Marco Polo’s Hip Resurfacing with Dr. Della Valle 2013
marco-polo-hip-resurfacing-dr-delle-valle-2013
Marco Polo’s Hip Resurfacing with Dr. Della Valle 2013
March 30, 2013
I thought I would post some additional observations now that I am 6 days post op:
– I continue to be impressed with the organization and responsiveness of Dr. Della Valle’s office. They took care of all the details related to my return home to Michigan (home PT and a nurse to monitor my coumadin levels and vitals) and responded immediately to a question regarding my prescription.
– I am focused on staying hydrated and icing.
– While I am doing the simple stretches recommended by the physical therapist, I am following Dr. Gross’ protocol that the best therapy is walking, which I am doing every 2 hours or so.
– I am in awe of the bilaterals that do both hips at once. It is hard enough to get up and down with one good leg; I can’t imagine doing it on 2 operated legs.
– Pain level continues to be manageable. My biggest challenge is the muscle stiffness I get at night after sleeping a few hours in the same position.
– Recliners are awesome!
– We timed my surgery so my wife would be on vacation and be able to assist. She has been awesome, and has been a huge help in my first week back. I would strongly recommend some form of assistance your first few days after returning home.
– The Polar Ice Machine rocks!
– I do not tolerate Vicodin very well. I pushed the nurse at the hospital for an alternative, and have found that Tramadol relieves my pain and does not make me nauseous.
– I focused on going into my surgery as fit as possible and I believe this has and will help speed up the recovery period.
I will post some additional observations after a few weeks, but I am hoping this has been helpful to those consdering this procedure. For now I keep reminding my self the importance of patience, and that this is a marathon not a sprint.
April 11, 2013
I am planning on returning to work 1/2 days after 3 weeks. The pillow is a good suggestion. The P.T. was very happy with my progress, and gave me the go ahead to walk on the treadmill at a slow pace, which is a nice alternative to walking up and down the hall on one crutch.
April 15, 2013
I only had my right hip done, but initially my right foot turned in as I walked. I focused on keeping my foot straight as I walked on my crutches, and it corrected itself after the first week.
April 17, 2013
I purchased the Lafuma RSX Zero Gravity Recliner. I am tall, so I purchased the XL version. I have been using it since my resurfacing three weeks ago and find it very comfortable. I spend much of my day and a few hours at night sleeping in it, and it works great. Before my surgery I used it with no extra padding and thought it was comfortable. However, after my surgery my wife came up with the idea of putting a Therma Rest self-inflatating sleeping pad on it and it made it even more comfortable for extended periods and raised the seat slightly.
As far as getting in and out, I get in by putting my hands on both arm rests and lowering myself in. I get out by putting my hand on the non-operated side on the arm rest and using a crutch on my operated side to lift myself up. It was a bit tricky at first, but no problem at all once you get the hang of it.
April 18, 2013
Dr. Su’s protocol is that you use a stationary bike without resistance as soon as you can comfortably get on the bike. He feels it is good for hip joint mobility. I am 3 weeks post op and started using one a few days ago. I raised the seat so I don’t break 90 degrees (my doc’s protocol) while I pedal. I have been doing this 10 minutes at a time, plus walking on the treadmill at a slow pace 20 minutes at a time focusing on smooth strides. It has been working well for me so far and provides a welcome alternative to walking on 1 crutch.
May 5, 2013
Dr. Su’s protocol is that you use a stationary bike without resistance as soon as you can comfortably get on the bike. He feels it is good for hip joint mobility. I am 3 weeks post op and started using one a few days ago. I raised the seat so I don’t break 90 degrees (my doc’s protocol) while I pedal. I have been doing this 10 minutes at a time, plus walking on the treadmill at a slow pace 20 minutes at a time focusing on smooth strides. It has been working well for me so far and provides a welcome alternative to walking on 1 crutch.
May 13, 2013
I returned to work part-time after 3 weeks, which allowed me to continue my physical therapy for another couple weeks. I then returned to full time at five weeks, which worked well for me.
May 27, 2013
I am 8 weeks out and my recovery continues to go well. While I need to continue to work on my flexibility, I can go for extended walks and begin riding my bike outdoors. I went to the driving range for the first time this weekend. I left my driver in the bag, but experienced no pain whatsoever swinging a golf club. Looking forward to an active summer!