 month no impact restriction by a few weeks as I started riding my horses again early.  (Dr. Gross views horseback riding as high impact.)  I did restrain myself to my older, smaller, more sensible horse and stayed off my big volatile mare until just last week :)

Lots of hiking over the 'not-winter' we had with minimal snowpack, which was great.  I started running again just two weeks ago with absolutely no issues -- I'm staying on trails and not pavement, up to 4 miles now and it feels awesome.  My form is awful from years of compensating for the ouchy hip joints, so I'm having to re-learn my running biomechanics.  Interesting, horseback riding I didn't seem to have that problem, my classic English seat has come back just fine with no real help from my brain. 

Back on my mountain bike for the first time last weekend and hitting the weights pretty hard starting this week as there are a few stubborn pounds that need to come off. 

Summer plans include a few horse pack trips both here in Alaska and in Wyoming, lots of miles to put on three horses, and training for a few trail races, although I probably won't do my favorites this year as they are all over 15 miles.  Next summer!  We're also doing a big remodel on our house and it's great I can move well enough to do my share. 

As with everyone else on here, I'm so very happy to be out the other side and will admit I probably waited too long.  I've had close friends tell me how hard it was on THEM to watch me in pain, although I never really thought about it. 

I can't say enough about Dr. Gross and his staff, they are incredible and the whole processes were very easy.  The worst part of the whole thing was the travel! 

Hi BAM,
Congrats on passing the 6 month and also 18month points.  :D   8) You certainly have it sorted and know your capabilities regarding exercise and work outs. Great that you are able to Run freely.
Im now just over 10 months Post Op. , and all is good.
Cheers,
Kiwi Boy.

Congrats, BAM. And good to hear that you're running with no issues.

Yes, great news, great reassurance for new patients like myself, many who I suspect, like me, can't wait to get to six weeks, never mind six months or 18 months!

Best wishes for a long term success, and happy outdoor fun for many years!