One-handed recovery!?

[OtterDriver]

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

[Pat Walter]

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

[OtterDriver]

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^)

[billw012]

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)?

[mslendzion]

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?

[seahip]

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

[OtterDriver]

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.

[oldsoccerplayer]

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.

[23jordan]

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

[Dannywayoflife]

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

Danny

[Beth]

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.

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

Beth

[daveyboy]

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

[23jordan]

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!!

[Dannywayoflife]

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.

[toby]

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

[rjauregui]

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

[billw012]

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.

[seahip]

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.

[23jordan]

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

[Dannywayoflife]

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.