New to board, six weeks post-op...

[hwolke]

Hi there, I was looking around and saw this board yesterday. I am currently six weeks post-op from rt hip resurfacing. I've been having some problems and very VERY slow recovery. The doctor says it's because there was no soft tissue in my hip when he opened me up.

Anyway, because of this recovery has been very slow and I am just now starting to hobble on one crutch. Still can't lift my right leg up from a seated position (muscle just won't engage). I started PT last week, had second session yesterday and the PT has been a bit shocked at my lack of ROM.

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for things I can do to increase ROM and engage my leg, or if anyone just has had similar experiences. Don't know if what I'm going through is normal or not but it's really frustrating. Also, any advice out there about when I should be able to start driving again?

Thanks.

-Howard

[Pat Walter]

Hi Howard

Welcome to Hip Talk.

We are all very supportive here.  Some people have very slow recoveries, some very fast while most are just normal.  Unfortunately, there really is no normal because we are all different with different bodies and different problems.

When you say there was no soft tissue, does that mean your are very thin?  I guess I am not sure what he meant by that.  It is something new to me - but I am not a doctor or medically trained. Just read hundreds and hundreds of stories.  Does that mean your muscles are athrophied?  How long have you had hip problems?  What were they?  How old are you?  Have you been very active prior to your hip problems?

All of the above questions will help you answer possibly why you are having a slow recovery.  Often people with very severe hip problems prio to surgery where they were very inactive, perhaps using a cane or crutch, often have very slow recoveries.  The slow recoveries are due to your muscles and body being very out of shape.  If the muscles and your body have not been used for a long time, just getting a nice new hip can't heal that part of your problem.  The new hip will allow you to move without pain, but the rest of your body must heal.

Six weeks post op is still pretty early in your recovery.  If your PT becomes very painful, be sure to have them back off a bit.  Since you seem to have problems, they need to be very careful and easy in your PT.  As my surgeon said - if it hurts, don't do it.  Be careful and don't get too aggressive.

It does take a long time for some people to get their ROM back. Some people have taken a year to be able to tie their shoes.  Others have done it in a few months.  We are all different with different problems.  We are each UNIQUE.  Be glad you are you and let your body heal.  Have patience and understand you have had major surgery. 

You need to ask your surgeon when you can drive again.  If it was your left hip, driving is not normally a probelm.  If it is your right hip and you are still having problems, he/she probably won't let you drive.  If you drive and have an accident, you could be responsible for the accident if you don't have your doctor's permission to drive.  Be careful.

What else is happening that you consider yourself to be having a slow recovery?  Are you still on crutches?  Are you still on pain meds?  Are you still not able to sleep at night?  What else is happening or is it just your ROM?

Pat

[hwolke]

Wow Pat, thanks for the detailed reply!

I think my feeling of slow recovery is mostly that pre-op the doctor said that I'd be off crutches in two weeks and off a cane four weeks afterwards. It's now six weeks and I'm just starting to experiment with one crutch instead of two (very very small experiments).

I am 29 years old, and the problem was that I was born w/o a right hip socket, had surgery at 20 months, but over the last five years or so pain started coming in and I went in for the surgery with a diagnosis of hip dysplasia.

Because of the pain and already limited ROM pre-op, I wasn't very active. It's good to know that it is relatively "normal" to have a slow recovery if you weren't very active pre-op.

PT is painful, but not too painful. I think I have a good sense of what is too much pain and my PT has been good about that.

Thanks again for your reply.

-Howard