Katfisch’s Hip Resurfacing 2009
Katfisch’s Hip Resurfacing 2009
August 10, 2009
I had a LBHR done 7/20/09 – I am a 56 year old female. Prior to the surgery, I had been having left hip pain that progressed to bilateral groin pain for the past two years. My gait was not good, and the pain was constant – I had no endurance for walking, sitting, or standing. I was diagnosed with congenital hip dysplasia. Today, I am 3 weeks post op. My worst pain is cramping in my left thigh, knee, and calf. The cramping is the worst upon arising in the morning and also after sitting for an hour. I am able to decrease the cramping with walking. My post op instructions are: use crutches for 6 weeks and maintain 75% weight bearing on my left leg for 6 weeks with no lifting of anything 40 pounds or greater for at least a year. The doctor has me on a home exercise program rather than attending therapy – and, one of the exercises is too “march” with my left leg – this is particularly painful – and, I wonder if I am making any progress. After reading several of the notes made on this site – I can accept that much of the pain is due to soft tissue and muscle adjusting to a more normal walking pattern particularly if I have been walking abnormal due to the hip dysplasia. On the bright side, I no longer have any discomfort on my right side at all. I still cannot put a sock on my left foot or tie a shoe without great difficulty or pain. My question is how much pain do I tolerate when doing the exercises? And, do I need to do less during the day to decrease the amount of pain I have? I am still having a problem with swelling in my left leg – I had a large bruise on the back of my left thigh and left calf that is beginning to subside. The doctor told me at my 2 week visit to decrease using ice as I needed to have blood flow to the area and ice would deter that.
August 11, 2009
I am just over 3 weeks post op (left hip), and my doctor discourages PT but rather instructs on home exercises – I currently have exercises that I perform lying flat in bed that include adducting/abducting my left leg, sliding my left heel up bending my knee, and putting a roll underneath my knee and then extending my left foot up – in addition, I stand at a counter and adduct/abduct my left leg out to the side, I then extend my left leg back, and then extend it forward, and lastly, I then complete a marching exercise on my left leg bending my knee up as far as I can.
August 13, 2009
I am just over 3 weeks post op from having a left hip resurfacing. When I was at 2 weeks, the cramping in my left thigh was pretty unbearable, and now at 3 weeks it does seem to be subsiding. Why did you have to have the surgery? My problem was congenital hip dysplasia – and, I believe my cramping is due to my muscles having to readjust to a corrected leg length and learning to walk normally. I also had large amount of bruising the back of my entire thigh that extended to the calf of my leg. My instructions are to use crutches for 6 weeks – and, with the cramping pain I had at 2 weeks, I know I would not have been able to walk without the crutches. Walking with crutches helped to “walk out” the cramping. Currently, I do a position change hourly to help reduce the amount of pain in my thigh – that, and elevating my leg as high as I can when I am sitting or in bed helps. My thing will cramp initially when I sit or lie, but, if I just lie still for about 15-20 minutes, the cramping subsides.
August 25, 2009
I feel like I am in the slow lane, compared to most of you. Today has been 5 weeks post op for me, and, as instructed by my doctor, I am still using crutches and not allowed to drive. I see the doctor next week – my 6 week check – at which point I am anticipating I will be released from using crutches. And, personally, I am wondering how sure footed I will be after being dependent on crutches for 6 weeks. I am an office nurse – I am mostly on my feet all day – and the days are long, averaging 9-10 hours. Right now, I find that I might feel good, both mentally and physically, but my energy level is not what it was before the surgery, especially having been off work this long. Going out for groceries one day last week with my husband did wear me out quite a bit.
September 16, 2009
I am now just a little over 8 weeks post op left hip resurfacing. I had my 6 week post op visit 9/1 and at that time was told to stop using the crutches. Initially, I was extremely unsteady with walking and leaned very much to the left. I was given a new set of exercises to do – lay on my right side (the non-operated hip) and lift my left leg 30 times and do this 3 times a day. I told the doctor at my visit that I had been having a problem with cramping type pain in my right hip and thigh for past 1-2 weeks. Due to the fact that I have hip dysplasia in both hips – my left was far worse than my right – the explanation I received was that my right hip had to bear much of the work post operatively and the symptoms I was experiencing may be related to that. But to do the exercises to see if it would improve. I also think my legs are going through an adjustment with the implant – I know my left leg was shorter than my right before surgery – so, I can accept that the muscles have to adjust to these changes. My walking has improved somewhat, but I find myself going back to the “swaying, waddling” type gait I had before surgery because of the pain I am having in my right leg – and, I do not want to do that. I am also having a problem sitting for longer than 15-20 minutes without experiencing pretty severe cramping in my right thigh – if I do not stand and move, the cramping pain does gets worse. I called my doctor and he explained recovery is different for everyone, which I understand – but, what can I do to relieve this cramping? He recommended to continue with the exercises – he does not advise PT as the concern is too much stress can cause the femoral neck to fracture. I am allowed to drive – but, if I am in the sitting position for longer than 15 minutes (and, my drive to work one way is 20 minutes) – my right leg goes into such a cramp, it make driving very painful. Walking and exercising do help to relieve symptoms- but, I am having a hard time walking a normal gait.