Newbie

[Raul G]

Hi everyone, I just wanted to introduce myself to the group and am glad that there is a website dedicated to us. My name is Raul Garcia I had my left hip resurfaced on Feb 5th, 2008 at Alexian Bros. Medical center in Elk Grove, IL .  My surgeon was Dr.Daniel Keusis and the surgery went very well. I also did a lot of research on line and some book reading on hip re-surfacing vs total hip replacement. I finally decided to go with the re-surfacing. I'm going to need the other hip done also but I opted to do 1 at a time. I go back this wednesday to remove the staples from the incision, which i'm looking forward to doing since that's pretty much the only discomfort i'm having. My Dr. also resticted my weight bearing until I see him so i've been using a walker. I also had some swelling the first week or so but it's all gone now. I have a nurse that comes to my house twice a week and physical therapist 3 times a week. I can do all of the excercise pretty well on my own now but the one I still can't do is lift my leg straight up without bending the knee and also standing I can't lift my leg knee bent too much off the ground. If anyone has any input on those excersises as far as how much time before they were able to do those please let me know, thanks, Raul

[Pat Walter]

Hi Raul

Welcome to Hip talk and congratulations on the new hip resurfacing!

Glad everything is going well for you.  It takes weeks before you can do much abduction with your new leg.  Moving it out to the side laying down or standing just takes time.  I was able to do the abduction easily about about 3 weeks.  Some take long, some quicker. You hip has a lot of healing to do.  You can eaisly do some things while others just take time.

Don't worry about what you can't do and do what feels good and doesn't hurt.  I was able to walk about a mile a day at 12 days post op with one crutch - yet still unable to do the abduction exercises.  You hip really takes almost a whole year to completely heal. You will be very active before then.

My doctor, Dr. De Smet of Belgium, says don't over do and if it hurts - don't do it.  Some people have never done any PT and still end up in the same place as those that work at it.  Walking and swimming are about the best exercises.

At 6 weeks I started getting really stiff after sitting and the first few steps hurt a lot so I started doing some water therapy.  Mostly water walking with some exercises and stretches. http://www.surfacehippy.info/ptarticles.php   THat really helped me a lot.  Also helped a lot of other people. Dr. De Smet has people in the pool several days after surgery.  You can do most of your exercises in the pool very easily.

Good luck and keep in touch.

Pat

[Ronnie]

Hi raul
        It also depends on the shape u were in before the bhr. I could not do a leg lift my self for about a week post op. I would take my sock device and help lift the leg up and it got eaiser every day. some people post they can't do things then u find out they haven't done those things in years because of the pain. The musles get streached out of the way and have to come back.
                                       Take your'e time
                                                       Ronnie

[dgm]

Congrats on your speedy recovery.  I'm a newbie too, rt hip surgery on 2/14 in Madison Wisconsin with Dr. Rogerson.  I am having a similar experience with not being able to lift the surgical leg up very well.  It's like it's lost strength but I know I am improving each day, albeit in very small increments.  We have to celebrate our small daily victories and know that it will all come back in due time.  I know it's difficult to remain patient, I'm ready to move faster too.

Good luck with your recovery and getting back to an active lifestyle, hope you are as pleased as I am!

Best,
Denise

[Elaine Y.]

Hi,
I just started last week to do straight leg lifts in therapy, which was 4 weeks postop -- I'm going outpatient right now. Everyone recovers at a different rate, and true it is what kind of shape you were in when you went in for surgery. My biggest goal right now is to strengthen my leg. My leg was very weak, as I hardly used it before surgery. Right now I am off the cane, except out in public. I also just started yesterday to do "marching" in place. Don't worry -- you will be able to lift your leg soon... just keep doing the exercises.

Elaine Y.
RBHR -- Dr. Eugene Lopez -- 1/22/08