Post-op lost with PT

[rag33]

I'm 4 days post-op with Dr. De smet. He doesn't recommend any specific PT but the PT at the hospital said to do PT. I didn't get specific exercises to do and am scared the PT I'll now be seeing won't know what to do with a resurfaced hip. I'm a bit lost...I saw Dr. Su's really thorough program buy can't just start with no supervision. Just want to do it right and get back to normal as quickly as possible.

[catfriend]

For initial recovery you may want to google exercises for recovering from hip resurfacing, or something to that effect. You can find a lot, and you will notice they are all a lot alike. Here are a couple of links to start you off:

http://www.grossortho.com/rapid-recovery-program  This is from Dr. Gross' website. There are a couple of .pdfs with immediate post surgery exercises.

https://www.drbradboyd.com/pdf/hip-resurfacing-post-op-excersizes.pdf Another surgeon's website.

http://www.mcminncentre.co.uk/rehabilitation.html From McMinn's website. Includes animated video demonstrating the exercises.

You will notice these exercises are the same or similar, with a couple of variations. Dr. Pritchett performed my surgery, and my initial post surgery exercises were mostly the same as these. Good luck with your recovery!

[rag33]

Thanks that's so helpful. Dr. De Smet confirmed by email. No PT. Just do what I feel and walk, walk, walk.  But that's all a bit overwhelming seeing as I have a new metal object in my body...I want someone to check in on me. So thanks so much!

[jimbone]

Hello Rag-

I'm going to suggest there is a large difference between the home PT patients do in bed during initial days/weeks in recovery and the exercises a physical therapist will instruct you in during the following weeks.  The hospital provided a printout of 10 or so bed exercises to do 2 X Day and it is standard practice for a patient to demonstrate them prior to discharge.  They are very basic and helpful to begin getting the body and relevant tissues mobilizing and promoting healing.  Most are a challenge in the first 10 days but at least two of them I found to be very helpful reducing pain.  McMinn's website has an excellent tutorial on both phase 1 and phase 2 exercises that can be found on You tube.  I believe you will find both the ankle pumps and the quad isometric exercise [the 1st two] will promote both a strengthening and lengthening of the leg muscles and will alleviate pain.  Some, like the heel slide and abductor slide, may prove too challenging.  If you experience sharp pains, anything beyond your comfort zone just stop doing the exercise for a few days- the body just isn't ready, give a rest and try again after another day or 3 of healing.  You will likely find that range of motion and strength will progress in tiny incremental steps for the first week or two and then begin to accelerate.  McMinns program is essentially the same as I was given at Swedish Hospital after my surgeries with Dr. Pritchett.  While the heel slide, tailor exercise and abductor are usually very challenging for most people the first week or two, I found using a 3-4 foot loop of webbing [rope would do as well] draped over my foot and used as an aid to do most of the work of the exercise, sparing my leg/hip muscles from early exertion at least got those tissues mobilzed, doing some small level of resistance and retraining the neuromuscular pathways toward function again after the trauma of surgery.  At 4 days out things are still pretty raw for most folks- just go slowl, gentle and steady and you should be fine.  Best wishes.

[Pat Walter]

Hi Rag


I am almost 13 years post op with Dr. De Smet.  His advice is the same now as it was in 2006 - walk, walk and walk.  It worked for me and a few thousand of his other patients.  It seems many times PT gets people in more problems than healing.  Once you are well on your way to being healed, exercise is a good thing.  All the doctors have different ideas.  The one thing that seems constant over the years is - if it hurts, don't do it.  Especially in your early recovery.


Walk, Walk and Walk.  I wish you the very best and a speedy recovery.


Pat

[rag33]

Thanks to you both. Lots of resources to use! Jimbone, I didn't get any resources which is why I'm so confused.

I'm actually feeling really good. I have no pain, just s really shakey right butt cheek and a very slanted walk.

I know Dr. De Smet knows what he's doing and obviously I will follow his advice. But it's more the fear of the unknown and just being let loose on my own. just need to listen to my body, which is something I usually don't do. 

[suncag]

Hi Rag33,

    I am just a little further along than you.  Almost 5 week post op now and I can totally relate to your anxiety about what to do/not to do.  I was just like that in my first 2 weeks.  The advice you got from jimbone on doing those simple exercises (ankles, isometric quads, etc.) worked great for me.  I did not do them the first week and then started cramping a little bit at night.  As soon as I started doing them, the cramping went right away.  I also put too much pressure on myself to walk (with the walker and cane) the first 2 weeks.  Now, I am walking great without anything and have to keep reminding myself I just had an operation.  I want to share that with you as I hope you will find that encouraging.  But if I could go back in time about 3 weeks, I would have taken the pressure off myself to try to walk so much with the walker and cane.  The hip socket gets really torn up in this operation.  There's no substitute for time to heal.  But it is truly amazing how much my hip has healed in just 4 weeks.  Try to over-analyze or agonize too much about what to do/not to do.  I did a lot of that.  Just to what you can to listen to your body, take it easy, get good rest, do the simple exercises and slowly work up to walking around the house a little with the walker/cane/crutches.  You will see that by week 3 and 4 you are really well on your way to full recovery.   I should say that this has been my experience.  I felt so good I even started lifting weights (while sitting down or lying down on a bench) for my upper body and walking about half a mile a day on the treadmill (slow pace).  You'll be there before you know it.  For now, give your body (and mind) the rest it needs to heal.

Hang in there!  It gets MUCH better!
Chris

[rag33]

Thanks Chris. It's definitely reassuring hear from other hippies in the same situation as me. I'm actually surprised at how good I feel. That said I'm still scared to It on the toilet seat,, for example, cause what if I pop my hip out?  PT told me I was doing too much now so I have to calm down a bit. But I'm doing Dr. Gross' exercises every day and PT gave me others (calf raises and abduction stuff) so it's progressing really quickly. He said I could even get on the bike soon. Dr. De Smet said I could immediately but I'm a runner and I don't know when to stop. So I'm taking it slowly.
Thanks so much. Like I said, it's so helpful to get feedback from people like me.

[suncag]

Sounds like you're doing Awesome Rag33!!  I remember it was a little scary and difficult to sit on the toilet.  The pain meds had me so constipated it took me about 4 days to go and then it was a little challenging to use seat.  I think you can get a special raised cushion for that.  And at night the first few nights I was using a urine bottle to go into because it was too hard to get off the couch in the middle of the night and the flowmax had me going constantly.  Hang in there.  It gets better everyday!