My pre-op appointment is this month, right hip scheduled for August. I'm 77 of that helps.

All the best for the surgery and recovery.

Had my right hip done at 51. I’m 53 now.

Good: Instant relief. Should have done it years earlier. I was in surgery for about 45 minutes. Surgery was about 0800, I was up walking by noon. Incision site was sore and stiff. But every day brought improvements. I did all the therapy myself and at home. But thinking back I should have done it at a facility. I’m gonna say I’m now real close to 100%. It was 2 years in April.

Bad: I came out of surgery with the worst case of AFIB I had experienced up til then. I did a little bit of therapy at the hospital, but the AFIB was bad enough I was bed ridden for six days. I guess it was just the trauma of the surgery. I dunno. I literally took a nap on day six, and woke up back in rhythm. I was hungry, rested, and ready to exercise. I walked as much as I could. The walker, according to the doc, was to help me get my gait back. I spent so much time giving into the pain, I had a limp just from habit.
I was back driving in about 3 weeks. I took the full 6 weeks off from work, but probably could have gone back at 4 or 5.


That’s what comes to mind right now. I firmly believe I suffered much longer than I should have by putting it off for so long.

MIL is scheduled later this month. She is 84

Johnny… I had total on my right hip a year ago. I had the big incision procedure because mine was so bad. I’m 60 and it one of the best choices I’ve made. I went in the OR at around 630 am and was out about 215 pm and they had me walking a half hour later. Recovery went very well, I did my physical therapy on line and the therapist stop every other day for the first week and then once a week after they determined I was actually doing the therapy and progressing well. They had me get a walker which I used for3 days and he switched me out to a cane. I was pretty miserable the first couple days as I was using muscles I didn’t normally use and also the have to cut all that muscle to get to the hip. I also have a bad knee but he said do the hip first, it’s much easier and it’ll be strong when we do the knee that way. I was supposed to do the online therapy twice a day but I actually enjoyed doing it so I’d do the 20 minute regime sometimes 3 or 4 times. I think if you go into with a good frame of mind, recovery is much better. I hope the best for you and as everyone always says “ do the therapy “. Hopefully it’ll be something that really improves your quality of life, I know it did for me. I know I really didn’t probably answer too many of your questions, please feel free to ask or email me if there’s anything I may be able to answer.

Right hip replaced at 42 in 2015. Got infected 3 months later, had it a redone. It's been good ever since

My surgeon said my left hip was bad, then he looked at the right side. Bone on Bone on the right. Knees are good. Just had Nerve Ablation in mt back last week and it's starting to kick in. No heart issues.

I'm nervous about the procedure, but Blantons and Eagle Rare are helping

My mother had it done and her only remark was she wished she had done it earlier.
At the time, she was in her mid-70's and arthritis had worn the ball of the hip-joint down. Recovery and PT took a few months but, she was all smiles, pleased she had it done and chided all her friends to get it done. She's 84 now and continues to walk daily while nagging my dad.

Welcome to the club!! I used the similar therapy as you before surgery . Like hudr and Oakland experiences, the benefit of instant relief is that you can begin therapy immediately to buold strength. As well, tightness at the site, but moving as much as possible helps. I recommend a few things:
Get a good walker (set up prior to the surgery), toilet seat riser/lift, seat for the shower, and a good cane.
get in a routine for the excerses, do what you can early on and progress at your own pace, later include other areas like core strengthening and knees (both sides).
Take the drugs plus a couple days,stopping the narcotics early and toughing it out was miserable.
Use the walker to get around for a week or more, then the cane. Nine days on walker for me plus at least five on the cane but I had hallway, back of couch, ect.. for support.

I'm years past surgery but still do the excerses for hip and knee because many are same or similar and I didn't use that leg for a decade prior.

Stay positive and reach out to us with your progress.

I had my right hip replaced in Nov 2015 at the age of 55. Hard to believe it's been almost 9 years. I had the anterior method and it was an outpatient procedure. In at 6 am or so and out by early afternoon. My wife is a PT and has done rehab for hundreds of joint replacement patients so I had her working on me that afternoon.

Find the most experienced surgeon you can and who does the procedure the way you want it done, posterior or anterior. Anterior has quicker rehab and different limitations than the posterior method. Some doctors will only do it one way and that is something you should discuss with your surgeon.

Different surgeons also have different theories on your post replacement lifestyle. My doc was fairly conservative and said no to a lot of physical activities like running, skiing and baseball. Basically any increased risk of falling he was against if possible.

My younger brother had his replaced a few years after I did (in CO) and out there the mindset was we are doing this to get you back to doing all the physical things you want to do. If you break/dislocate it we will fix you up again. So they were all about him skiing or playing baseball again. Probably still a no to distance running but that is more to extend the life of the new hip.

At 77 you probably want to take it very easy physically so that the replacement would likely last your lifetime.

The toughest part of the whole deal was the first 4-5 days after the surgery. Those days will suck. Absolutely stay on the pain med regimen for at least that long. I tried to get off the narcotics too early and it sucked. I had tramadol for quick action if I got behind on the heavy stuff.

I still keep some of that handy in case my back (had surgery on that in 2014) or the hip gets jacked and I need the relief while waiting for the doc/hospital to give me more powerful stuff.

Most people will say that they should have done the surgery sooner and I will have to agree with that. My hip pain is much better but I still have some numbness along my thigh as a result of the nerve damage done from the incision. Nothing major, and over time it has gotten better, but it's still there.

Main thing is do the PT, follow the post op precautions and use the walker, crutches and cane as appropriate. Even past the point of really needing the cane it's nice to have and its amazing how much space and assistance people will give you when they see you with a cane. Just the extra personal space is nice as you really don't want to trip, stumble or fall after the surgery.

The technology is amazing and I think you will be relieved to have the surgery done, just realize those first 4-5 days will suck and after that things should improve rapidly so long as you follow the PT and doctor's orders.

Hoping that your surgery goes smoothly and you have a quick rehab and recovery.

Wish you well J3E, I bet you will be up and running (so to speak) soon.

Thanks for the valuable information. One question, why can't I drive after surgery (can't wait 3 weeks before driving)

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:
Thanks for the valuable information. One question, why can't I drive after surgery (can't wait 3 weeks before driving)

When I had open heart surgery, they wouldn't let me drive in case an air bag went off, I think it was like 3 or 4 weeks. Maybe they want that hip to heal some incase of a wreck.

I have replaced both knees and a year ago replaced my right hip at 66. The good was that the recovery was a walk in the park compared to the knees. Slept in the recliner for the first couple weeks then I was good. Went from the walker to a cane in just days. HUGE relief.
The bad was waking up during surgery. Like wake up, spit out the mouthpiece and had a meaningful conversation with the anesthesiologist while the surgeon was pounding the appliance home with a mallet. We discussed it following the surgery and I was told that if you have sleep apnea, they don't put you very far under at all because they don't want to intubate you. With the spinal they don't have to. And I appear to be in a really small % of people that remember it. One of the benefits of the med they use is amnesia. Not so in my case.
Enjoy!

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:
Thanks for the valuable information. One question, why can't I drive after surgery (can't wait 3 weeks before driving)

You can't apply enough pressure to brake effectively.

I had my right done in 2016. I didn't feel comfortable driving for a bit. Left coming soon and am confident I will drive more or less right away.

I've had both hips replaced - 7 years ago, 6 months apart. Both were posterior procedures (not anterior). I had a great surgeon, had no issues and today everything is great. Was in pain for a decade before and went through PT, cortisone injections. Instant relief from the pain waking up from the replacements.

My advice: Follow the pre and post op infection control standards religiously. If you're having the posterior procedure ice the wound regularly to keep swelling down. Follow all PT recommendations and go to physical therapy after the procedure. Follow all hip replacement protocols. I never had much wound pain after each one so my pain management drug use was almost nil, but if you have pain stay ahead of it. Work with your doc and PT folks.

I've also had one knee replaced after the hips, but that's another experience. PT was much more difficult for me but again, it all worked out well.

When I die my son has asked if he could scrap me. I've probably got some good cash in me for those titanium joints!

Best of luck!

My dad had it done in his later 80s. Earlier is better I think. 77 sounds like you will do better. He does ok, but not great. Can move around a bit, but he's 93 now, and it wasn't a wild success story.

At 8 weeks went back to work yesterday. I had prepared myself for a much worse experience. In the end it was Tylenol for pain and ice for swelling. I’m getting around better than I was 3 years ago, at 8 weeks!

Just get it done, you’ve gotten on this roller coaster you’ll be riding it till they fix that hip or you die.

Right hip done in 2018. Had it done at a surgical hospital in phoenix. there were no sick people or children there. I was in and out in 32 hours. Like others, I would do it again. I did look at about 15 hours of online videos showing how the procedure is done. I opted for the front incision, it was healed in about two weeks. The only complication was trying to get my “fused ankle into the “moon boot. It took time since the ankle didn’t bend.I checked in at 5 a.m.paper work done, in my buttless top,met gas’s passer and woke up about noon. Was told if I wanted lunch, I had to get out of the bed and walk to a chair and sit to be served .pt saw me three times that day and once the next morning I waLKED TO THE WIFE’S CAR THE next morning at 10 a.m. I drove myself to the doc’s office for my follow up two weeks later.I quit the walker about the same time.

quote:

Originally posted by Hunthelp:
I did look at about 15 hours of online videos showing how the procedure is done.

Not for me. I recommend against that. This is carpentry on your bones! I was actually offered the opportunity to stay conscious during the procedure by utilizing a neural block only. For me: Hell to the no! Told the anesthesiologist to hit me over the head with a tire iron if he had to keep me unconscious.

Funny thing - my surgeon was this petite little lady, 5 feet tall and couldn't have weighed more than 120. I can only imagine her working on my 6-2, 280 lb. frame, sawing away with the ole Stryker.