Hip replacement revision

Oh dear, poor you It's 9 years since I had mine replaced too, and earlier this year I had some symptoms which felt like it was beginning to slip out. I'm much older than you. Why did it need doing when you were so young?
The only comment I can make is to look into the material that the prosthesis is made of because there have been problems with some types (I think mostly metal on metal.) And prepare all your questions to ask your surgeon.
I hope you manage to get a course of physio afterwards, you need to build up the muscles around the joint.

I am sorry to hear that this has happened. I guess the younger you have the surgery the more active you are and the more wear and tear it gets. One consolation is that the new one that you get is likely to be more sophisticated and capable of seeing you out, so to speak.

A friend of mine had a new one and had no problems at all with the surgery or the outcome.

No, it wasn't a great piece of news - it was picked up on a routine x-ray check. Had some noticed some stiffness but nothing much. My surgeon is good at discussing the issues, and is a specialist in replacement/revision, but thinks I have just been unlucky.

Thanks for the encouragement, Luckygirl.

I had my second hip replacement replaced. The first one is still fine after 22 years, the other side had to be redone after 15 years. Since that one was replaced my sacro illiac joint problems have disappeared.
Still can't walk because of oa in ankles and feet. Hips are fine and also strangely enough, hips

Meant also knees.

Update - now recovering at home 6 days post op, having been let out on day 3. All seems well though maybe a just little more knackered this time round.

I a glad that all seems to be going well and wish you lots of luck with your recovery.

Snap Ellen except I've just had the first one. I'm still a bit bemused by the whole thing. They do believe in chucking out on day 3 don't they? . I do wonder how people on their own manage. It was all very efficient and a bit like a conveyor belt. I have an Exeter hip so i hope I'm going to get fifteen years out of it. Galen what make are yours?

Ellen - good to hear it's all over. Will you be having some physio?
I hope it lasts longer this time. As Luckygirl says, perhaps younger people give the new joint more wear and tear.
We're fortunate here (France ) in that we're in hospital for at least 3 weeks, including 2 week's intensive physio, within the hospital.

I had my hip replacement 7 years ago at 61. It was the best thing ever as I no longer had pain after recovery. I was actually in hospital for 7 days as I had no one at home to look after me. My DSs popped in morning and afternoon after that. I was told during physio that I should walk and exercise to ensure the muscles on both hips stayed strong.

I do notice that if I don't keep up with exercise I feel some pain in both replacement and natural hips so I guess they were right.

Thanks all for your good wishes. Now day 10 post-op, walking mostly without stick in the house and with 1 stick outside. Managed a 10 minute walk today, hopefully will get as far as the nearest shop for a paper tomorrow. No physio here after hospital discharge, but hospital physio advises that I can use my exercise bike in a gentle fashion so will try that tomorrow.

Sounds like you're doing well!
Walking is so important, even a short stroll at first, then gradually increase.

You appear to be doing very well- you are feeling more knackered this time around because you would have been on the operating table for longer, certainly 2 hours and possibly longer- it all takes its toll.

Be careful of the possible frost tomorrow.

Managed to dislocate my right hip replacement (no problems with first left leg done six years ago) twice, each time after six months - and had been exercising all the time- last one Christmas morning. Any one any advice - I just know I will at some time without thinking and when I have forgotten I ever had a replacement, bend down, put on socks, cut toenails, get something out the oven etc etc and do it again.

Advice on what not to do and for how long seems very variable. Spent a long time trawling through a range of respectable online sources and also asked my consultant at 6 week check-up. He advised that I only needed to avoid extreme bending/twisting positions, and demonstrated bring his knee up to his chest and then turning round as an example of such. But then suggested I shouldn't be cutting toenails yet, which is much less extreme - and I actually did so, 8 weeks after the revision op, without mishap. So can't be of much help, though I guess caution is the best, if unwelcome, policy.

I still have trouble cutting toenails, and washing feet in shower - 18 months post-op. I am seeing a physio, doing my exercises diligently and hoping for the best! She says it is OK to cross my legs now, but I don't risk it - I am a coward!

Luckygirl I am 11 weeks post op and I'm feeling a bit down as I still feel quite tender around my hip. I'm fine walking but sitting for any length of time is uncomfortable. I still sleep with a pillow between my knees to stop me crossing my legs in the night. I feel I will never run up or downstairs ever again. Can anyone who has had a hip done give me some encouragement?

DH had a replacement hip done in our local hospital. After four dislocations he went in to have a 'posterior lip augmentation device' fitted. He then proceeded to have a further two dislocations because the 'plad' failed and then had a replacement of the replacement done. This all took place within 2 1/2 years and the surgeon (at the National Hospital) who did the revision said that DH had just been unlucky. I'll say! I became totally unfazed about ringing for the ambulance whilst gathering the 'ready bag' and other stuff together for a hospital stay.
Anyway he has not looked back since the latest op and says that the exercises are really particularly important after a revision and to keep going for a walk if you can every day.
Ellen DH was more tired after the revision than the original replacement and the surgeon said it was because he was a long time on the operating table. Make sure you take a good mineral and vitamin supplement too. Apparently a general anaesthetic knocks everything out and it takes a good while to get back to normal.
Hope all continues to go well, just don't take any risks.

Stansgran DH says that if there is no redness in the operated area it should not have any infection but if concerned to see your doctor. It is a serious and invasive op so will take a fair while to get to the point of no discomfort. DH said that the awful pain was gone when he woke up from the anaesthetic, it was replaced by a different pain for a while but that has all gone now. Hope your pain goes really soon and that you will soon be totally recovered. Do take supplements as I suggested above and perhaps even St John's Wort to give you a lift.

I am 66 and the doctor said I was to young for a hip operation. It seems not so listening to you all. She said it would last only 10 years a d need doing again.

Life is very hard with the pain recently.

I have dreadful pain, particularly travelling in the car. Does anyone have any ideas to ease it? We actually had to stop at McDonald's for them to top up my hot water bottle. Sorry if I hijacked the thread.

LullyDully my first replacement at 52 lasted a short 9 years, so I was one of the less lucky ones. Beforehand I survived on a mixture of prescribed diclofenac tablets, paracetamol and Nytol. Probably inadvisable, and it left me a bit fuzzy, but it kept the pain at bay and allowed reasonable sleep. After the first op the pain went completely, this time, after a revision (see earlier posts) it's taking longer to get back to normal.
Stansgran my current experience is (almost literally) two steps forward and one step back. I keep doing more than i probably should, and then regretting it. But if I look back over the weeks I can see that there's quite a lot of progress, and hopefully it is, or will be, the same for you.

to both of you

I have Exeter hips. The oldest right is 23 and going strong. I had the other left one done 26 years ago but it never felt right and after about 10years started slipping and was replaced. The replacement was much better.
I was in for about 10 days because they couldn't get my BP to a level where I could stand up without keeling over.
You know what they say about doctors as patients:-
It's true!

I had my first done in my late fourties

Erratum my left was done 21 years and later replaced.