Re: New to this - THR in 3 weeks

[Guest guest]

Hi Betsy,

I don't yet have a date, but am meeting with Dr at The Core Center in

Phoenix tomorrow.I have the same questions as you do - plus,well, what do I plan

on wearing when I'm home? Loose gowns? Can I wear panties? PJs or loose shorts

to keep the bandages covered? Will I sleep lying down or sitting up?

The euphoria of knowing there's a fix for this horrendous pain & weakness is

sort of wearing off, and I'm looking at the practicalities of recovery now.

I'm in management - can I work online from home or will I be in too much

pain/too medicated?

To those who have responded to me first note, I plan to write back - something

hit me & I literally slept this whole past weekend. Someone is also going to

CORE - my doctor is on 105th & Thunderbird, is that where you go? Maybe we

could meet for coffee sometime. If you don't mind, I'll email you privately.

More to come...

a

Betsy <elizlwil@...> wrote: Hi all

-

I am a ( " young " - yeah, right!) 58 year old woman who is having a THR

on 6/17. It will be " minimally invasive " using a posterior approach,

with a metal-on-metal, " large ball " hip - supposedly high impact once

healed. The Dr. is Barry Waldman in Baltimore; I found a video online

of him doing the exact procedure 3 years ago and I feel pretty good

about this, but I have some questions and this seems like a great

place to ask them:

1) Has anyone had this posterior approach, minimally invasive

procedure? If so can you tell me what the recovery was like?

2) In terms of the first few weeks of recovery, did you all need

raised toilet seats, shower seats etc, or were you pretty much able to

navigate with care?

3) What was your recovery like in terms of walker vs crutches vs a cane?

4) When were you comfortable walking without any assistance?

Thanks all. I actually can't wait for the surgery (mostly) since I

experience significant pain, and now that we finally know what is

causing it, I am mostly just pretty happy to know that there is a

cure. I'm sure the first couple of weeks won't be fun, but I expect

any pain to at least be of a different nature.

Take care,

Betsy

[Guest guest]

Thanks, a.

I sounds lame, but I am expecting a full recovery. It's the early - first few

weeks - recovery that is causing me stress. I look forward to hearing anything

from anyone and meanwhile I'm trying to be positive and imagine my self back on

my feet (r should I say hip?).

(You are right that the euphoria of knowing there is a cure does sort of fade,

but I pick myself back up and imagine that " cure " - 3 weeks from today I hope to

be feeling different - probably in pain, but hopefully a very different sort of

pain. Hope I am not being naïve.

Betsy

From: paula bryder

Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 10:50 AM

Joint Replacement

Subject: Re: New to this - THR in 3 weeks

Hi Betsy,

I don't yet have a date, but am meeting with Dr at The Core Center in

Phoenix tomorrow.I have the same questions as you do - plus,well, what do I plan

on wearing when I'm home? Loose gowns? Can I wear panties? PJs or loose shorts

to keep the bandages covered? Will I sleep lying down or sitting up?

The euphoria of knowing there's a fix for this horrendous pain & weakness is

sort of wearing off, and I'm looking at the practicalities of recovery now.

I'm in management - can I work online from home or will I be in too much

pain/too medicated?

To those who have responded to me first note, I plan to write back - something

hit me & I literally slept this whole past weekend. Someone is also going to

CORE - my doctor is on 105th & Thunderbird, is that where you go? Maybe we could

meet for coffee sometime. If you don't mind, I'll email you privately.

More to come...

a

Betsy <elizlwil@...> wrote: Hi all -

I am a ( " young " - yeah, right!) 58 year old woman who is having a THR

on 6/17. It will be " minimally invasive " using a posterior approach,

with a metal-on-metal, " large ball " hip - supposedly high impact once

healed. The Dr. is Barry Waldman in Baltimore; I found a video online

of him doing the exact procedure 3 years ago and I feel pretty good

about this, but I have some questions and this seems like a great

place to ask them:

1) Has anyone had this posterior approach, minimally invasive

procedure? If so can you tell me what the recovery was like?

2) In terms of the first few weeks of recovery, did you all need

raised toilet seats, shower seats etc, or were you pretty much able to

navigate with care?

3) What was your recovery like in terms of walker vs crutches vs a cane?

4) When were you comfortable walking without any assistance?

Thanks all. I actually can't wait for the surgery (mostly) since I

experience significant pain, and now that we finally know what is

causing it, I am mostly just pretty happy to know that there is a

cure. I'm sure the first couple of weeks won't be fun, but I expect

any pain to at least be of a different nature.

Take care,

Betsy

[Guest guest]

I think you will have full recovery. Ask Liesel: she had hers done 2

months ago and I think she is doing very well.

Lynn

Hi all -

>

> I am a ( " young " - yeah, right!) 58 year old woman who is having a

THR

> on 6/17. It will be " minimally invasive " using a posterior approach,

> with a metal-on-metal, " large ball " hip - supposedly high impact

once

> healed. The Dr. is Barry Waldman in Baltimore; I found a video

online

> of him doing the exact procedure 3 years ago and I feel pretty good

> about this, but I have some questions and this seems like a great

> place to ask them:

>

> 1) Has anyone had this posterior approach, minimally invasive

> procedure? If so can you tell me what the recovery was like?

> 2) In terms of the first few weeks of recovery, did you all need

> raised toilet seats, shower seats etc, or were you pretty much able

to

> navigate with care?

> 3) What was your recovery like in terms of walker vs crutches vs a

cane?

> 4) When were you comfortable walking without any assistance?

>

> Thanks all. I actually can't wait for the surgery (mostly) since I

> experience significant pain, and now that we finally know what is

> causing it, I am mostly just pretty happy to know that there is a

> cure. I'm sure the first couple of weeks won't be fun, but I expect

> any pain to at least be of a different nature.

>

> Take care,

> Betsy

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Betsy,

Today I am six weeks out from surgery...I had the posterior approach

with a typical incision length. However, my surgeon did a fabulous

job of sparing the muscle and I've had a great recovery!! I have

ceramic on ceramic, uncemented with a large ball - I think 36mm. My

surgery was done at New England Baptist Hospital in Boston where

orthopedics is basically all they do. I was released home on the 4th

post-op day with minimal restrictions - no extremes - which meant I

didn't have to adhere to the 90 degree rule,etc and I was on 2

crutches for 4 weeks.

Now to answer your questions:

1) The first 2 weeks after surgery were the hardest so help at home

is really important. Pain isn't really significant, it's more the

feeling of weakness in the muscles and feeling unsteady. Instead of

using a toilet seat raiser, I installed new, higher toilets in the

house. I'm only 5'4 " and it worked well for me. I was fine in the

shower - I didn't need a seat - however plan for " drops " like the

soap or shampoo bottle since you won't be able to bend over to pick

them up.

2) I slept in bed starting the first night home with a pillow

between my legs and was able to sleep on the unoperated side and my

stomach within the first week. I've been able to sleep on the

operated side for the past 2 weeks as the swelling has gone way down.

3) Since I was unable to touch my toes, the grabber and hook thingy

they sold in the hospital was great. It allowed for help getting on

panties and shorts, etc. and opening drawers. Definitely a good

investment.

4) At about a week post-op I was taking short walks in my

neighborhood on the crutches. PT came twice a week and I found it to

be really easy - I was anticipating more pain. At 2 weeks post-op, I

went to the mall for lunch and a bit of shopping - it was a big event

and I slept well that night, but it gave me a lot of confidence that

my life would soon be " normal " again.

5) I saw my OS for a post-op visit at 4 weeks and got the green

light to resume my regular activities (driving, etc) without

restriction. I went from 2 crutches to a cane for about 5 days then

nothing at all. Since then, I've planted my entire yard with

flowers, spread bark mulch with my kids, spent a day shopping at the

mall, and have " power " cleaned my house in prep for my son's

graduation on Sunday.

I hope this helps to ease your mind a bit...I can't say I was

actually in pain afterward but there was soreness from the incision

and stiffness upon getting up in the morning. While I did watch a

lot of movies during the first 4 weeks, I also tried to be as active

as possible...even doing laps around my house on rainy days just to

keep the muscles limber. The PT in the hospital encouraged me to get

out and going...not to sit around too much. I think mental attitude

plays a huge role - I was extremely motivated to get " back on my

feet " as quickly as possible. I feel fantastic and am so, so happy I

had the surgery!! You'll be amazed how quickly your strength comes

back, the pre-op pain will be gone and you'll have a new lease on

life!!

Best wishes,

Anne

>

> Hi all -

>

> I am a ( " young " - yeah, right!) 58 year old woman who is having a

THR

> on 6/17. It will be " minimally invasive " using a posterior

approach,

> with a metal-on-metal, " large ball " hip - supposedly high impact

once

> healed. The Dr. is Barry Waldman in Baltimore; I found a video

online

> of him doing the exact procedure 3 years ago and I feel pretty good

> about this, but I have some questions and this seems like a great

> place to ask them:

>

> 1) Has anyone had this posterior approach, minimally invasive

> procedure? If so can you tell me what the recovery was like?

> 2) In terms of the first few weeks of recovery, did you all need

> raised toilet seats, shower seats etc, or were you pretty much able

to

> navigate with care?

> 3) What was your recovery like in terms of walker vs crutches vs a

cane?

> 4) When were you comfortable walking without any assistance?

>

> Thanks all. I actually can't wait for the surgery (mostly) since I

> experience significant pain, and now that we finally know what is

> causing it, I am mostly just pretty happy to know that there is a

> cure. I'm sure the first couple of weeks won't be fun, but I expect

> any pain to at least be of a different nature.

>

> Take care,

> Betsy

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks much, Anne. This really makes me feel better - I am looking forward to a

good recovery and hope also to be planting and mulching in the Fall! I am

planning on a smooth recovery and hope to be doing things in late July that just

aren't possible for me now.

I am interested to hear that you didn't have to follow the 90 degree rule

strictly - my doctor's general information talks about the 90 degree rule for 4

weeks, but I am hoping that I won't have to be completely paranoid about this.

Take care,

Betsy

From: reds_country_angel

Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 5:45 AM

Joint Replacement

Subject: Re: New to this - THR in 3 weeks

Betsy,

Today I am six weeks out from surgery...I had the posterior approach

with a typical incision length. However, my surgeon did a fabulous

job of sparing the muscle and I've had a great recovery!! I have

ceramic on ceramic, uncemented with a large ball - I think 36mm. My

surgery was done at New England Baptist Hospital in Boston where

orthopedics is basically all they do. I was released home on the 4th

post-op day with minimal restrictions - no extremes - which meant I

didn't have to adhere to the 90 degree rule,etc and I was on 2

crutches for 4 weeks.

Now to answer your questions:

1) The first 2 weeks after surgery were the hardest so help at home

is really important. Pain isn't really significant, it's more the

feeling of weakness in the muscles and feeling unsteady. Instead of

using a toilet seat raiser, I installed new, higher toilets in the

house. I'm only 5'4 " and it worked well for me. I was fine in the

shower - I didn't need a seat - however plan for " drops " like the

soap or shampoo bottle since you won't be able to bend over to pick

them up.

2) I slept in bed starting the first night home with a pillow

between my legs and was able to sleep on the unoperated side and my

stomach within the first week. I've been able to sleep on the

operated side for the past 2 weeks as the swelling has gone way down.

3) Since I was unable to touch my toes, the grabber and hook thingy

they sold in the hospital was great. It allowed for help getting on

panties and shorts, etc. and opening drawers. Definitely a good

investment.

4) At about a week post-op I was taking short walks in my

neighborhood on the crutches. PT came twice a week and I found it to

be really easy - I was anticipating more pain. At 2 weeks post-op, I

went to the mall for lunch and a bit of shopping - it was a big event

and I slept well that night, but it gave me a lot of confidence that

my life would soon be " normal " again.

5) I saw my OS for a post-op visit at 4 weeks and got the green

light to resume my regular activities (driving, etc) without

restriction. I went from 2 crutches to a cane for about 5 days then

nothing at all. Since then, I've planted my entire yard with

flowers, spread bark mulch with my kids, spent a day shopping at the

mall, and have " power " cleaned my house in prep for my son's

graduation on Sunday.

I hope this helps to ease your mind a bit...I can't say I was

actually in pain afterward but there was soreness from the incision

and stiffness upon getting up in the morning. While I did watch a

lot of movies during the first 4 weeks, I also tried to be as active

as possible...even doing laps around my house on rainy days just to

keep the muscles limber. The PT in the hospital encouraged me to get

out and going...not to sit around too much. I think mental attitude

plays a huge role - I was extremely motivated to get " back on my

feet " as quickly as possible. I feel fantastic and am so, so happy I

had the surgery!! You'll be amazed how quickly your strength comes

back, the pre-op pain will be gone and you'll have a new lease on

life!!

Best wishes,

Anne

>

> Hi all -

>

> I am a ( " young " - yeah, right!) 58 year old woman who is having a

THR

> on 6/17. It will be " minimally invasive " using a posterior

approach,

> with a metal-on-metal, " large ball " hip - supposedly high impact

once

> healed. The Dr. is Barry Waldman in Baltimore; I found a video

online

> of him doing the exact procedure 3 years ago and I feel pretty good

> about this, but I have some questions and this seems like a great

> place to ask them:

>

> 1) Has anyone had this posterior approach, minimally invasive

> procedure? If so can you tell me what the recovery was like?

> 2) In terms of the first few weeks of recovery, did you all need

> raised toilet seats, shower seats etc, or were you pretty much able

to

> navigate with care?

> 3) What was your recovery like in terms of walker vs crutches vs a

cane?

> 4) When were you comfortable walking without any assistance?

>

> Thanks all. I actually can't wait for the surgery (mostly) since I

> experience significant pain, and now that we finally know what is

> causing it, I am mostly just pretty happy to know that there is a

> cure. I'm sure the first couple of weeks won't be fun, but I expect

> any pain to at least be of a different nature.

>

> Take care,

> Betsy

>

[Guest guest]

I had my THR on 4/30/08, 4 weeks ago.

I'm a 61 year old male in average shape.

2. The first couple weeks were sorta' rough. I was off tylenol by day 14.

I kept the raised toilet seat until just a few days ago, although it is a

bit uncomfortable sitting down that low again. I never did need a shower seat.

I don't have a lot of hair and I was in and out of the shower in 60 seconds.

Finding a comfortable position to sleep at night is still an issue. I can sleep

on either side and I still use the pillow between my legs, but it's

bothersome.

3. I used the walker for about 8 or 9 days. I used a cane to get up and down the

stairs. After about 3 weeks I stopped using the cane. I never got crutches.

I was not mentally prepared for little setbacks. I got muscle strain in the

leg and stopped doing the PT exercises for a couple days. My foot swelled

up a couple times and I had to keep it elevated for a couple days each

time. Also I kinda' strained my groin doing the PT exercises and backed off

Monday. Oh well, 2 steps forward and 1 step back. I tended to over-do my

home exercises I think.

All in all, things are

better, but not fast enough to suit me. Driving was easy, I had my left

hip replaced which makes it easier to get behind the wheel. I wouldn't

want to drive more than 30 minutes cuz it's a bit uncomfortable.

I have a desk job part-time. I probably could have done a 4-6 hour day,

but there is no need to.

I've been told that in another 4 weeks (a total of 8 weeks post-op), things

will be much better and by August I will be nearly back to normal and

in 10 months I will actually be back to normal!

As a final note on physical therapists: I had about 6 different PTs counting

in the hospital, home health care, and now out-patient rehab. 3 were

useless, 1 was OK, and 2 were really good. Use your own judgement.

reds_country_angel <amjohnston616@...> wrote:

Betsy,

Today I am six weeks out from surgery...I had the posterior approach

with a typical incision length. However, my surgeon did a fabulous

job of sparing the muscle and I've had a great recovery!! I have

ceramic on ceramic, uncemented with a large ball - I think 36mm. My

surgery was done at New England Baptist Hospital in Boston where

orthopedics is basically all they do. I was released home on the 4th

post-op day with minimal restrictions - no extremes - which meant I

didn't have to adhere to the 90 degree rule,etc and I was on 2

crutches for 4 weeks.

Now to answer your questions:

1) The first 2 weeks after surgery were the hardest so help at home

is really important. Pain isn't really significant, it's more the

feeling of weakness in the muscles and feeling unsteady. Instead of

using a toilet seat raiser, I installed new, higher toilets in the

house. I'm only 5'4 " and it worked well for me. I was fine in the

shower - I didn't need a seat - however plan for " drops " like the

soap or shampoo bottle since you won't be able to bend over to pick

them up.

2) I slept in bed starting the first night home with a pillow

between my legs and was able to sleep on the unoperated side and my

stomach within the first week. I've been able to sleep on the

operated side for the past 2 weeks as the swelling has gone way down.

3) Since I was unable to touch my toes, the grabber and hook thingy

they sold in the hospital was great. It allowed for help getting on

panties and shorts, etc. and opening drawers. Definitely a good

investment.

4) At about a week post-op I was taking short walks in my

neighborhood on the crutches. PT came twice a week and I found it to

be really easy - I was anticipating more pain. At 2 weeks post-op, I

went to the mall for lunch and a bit of shopping - it was a big event

and I slept well that night, but it gave me a lot of confidence that

my life would soon be " normal " again.

5) I saw my OS for a post-op visit at 4 weeks and got the green

light to resume my regular activities (driving, etc) without

restriction. I went from 2 crutches to a cane for about 5 days then

nothing at all. Since then, I've planted my entire yard with

flowers, spread bark mulch with my kids, spent a day shopping at the

mall, and have " power " cleaned my house in prep for my son's

graduation on Sunday.

I hope this helps to ease your mind a bit...I can't say I was

actually in pain afterward but there was soreness from the incision

and stiffness upon getting up in the morning. While I did watch a

lot of movies during the first 4 weeks, I also tried to be as active

as possible...even doing laps around my house on rainy days just to

keep the muscles limber. The PT in the hospital encouraged me to get

out and going...not to sit around too much. I think mental attitude

plays a huge role - I was extremely motivated to get " back on my

feet " as quickly as possible. I feel fantastic and am so, so happy I

had the surgery!! You'll be amazed how quickly your strength comes

back, the pre-op pain will be gone and you'll have a new lease on

life!!

Best wishes,

Anne

>

> Hi all -

>

> I am a ( " young " - yeah, right!) 58 year old woman who is having a

THR

> on 6/17. It will be " minimally invasive " using a posterior

approach,

> with a metal-on-metal, " large ball " hip - supposedly high impact

once

> healed. The Dr. is Barry Waldman in Baltimore; I found a video

online

> of him doing the exact procedure 3 years ago and I feel pretty good

> about this, but I have some questions and this seems like a great

> place to ask them:

>

> 1) Has anyone had this posterior approach, minimally invasive

> procedure? If so can you tell me what the recovery was like?

> 2) In terms of the first few weeks of recovery, did you all need

> raised toilet seats, shower seats etc, or were you pretty much able

to

> navigate with care?

> 3) What was your recovery like in terms of walker vs crutches vs a

cane?

> 4) When were you comfortable walking without any assistance?

>

> Thanks all. I actually can't wait for the surgery (mostly) since I

> experience significant pain, and now that we finally know what is

> causing it, I am mostly just pretty happy to know that there is a

> cure. I'm sure the first couple of weeks won't be fun, but I expect

> any pain to at least be of a different nature.

>

> Take care,

> Betsy

>

[Guest guest]

Betsy,

Every OS is different...originally I saw a surgeon at Mass General

who made me think my situation was worse than others and I'd have a

longer recovery due to the amount of " carpentry " he'd need to do in

the joint. I wasn't too keen on hearing that, so I did some research

into minimally invasive techniques and found the group at New England

Baptist. Jack Nichlaus (golfer) had his hip done there nearly 10 yrs

ago by Dr Bierbaum so I located his group. NEBH does more joint

replacements in a year than all the major Boston hospitals put

together, so I felt confident that I was getting top-of-the-line

care. My surgery wasn't technically the minimally invasive type with

a tiny incision because my OS made a larger incision in order to cut

less muscle inside. I think recovery from hip replacement has less

to do with the actual joint and more to do with the healing and

strengthening of traumatized muscles. After surgery, the PTs in the

hospital told me that NEBH surgeons take a more aggressive approach

to post-op therapy...not as many precautions and pushing a little

harder in therapy. My at-home PTs were shocked at what I

was " allowed " to do and amazed at the exercises I was given...again,

indicating that it was due to where I'd had surgery.

So after that long explanation, I think the reason I didn't have to

adhere to that pesky 90 degree rule had mostly to do with my OS and

his ability to minimize muscle trauma during surgery. When I saw him

at the 4 week mark, I asked if there was anything I wasn't allowed to

do...and his response was no. I can bend over and touch my toes

again, put on my socks, etc....and I have certainly done those things

and more since then with no ill effect.

I should also mention that one thing I believe was very helpful pre-

surgery was exercising. At the pre-op hip class, we were given

several pages of exercises to begin doing right away to strengthen

the muscles before surgery. I also walked as much as I could

tolerate before surgery, rode my exercise bike and used arm weights

to improve upper body strength - pushing myself to really use those

muscles. While I'm relatively young (46) for joint replacement, I'm

also on the heavy side(5'4 " and 215 lbs).

Ask a lot of questions of your OS, but understand that some things he

won't be able to answer for sure until after your surgery since every

situation is different. After surgery I was a little surprised to

hear him say 2 crutches for 4 weeks - no exceptions - but I did it,

and am thrilled with the outcome!

Best wishes,

Anne

> >

> > Hi all -

> >

> > I am a ( " young " - yeah, right!) 58 year old woman who is having a

> THR

> > on 6/17. It will be " minimally invasive " using a posterior

> approach,

> > with a metal-on-metal, " large ball " hip - supposedly high impact

> once

> > healed. The Dr. is Barry Waldman in Baltimore; I found a video

> online

> > of him doing the exact procedure 3 years ago and I feel pretty

good

> > about this, but I have some questions and this seems like a great

> > place to ask them:

> >

> > 1) Has anyone had this posterior approach, minimally invasive

> > procedure? If so can you tell me what the recovery was like?

> > 2) In terms of the first few weeks of recovery, did you all need

> > raised toilet seats, shower seats etc, or were you pretty much

able

> to

> > navigate with care?

> > 3) What was your recovery like in terms of walker vs crutches vs

a

> cane?

> > 4) When were you comfortable walking without any assistance?

> >

> > Thanks all. I actually can't wait for the surgery (mostly) since I

> > experience significant pain, and now that we finally know what is

> > causing it, I am mostly just pretty happy to know that there is a

> > cure. I'm sure the first couple of weeks won't be fun, but I

expect

> > any pain to at least be of a different nature.

> >

> > Take care,

> > Betsy

> >

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I am also 6 weeks post-op and have had a similar recovery. I had the

minimally invasive with a larger incision (5 " ) - my OS explained that the size

of the incision does not determine the minimally invasive approach, it's what

they do inside. Not disturbing the muscles and nerves is the key. My OS also

specialized in joint replacement so I felt comfortable. I did have the standard

hip precautions for 4 weeks and used one crutch from about day 7. I now need no

assistance. I'm impressed, Anne, that you can put on your socks/shoes. I'm

still not able to do that, but my pre-op situtation was one of reduced range of

motion - the hip was locked - with very little pain. My PT explained that I

might take a little longer to regain that flexibilty since it was compromised

for almost 3 years.

They did send my home with the raised toilet seat which I think is essential.

We also had to use the pillow between the legs, but now that has been

eliminated. Sleeping comfortably is a challenge at first, but that improves

especially at the 4-5 week point.

PT is essential and I had it pre-op which I think helped me walk with ease the

day after surgery. The first 2 weeks at home will leave you feeling helpless so

you will need help. After the 4 week mark, you'll be amazed at much faster you

will improve. I am now driving and taking short " hikes " which is great for

morale. At about 3 weeks I was able to have dinner with friends and now can

shop in short spurts.

The pre-op class was very helpful so I would attend that if offered. My OS -

and hospital -are very aggressive about DVT prevention, using the leg

compression devices in the hospital and meds for 14 days post-op. I would

definitely ask about that.

Good luck.

Barb

reds_country_angel <amjohnston616@...> wrote:

Betsy,

Every OS is different...originally I saw a surgeon at Mass General

who made me think my situation was worse than others and I'd have a

longer recovery due to the amount of " carpentry " he'd need to do in

the joint. I wasn't too keen on hearing that, so I did some research

into minimally invasive techniques and found the group at New England

Baptist. Jack Nichlaus (golfer) had his hip done there nearly 10 yrs

ago by Dr Bierbaum so I located his group. NEBH does more joint

replacements in a year than all the major Boston hospitals put

together, so I felt confident that I was getting top-of-the-line

care. My surgery wasn't technically the minimally invasive type with

a tiny incision because my OS made a larger incision in order to cut

less muscle inside. I think recovery from hip replacement has less

to do with the actual joint and more to do with the healing and

strengthening of traumatized muscles. After surgery, the PTs in the

hospital told me that NEBH surgeons take a more aggressive approach

to post-op therapy...not as many precautions and pushing a little

harder in therapy. My at-home PTs were shocked at what I

was " allowed " to do and amazed at the exercises I was given...again,

indicating that it was due to where I'd had surgery.

So after that long explanation, I think the reason I didn't have to

adhere to that pesky 90 degree rule had mostly to do with my OS and

his ability to minimize muscle trauma during surgery. When I saw him

at the 4 week mark, I asked if there was anything I wasn't allowed to

do...and his response was no. I can bend over and touch my toes

again, put on my socks, etc....and I have certainly done those things

and more since then with no ill effect.

I should also mention that one thing I believe was very helpful pre-

surgery was exercising. At the pre-op hip class, we were given

several pages of exercises to begin doing right away to strengthen

the muscles before surgery. I also walked as much as I could

tolerate before surgery, rode my exercise bike and used arm weights

to improve upper body strength - pushing myself to really use those

muscles. While I'm relatively young (46) for joint replacement, I'm

also on the heavy side(5'4 " and 215 lbs).

Ask a lot of questions of your OS, but understand that some things he

won't be able to answer for sure until after your surgery since every

situation is different. After surgery I was a little surprised to

hear him say 2 crutches for 4 weeks - no exceptions - but I did it,

and am thrilled with the outcome!

Best wishes,

Anne

> >

> > Hi all -

> >

> > I am a ( " young " - yeah, right!) 58 year old woman who is having a

> THR

> > on 6/17. It will be " minimally invasive " using a posterior

> approach,

> > with a metal-on-metal, " large ball " hip - supposedly high impact

> once

> > healed. The Dr. is Barry Waldman in Baltimore; I found a video

> online

> > of him doing the exact procedure 3 years ago and I feel pretty

good

> > about this, but I have some questions and this seems like a great

> > place to ask them:

> >

> > 1) Has anyone had this posterior approach, minimally invasive

> > procedure? If so can you tell me what the recovery was like?

> > 2) In terms of the first few weeks of recovery, did you all need

> > raised toilet seats, shower seats etc, or were you pretty much

able

> to

> > navigate with care?

> > 3) What was your recovery like in terms of walker vs crutches vs

a

> cane?

> > 4) When were you comfortable walking without any assistance?

> >

> > Thanks all. I actually can't wait for the surgery (mostly) since I

> > experience significant pain, and now that we finally know what is

> > causing it, I am mostly just pretty happy to know that there is a

> > cure. I'm sure the first couple of weeks won't be fun, but I

expect

> > any pain to at least be of a different nature.

> >

> > Take care,

> > Betsy

> >

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Anne -

I feel pretty good. My surgeon does nothing but hip and knee replacements,

teaches minimally invasive hip surgery at s Hopkins and Am. Academy of

Orthopedics - also directs the " Joint Replacement Center " at the Rubin Institute

for Advanced Orthopedics ( a specialty ortho hospital associated with Sinai

Hospital in Baltimore, which is where I will have my surgery - I live near DC,

but looked for this surgeon, since an hour's drive seemed trivial relative to

such major surgery.)

I talked with my ortho's nurse practitioner today and she said I will probably

not need raised toilet seat - we'll discuss all this in the hospital after

surgery and if required, they will provide it. She also said the 90-degree rule

is very flexible - so apparently most of the recovery will be based on

" listening to my body " - I am really looking forward to the surgery (and to

listening to my body).

Good luck all and thanks for the help several of you have provided,

Betsy

From: reds_country_angel

Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2008 7:58 AM

Joint Replacement

Subject: Re: New to this - THR in 3 weeks

Betsy,

Every OS is different...originally I saw a surgeon at Mass General

who made me think my situation was worse than others and I'd have a

longer recovery due to the amount of " carpentry " he'd need to do in

the joint. I wasn't too keen on hearing that, so I did some research

into minimally invasive techniques and found the group at New England

Baptist. Jack Nichlaus (golfer) had his hip done there nearly 10 yrs

ago by Dr Bierbaum so I located his group. NEBH does more joint

replacements in a year than all the major Boston hospitals put

together, so I felt confident that I was getting top-of-the-line

care. My surgery wasn't technically the minimally invasive type with

a tiny incision because my OS made a larger incision in order to cut

less muscle inside. I think recovery from hip replacement has less

to do with the actual joint and more to do with the healing and

strengthening of traumatized muscles. After surgery, the PTs in the

hospital told me that NEBH surgeons take a more aggressive approach

to post-op therapy...not as many precautions and pushing a little

harder in therapy. My at-home PTs were shocked at what I

was " allowed " to do and amazed at the exercises I was given...again,

indicating that it was due to where I'd had surgery.

So after that long explanation, I think the reason I didn't have to

adhere to that pesky 90 degree rule had mostly to do with my OS and

his ability to minimize muscle trauma during surgery. When I saw him

at the 4 week mark, I asked if there was anything I wasn't allowed to

do...and his response was no. I can bend over and touch my toes

again, put on my socks, etc....and I have certainly done those things

and more since then with no ill effect.

I should also mention that one thing I believe was very helpful pre-

surgery was exercising. At the pre-op hip class, we were given

several pages of exercises to begin doing right away to strengthen

the muscles before surgery. I also walked as much as I could

tolerate before surgery, rode my exercise bike and used arm weights

to improve upper body strength - pushing myself to really use those

muscles. While I'm relatively young (46) for joint replacement, I'm

also on the heavy side(5'4 " and 215 lbs).

Ask a lot of questions of your OS, but understand that some things he

won't be able to answer for sure until after your surgery since every

situation is different. After surgery I was a little surprised to

hear him say 2 crutches for 4 weeks - no exceptions - but I did it,

and am thrilled with the outcome!

Best wishes,

Anne

> >

> > Hi all -

> >

> > I am a ( " young " - yeah, right!) 58 year old woman who is having a

> THR

> > on 6/17. It will be " minimally invasive " using a posterior

> approach,

> > with a metal-on-metal, " large ball " hip - supposedly high impact

> once

> > healed. The Dr. is Barry Waldman in Baltimore; I found a video

> online

> > of him doing the exact procedure 3 years ago and I feel pretty

good

> > about this, but I have some questions and this seems like a great

> > place to ask them:

> >

> > 1) Has anyone had this posterior approach, minimally invasive

> > procedure? If so can you tell me what the recovery was like?

> > 2) In terms of the first few weeks of recovery, did you all need

> > raised toilet seats, shower seats etc, or were you pretty much

able

> to

> > navigate with care?

> > 3) What was your recovery like in terms of walker vs crutches vs

a

> cane?

> > 4) When were you comfortable walking without any assistance?

> >

> > Thanks all. I actually can't wait for the surgery (mostly) since I

> > experience significant pain, and now that we finally know what is

> > causing it, I am mostly just pretty happy to know that there is a

> > cure. I'm sure the first couple of weeks won't be fun, but I

expect

> > any pain to at least be of a different nature.

> >

> > Take care,

> > Betsy

> >

>

>

>

>

>

>