My surgery is due 20 september but only have pain in my right thigh

[hughstjust]

My surgery is due 20 september but only have pain in my right thigh
when I sit down - usually on a wooden or hard chair. Then the pain is
excruciating and my thigh goes into spasm.

Can this be the result of the arthritis in my hip? My right hip is fine
when walking - just sitting on a hard surface seems to be the cause.

Should I cancel the surgery??

[Pat Walter]

Hi

It is difficult to tell anyone to either have surgery or to cancel surgery.  I had pain for almost 10 years and just could not do anything without my hip hurting.  I could not even sleep at night with heavy duty pain meds.  If I had known about Hip Resurfacing, I could have had a hip replacment much sooner.

You doctor must think your hip looks like it needs surgery. Most of the very experienced hip resurfacing surgeons will never do a hip that doesn't need to be done.  I have pain in my right hip and Dr. De Smet tells me it is not time to have it done.  So I believe him. 

Who is your surgeon? Have he/she done many hip resurfacings?  What is the chance of them giving you a THR instead of a BHR during surgery?  Have you asked?

If I could still walk and be very active without pain, I don't think I would consider surgery.  If I could sit without pain in soft cushioned chairs without pain, I just would not sit on hard chairs.  I don't know what your surgeon is seeing in your x-rays.

How old are you? Have you quit other activities because of pain in your hip?

I guess you have to think about what you want and how bad your hip really is. Surgery is definitely very major and recovery is sometimes difficult. I had an easy recovery, but not all people are as lucky.

Why don't you share some more information with us?

Pat in Ohio
3/15/06 LBHR De Smet

[hughstjust]

My surgeon is a Mr Zahn in the UK and is doing some 100 + THRs and resurfacings annually.
None of his patients have needed revision of any sort. He resurfaced a local doctor friend who is well satisfied.

I have to give consent to a THR prior to surgery but he has never done this to date for any patients.

My X ray report says...."Significant narrowing of articular spaces of both hip joints was demonstrated associated with sclerosis of the articular surfaces as well as lateral osteophyte formation, findings radiologically compatible with marked degenerative osteoarthropathy."

I am 62. I find walking for more that 1 hour uncomfortable and am very slow.
I sail a lot but am no longer very dextrous.

[Pat Walter]

Hi again

I don't know what to tell you.  I was unable to walk from the parking lot of Walmart into the store with out limping and pain, but I had fought with my bad hip for about 10 years.

I was 61 when I had my hip resurfaced.  I use to walk very slow too because my hip hurt too much to walk fast.

Maybe you need to just talk more with your doctor and tell him your concerns.  Ask if it is really time to do your hip yet.  He must think it is time from the x-rays.  I do know that people all feel pain at different levels.  Some people can have terrible hips and not feel a great deal of pain, while others have less of a problem and feel a great deal of pain. 

I also know that you can wait too long to have a hip resurfacing and miss the "window of opportunity" and then have to have a THR. 

Maybe your hip is really in bad shape, but you don't feel the pain as much as others. 

I certainly would talk with the doctor or his office about how you feel.  Ask some questions about how bad your hip is. Ask what would happen if you wait.  I also realize you are in the UK and maybe if you wait, you won't get a chance to get a new hip for a long time.  I have heard stories of how long some people have to wait.  I am in the US and don't understand the UK health policy very well.

I think most of the doctors in the UK are much more knowledgeable about hip resurfacing than in the US.

I certainly wish you luck. I hope you can get some answers to your questions from the doctor or his office.

Pat