Hip Replacement

I recently went to see my orthopedic surgeon about my right hip. I have degenerative hip disease and my femur is wearing down at the top rubbing bone on bone. I wanted to know any options I had I have recently lost almost 200lbs so that helped and been taking pain meds for a while. He just pushed me into hip replacement surgery but I am only 31 and not sure I want this now. Is there other options than replacement now just dont want to go through this again in 20 years. Thanks

[namnam46]

Hi gottilee,

It's nice to see you back on the Pain Forum again.  I'm sure you remember that we're ALL CP Chronic Pain Patients and not Doctor's, but I just wanted to remind you since it's been awhile.  :)

I'm sorry that you will be facing a hip replacement.  I'm currently recuperating from my 3rd hip replacement.  Don't let that frighten you at all because the FIRST one lasted almost 30 years and after it I did EVERYTHING thing that I did before the implant. I wore 4" heels, I danced, I hiked, I ran, I played soft ball with my little kids and the BEST thing of all was that ALL of the pain was GONE!!!!  I was just about your age. I was 27 when I was diagnosed with the osteoarthritis in my hip joint and needed it then, HOWEVER, back in '74 the implants were brand new and made for elderly - over 80 years old only - as they wouldn't have lasted more than approx 5 to 10 years on me. So they had me put it off and I did for over 7 years, until I was 35, and that RUINED my back because of the way I had to walk and use a cane  and limped.Because of that I NOW have severe DDD - Degenerative Disc Disease. I'd HATE to see that happen to ou!!!  What I'm TRYING  to tell you is DON'T PUT IT OFF - ESPECIALLY since your upper part of your femur is wearing down. DON'T take the chance that it could ruin the possibility of an EXCELLENT outcome for you and your implant.  The implants these days last for up to 30 years OR MORE!!!!  Think about it - youd be talking about NOT having to go thru it again until you are into your 60"s at least.  What  ever you do DON'T RUIN YOUR FEMUR!!!!! Remember that it's not ONLY rubbing that down BUT also your HIP BONE!!!

I went back and read ALL of your older posts and I hope that you will PLEASE follow your Dr.s instructions when it comes to your meds.  I know that you may be concerned about having to take the pain meds BUT if you are up front with your Dr.  he will help you through this and be able to keep you OUT OF PAIN and STILL help to keep you from abusing the pain pills.  

You will be fine!!!  I really hope and pray that you won't wait too long as I am VERY concerned about the damage that is being done to your femur.  

I'm sorry that it took me so long to get to your question but as I said I JUST came home after my hip implant and wasn't able to get to it until now.  I wish you the VERY best and if you have ANY questions at all please feel free to ask and I will be more than happy to walk you through it.  :)

Again, welcome back to the PM Forum  and I wish you the VERY best.......Sherry

[gottilee]

Thanks Sherry I appreciate the answer sorry it took me so long to respond. I know I have to do it just feel I am being rushed. Just kind of shocked first time I saw surgeon they did x-rays and scheduled surgery. Just seems fast to me.
                                           Yeah pain meds I feel have become a problem and came here orginally for help with that. I am prescribed 270 10mg percs a month or was and just kept running out early and having to look else where for them. I started suboxone to get off them and start steriod injections but I am in so much pain. Havent had a perc in almost a month now but just in so much pain. I have a hard time playing with my kids I went back to my Dr. and said they could start the percs again. I just dont want to get bad on them again.

                           Right now got surgery date for 1/14/11 not sure if I am going to keep it or push it back to April so I can get things in order            

[justdeb329]

Hi.
I had 2 hip surgeries this year on my left hip.
The 1st. was arthroscopic & the 2nd was a total hip.
Unfortunately, I am in worse pain now, not only my hip, but my back.  Now the operating surgeon in NYC, one of the best, wants me to go thru "pain management", saying it may be my back!  I rushed into surgery because he said, "You will be out of pain".  I wish I would have tried cortisone shots, more medication  or something else before rushing the hip replacement.  I wanted to be out of pain for my daughter's wedding 2 wks. ago!  Remember if you go to a "surgeon", what they do!  I'm not saying you don't need the THR, but they told me I was bone on bone too!  I just would get multiple opinions, and not operate so fast.  I wish you luck & a quick recovery. You are smart to check out your options,  just an opinion & you will hear many...  Every one is different!

[namnam46]

Hi justdeb,

First I want to welcome you to the Pain Management Forum and let you know that we are glad you found this Forum. I want to let you know that there are NO Doctors on this Forum only CP - Chronic Pain - Patients that help each other with our OWN expertise and experiences that we have developed through our OWN CP Issues.

I'm SORRY that you arae having to go through so much pain right now!! If you read my threads before you know that I have had 3 hip implants on my left leg beginning in '81 when I was 35 years old.  My arthritis was discovered in my hip when I was ONLY 28 or so years old. They wouldn't do the surgery back thn in '74 as the hip implants WEREN'T designed for a young person and would have worn out within approximately 5 years or so.  They had me put off my surgery as "long as I could stand it". In "81 at the age of 35 I COULDN'T stand the pain ANYMORE!!!  I, ALSO, was bone on bone!!  My surgeon's had NO idea how much it had DETERIORATED in those 7 years and NEVER would have let me wait that length of tim IF they had known.  They said that I was VERY lucky that I hadn't done so much damage that it COULDN'T have been repaired.  IF they couldn't have done the implant I would have had to have it PERMANENTLY put into EITHER a permanent sitting position OR it would have had to been pinned into a PERMANENT STIFF position where I would have had to walk "stiff legged for the rest of my life and it would have been VERY difficult to sit and I wouldn't have been able to drive as i wouldn't have been able to sit CORRECTLY in the driver's seat.  

The OTHER drawback was that BECAUSE I waited those 7 years to do my surgery I did PERMANENT damage to my back in the form of SEVERE Degenerative Disc Disease. The problem with doing ANY type of damage to your back is that WILL cause severe PAIN to your back and to your legs!!!  I KNOW that you THINK that the pain is from your surgery BUT I would be willing to bet that it is from the damage that was caused from the way that you changed your gait when you were trying to walk when you were putting "OFF" your hip surgery. It happens EVERY time that someone puts off having this type of surgery.  It turns out that the WORST thing that can happen is to put OFF this hip surgery as your PERMANENTLY injure your back and there is NO WAY around it.

I REALLY believe that YOUR Surgeon is correct that your back is your biggest problem now and you REALLY would benefit IF you would go to a PM - Pain Management - Doctor that can help you through your back pain.  I was VERY fortunate as MY PM ALL my pain from my lower back.  After nine months I'm STILL COMPLETELY PAIN FREE!!

I URGE you to seek out a PM Doctor and SEE if they can be of help to you and THEN you will ALSO be pain free.  Your back injury CAN and DOES make it feel as if it IS your surgery that is causing the pain.  I HOPE that you will at least check into this as YOU deserve to be pain free ALSO!!!

Being BONE on BONE you MADE the right decision as IF you had waited too much longer you might NEVER have been able to have had the choice. :)

PLEASE keep us posted as to what you find out and I WISH you the VERY BEST and Hope and Pray that you will have the chance to be pain free ALSO!!! :)

Looking forward to your updates.......Sherry  :)

[donacole]

Hi gottilee, how did the surgery go? If you don't  mind me asking. I'm about to have one. Hope that it'll work for me. Kinda scared..=(

[Magnum]

At age 30. I had both hips replaced. Childhood Rheumatoid Arthritis in my case. A new hip is like receiving a miracle. ALL pain will be gone. However, you have to remember that it is a gift, and you will have to take care of that hip, which should last at least 10 years before a revision will be due. Keep your weight down and it will last that amount of time or more. I've had a left hip in now for 18 years. That's because I'm cautious with it and not as active as when I was thirty.

Hope you get great results...

Magnum

[donacole]

Hope that it'll be ok for me, I've read some articles about these implant failures particularly in http://www.****.com/wright-conserve-hip/, I feel sorry for those who were affected by this catastrophe.

[Magnum]

The link was coded so I can't read it. but regardless, stay away from the DePuy hip, which has caused a lot of lawsuits. If you have good insurance and can come to Las Vegas, Dr. Todd Swanson is THE best orthopaedist. He has solved some serious problems with my hip revisions that other doctors have not been able to solve.

If you want to ask his office something, like what kind of hip is the best recommended, it is: 702-731-1616

Good luck,

Magnum

[donacole]

Thank you so much Magnum for you time and service. This will be a great assistance for me. I will talk to Dr. Todd Swanson and tell him that you referred me. Can you PM me your real name? If you don't mind. Thank you again. I appreciate this.

[Natgood]

Hi im new to this site n im so glad I jst read ur post. I have had open surgery hip dislocation resurfacing n repair.  Unfortunately the screws had 2 b removed as my body rejected them tht was more surgery. Then 5 wks ago I had to have an arthroscopy ti find out tht I had no fibro cartilage repair n my arthritus had continued to get worse. So despite all my exstensive surgery I STILL need a hip replacement.  Im only 30 n im worried about havin the strength for any more surgery. My back pain is horrific aling wiv the hip pain. Im worried the damage is already done in my back n if I have the hip replacement I wont benefit from any pain relief.  Im waiting for a mri on my back to find out wats goin on b4 I make my desicion to go for the replacement. So scary. Thankgid I found this site xx

[omhome]

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