PT Post op

[bri]

I am 1 month and 4 day post op. I completed therapy is the hospital and the exercises in by booklet at home since. I went to 1 appointment for PT last week. He gave some other exercises to do at home and wants to see me 3 more times. I feel I am doing very well and walking with a cane. Went back to work at 2 weeks, no problem. My brother had the same surgery yesterday.He is doing the exercises they have you do in the hospital and I assume at home out of the same pamphlet. They told him he would have no PT. Both are different doctors. I am thinking about skipping the rest of my appointments to save money( I am not sure how much my insurance covers?)And I feel I am doing fine.What are your thoughts? I also started out on coumadine and had my blood tested every few days to regulate how much I was to take. His doctor is sending him home on asprin and no blood tests.His doctor also has what they call a rapid recovery method where they give extra narcotics and you are out of the hospital in 1 1/2 days. I Was not out for 3 1/2 days.He was doing very well in the hospital right after surgery but I think it was because the narcotics. I have a feeling that might change when he gets home and some of that wears off. I heard of some doctors putting pain killers in the wound before they close you up.I was also 50 percent weight bearing to start and he is 100 percent.I was in much more pain just after surgery than he was.Just weird how many things were different.

[Boomer]

Bri,

The differences between surgeons is strange. I had to have an injection of Fragmin in my belly every day for 20 days after surgery. Aspirin would have been a lot more pleaseant. My sugeon went very light on the narcotics, so I suffered more pain, but had none of the withdrawal symptoms such as night sweats that many others have. I also had to wear the TEDs stockings for two weeks, while I know others never wear them at all. Different protocols for different surgeons. Everything turned out good for me so far, so I do not question that whatever my surgeon recommended was correct for me.

I would not skip PT. If you feel PT is not being helpful, let them know, and they will change your exercises. I have 20 PT sessions lined up and whenever things get a bit too easy, I let them know, and they ramp things up a bit. I think with hip resurfacing PTs may be a little too cautious and are waiting from feedback from their patients before they push too hard. I do most of the strengthening PT exrecises at home, so I use my outpatient PT for range of motion improvement. They are able to stretch me and move me in ways I cannot do myself. They do all of this very slowly to make it less painful, and to be very careful about not causing any injury. Improvement is very sliow, but it is noticeable.

Good luck to you.

Boomer

[hernanu]

Hi bri,

I agree with Boomer, not only is every doctor different, but each surgery is different. Some folks have different weight bearing, so different recuperation instructions, some take longer, some not, and even for the same person, if they have both hips done, one may be treated completely differently due to the particulars of the OA or other issues that exist. So I wouldn't look to your brother or have him look to you for timing or type of recovery. Each time is different.

I had only aspirin for pain, it was enough, someone else may have more, different or longer treatment, yet both are 'right'. The only thing that matters is that you recover well, heal, train your muscles and mind right for your eventual return to full function with your hips. Anything else is just what you do to get there; it is important, but it's not your goal.

That is why I think PT is important. I would take the full set of PT, it makes the recovery better, exercises muscles and areas that I know for sure I didn't know how to strengthen well. I wouldn't have skipped it, it also made me feel like I was doing the right thing to reach my goals. You need that. I made quick progress too, but would not have gotten my hip to the strength it is now in my opinion.

[ScubaDuck]

Ditto ditto ditto.

I was out about 30 hours after surgery even though my insurance approved three days.  And I was 100% weight bearing.  I only took Oxycontin for a few days and no Oxycodone.  I was told to take aspirin for a while after surgery for blood thinning.  I don't think I got out of the hospital too early.

I am definitely a big proponent of physical therapy.  I did all the exercises they gave me at the hospital several times a day for the first couple weeks.  I started PT once a week starting at week 5 and continued on to the five month mark.  They were able to assess me and give me exercises to strengthen specific areas.  I had to push them to give me more as certain exercises got easier.  I only went once a week because I could do the exercises on my own.  I was also swimming, exercise biking, aqua jogging, walking, and some weight training as well.

It is easy to walk, swim, and bike like before surgery.  The problem is that all those smaller muscles around the hip capsule take alot longer to heal and strengthen.

Best wishes.

Dan