Total hip replacement

[bigtallox]

My hip has been bothering me for a long time. Even when I was in high school, my right hip would slightly bother me at times. 5 years ago it was basically something that I constantly felt but it didn't really affect me. Last year it started to affect me quite a bit. Initially chiropractic adjustment helped a lot. I did lots of experimenting, different diet, different ways to train, to see how it affected my hip. It would feel better after training than after resting it. Anyway, I was able to deal with the pain for a while, years. But last fall that kind of changed, it got quite a bit worse really fast around christmas last year. I wasn't really able to deadlift because it really bugging me. ( but training has never made it feel worse. ) Chiropractic adjustments stopped helping, ibuprofen stopped helping. My chiropractor x-rayed my pelvis back in july, scoliosis had my pelvis pretty crooked and my right hip is bone on bone. He basically said he was only for pain management until the pain is bad enough that I want to get it replaced. I tried to compete at Utah's Strongest Man last week, but couldn't because the hip was too bad. I guess I basically decided at was at the point my chiropractor talked about. Last tuesday, I showed my primary care physician my x-rays from back in July and he referred me to a few orthopedic surgeons. I saw one last friday (yesterday) and he said my right hip was that of a 90 year old and that the only thing that going to give me relief from the pain is a total hip replacement. Surgery is scheduled for December 1st. They said there's a small chance that a day in mid november may become available. The surgeon said that they'll have me walking the day of surgery, I'll spend one night in the hospital and within 3 weeks I'll be walking around normally, and probably in 2 to 3 months I'll be able to ski and do some strongman again.

For anybody that cares I'm going to try to keep my training log more up to date than back when my hip was depressing me. Now I'm training to get into the best shape possible for surgery and to help recover as fast as possible.

If anybody has gone through similar things, please reply with your experience and any advice you may have.

[ironwill2008]

I'm sorry to hear of your plight; I certainly hope the surgery goes well for you, and that you're back doing what you love to do ASAP.


GL, Big Man.

[bigtallox]

I'm sorry to hear of your plight; I certainly hope the surgery goes well for you, and that you're back doing what you love to do ASAP.


GL, Big Man.

Thanks. The surgeon was very positive and expressed that "I'll back to doing the things I like to do" several times. Sure hope he's right. Its a little scary to think about, but I'm starting to get over that, I just want it done so I can move on and start recovering. The pain now really sucks. The dr said a cortisone shot would probably make it even worse ( I forget the reason for that ). But I'm trying to stay positive and think about how great it's going to be with a new hip joint.

[KarlBaxter]

Tackling it head on is definitely the right strategy. I don't know you, but I do know joint pain

Very best wishes to you for the op and the recovery, of course

[ljimd]

Sorry to hear about the hip ox. My wife went through a total hip replacement
in May and was up and moving within days. The pain relief was immediate for her.

She got ready for hers by doing the prescribed exercises and breezed through it.

Best of luck.

[Jtbny]

I've got no experiences with this but wanted to wish you good luck and a speedy recovery.

[x-trainer ben]

Father in law did his hip surgery August 1 if i recall. Day 1 bed rest and pain management, day 2 walk up and down the hall with a walker, day 3 or 4 begin physical therapy exercises, after 7 days move to the rehab center and do exercises for a week. Go home after week 2 and no driving for 3 weeks/ lawn mowing or certain activities requiring the movements prohibited. Now he is back to normal and had no pain after a month. Good luck!

[debandmikeb]

I got a total hip about a year and a half ago and this is my tale. Because of a combination of age (65+) and some considerable arther-itis and a high degree of pain, I had my right hip done. I had already had three x-ray guided cortisone shots to help put off the inevitable. The first worked great, the second, not so much and the third, a short time. Since this Dr had done my knee five years earlier, I had no qualms about letting him into my body.

The day of the surgery, I was in considerable pain and couldn't make it from the prep room to the rest room without my cane. When I woke up, it was like magic! The pain was completely gone and I mean gone gone. Since it was late in the day, the nurse hunted down some soup, pudding and a sammy, then of to sleep. The next day I was walking the corridors with the help of a walker and the following day I was headed up and down stairs. The next day I was visited by the PT person and started some basic exercises. I was up and around as much as I could but was somewhat limited because after this surgery, you always had to have a "companion" with you. That was this hospitals policy, YMMV. Surgery was Tuesday and trip home was Saturday. I could go right home because bedroom and bathroom are on the same first floor. Unfortunately, all of my TV time was spent watching the hunt for the Boston Marathon bombers.

Now the aspect that surprised everyone was the fact that once I awoke from the procedure, I was absolutely pain free!! I mean no pain at all. Nothing from the incision, nothing from the procedure, nothing. The nurses would come in to do vitals and ask for my pain level on a 1-10 scale and I would say "Uh, is there a zero?". Now, I know that I have a high tolerance to pain but even I was surprised by this. Once again, YMMV.

I had some PT at home for a while but it was fairly benign. PT for a hip is much less rigorous than for a knee. The goal of knee PT is to prevent the buildup of scar tissue by continuous stretching to break the tissue. This can be painful if done right. The scar tissue from a hip replacement actually helps hold the joint in place 'till the bone grows over it.

Overview:
Pros....Fairly simple procedure ( you don't have to do anything except stay asleep)..can be relatively painless...instant gratification....non-strenuous physical therapy...rather short time to normalcy....having a catheter means you can stay in bed to pee ....good food...just kidding about the food.

Cons:
Hospital beds suck...having a catheter means eventually they're gonna have to take it out ...that's it.

I'm sure that you are going to come out of this whole thing with way less pain than when you go into it. Do what the Dr tells you to do when he tells you to do it and you'll be pulling buses before you know it.
I tried to put as much info into this post as possible and hope I did a good job of making you actually look forward to the big day. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to shoot me a PM.

Good luck.....

Mike

[anonymous]

I had a hip scope last month to prevent this happened so in a way I know how it feels.

Here's the deal, Dave Tate had a double thr and is still pounding heavy weight but you'll have to stop strongman and focus on safer lifts. Look at Tate's training log on efs to see what he's doing these days. He doesn't do heavy full squats but does a ton of other stuff.

Now IMO that's not a great idea since the hip has a limited life span, I'd stick to bodybuilding with the minimal possible frequency to preserve the lifespan of the unit

[DocHoss]

Good luck! Being in shape and strong as an ox should make the procedure easier, and from what I have read in this post you should have a fast recovery and huge improvement in quality of life.

Keep us posted!

[bigtallox]

Thanks everybody.

but you'll have to stop strongman and focus on safer lifts.

Thanks for your input Halfway. Hope your scope went well.

The dr didn't say that. What he did say was that I won't be able to jog. He knows that I do with strongman, and didn't say it was not safe. I'm sure I won't be doing heavy yoke walks, I'm realistic about that, but he said there will still be things I'll be able to do. I don't care about being able to squat heavy and deep, he said I'll probably be able to ski green runs a few months after surgery, and be able to deadlift when I'm fully recovered. How long that takes he said varies. Time will tell I guess.

[drudixon]

Good luck Brian. Thinking about you. All the best my big brother.

[anonymous]

does your doctor really understand the stress heavy lifting, especially strongman, is going to put on the replacement? I'm amazed he didn't caution you against it - usually they are very anti lifting, especially anything with the possibility of uncontrolled force

http://asp.elitefts.net/qa/training-...186042&tid=124

That's tates first post op log post, the rest of the year follows his training and recovery.. I read it all when I thought I needed a THR (initial MRI showed not enough joint space for a scope - thank God it was wrong!)

all the best man, just remember these units have a limited lifespan and the more you stress them the faster they wear out - and you can only have 2-3 replacements done in a lifetime AFAIK

[bigtallox]

does your doctor really understand the stress heavy lifting, especially strongman, is going to put on the replacement? I'm amazed he didn't caution you against it - usually they are very anti lifting, especially anything with the possibility of uncontrolled force

Honestly, I'm not sure. I told him, he said he's familiar with the sport, but it didn't seem all that worried about it. Honestly it seemed that he liked the idea of me lifting and he said that being strong will help recovery. He definitely wasn't "anti-lifting". Honestly it surprised me too. I hope he's being honest. I was honest with him. But he's done "thousands" of them ( not sure exactly how many but that was what he told me when I asked ).

all the best man, just remember these units have a limited lifespan and the more you stress them the faster they wear out - and you can only have 2-3 replacements done in a lifetime AFAIK

Thanks. I understand. I completely understand. It's nice that it seems like the dr does too. He said "replacing it" is *much* easier than the initial surgery with the particular unit they're going to use. But I understand, I'm not stupid, I COMPLETELY understand how bad something like this can be. I'm not going to destroy my general pleasure in life by training heavy strongman events.

[SmcAtUb]

If anybody has gone through similar things, please reply with your experience and any advice you may have.

I had two hip surgeries (scopes with bone shaving, anchors, & internal stitching) - in winter of 2013 and 2014.

I'm guessing you'll have range of motion restrictions. I'm 5'11" and, with my ROM restrictions, I had a heck of a time in the bathroom, keeping my hips from exceeding the allowable angles while sitting and getting back up. At your height, I'm guessing you'll have even more trouble.

If you can get a toilet seat height extender it might be useful. And I'd switch to a low residue diet for a while before and after, hopefully you'll have to go less often and not deal with the ROM issues.

If you have cats or dogs, keep a pillow on the incision in case they decide to jump on your lap.

I'm not sure where you're located, but be careful if it's somewhere with snow and ice. I had to deal with ice and it was NOT fun.

Some malls have loaner wheelchairs, in case you get cabin fever before you can move around too much. I went out and just wheeled around looking at people and drinking coffee on day 3 because I couldn't stand being in the house any more. And I'm sure my opinion would be different if I were in one full time forever, but it was kind of fun wheeling around, and good cardio, too.

At my first one, the nurses were very insistent I take pain meds as soon as I woke up. I didn't feel like I needed them, but they really wanted me to have some, so I did. I got really sick - I'm guessing from all of the lingering surgical drugs combining with the pain meds. My second one, I felt OK again, and refused the meds. I did much better that time, and didn't have much pain even without the meds.

If you don't have a recliner, get one - I did for hip #2 and was much more comfortable than on the couch.

If I think of anything more I'll post back.

Good luck with your surgery!

[Firminator4]

I have no experience with hip replacement - Thank God! Just wishing you the best and a speedy recovery!

Firm

[GKC45]

I have no experience or insight here, but best wishes and speedy recovery.

[ArchAngel'73]

I have no advice.
I just know how much you love your sport and I'm wishing you the best so you can continue with it.

[Jodie10]

I had an arthroscopy in 2005, and apparently the recovery is worse than for total replacement. (!). The replacements today are excellent, there is no rusting/leaking issues like the previous decades, which had to be replaced every 10 years. They are also lighter and stronger.

I am a former semi-professional dancer and ALL of the dancers I know who are 30+, and were serious in their training, have either had arthroscopies or replacements; many have had both hips replaced. I haven't had this surgery, but from what they have told me they can actually dance again with full range of motion after 3 months (includes serious PT). Don't worry about the loading on the hips from lifting, the worry is 'torquing' the replacement via cardio which shouldn't be an issue for you with lifting. PT is key... spend the money and do the PT right.

Good luck and good health.

[Phattso]

All the best, BTO. Looking forward to reading about your recovery.

[bartriley]

so... i too am an avid lifter about to get a thr. my surgeon uses a ceramic/ceramic prosthesis. i know there are also ceramic/polymer prostheses. any thoughts on the trade-offs between these two hardware sets?

[Shapeshifter62]

I haven't been a part of this site for more than a day or so, and up to this point, I have exercised on my own. About 14 years ago, I stopped playing handball, and spent alot of time at my desk at work, watching the kids, not getting enough exercise. I gradually had what I thought were problems with my back, but after a "wake-up" vacation at Disneyland with my family three years ago, I got some x-rays and they confirmed I had bone on bone necrotic joints on both sides. I had one done, and then the other 3 months later.

I think that you will find that it will be the best thing you could have done. I found myself saying that I put up with alot of pain for no good reason. I was otherwise healthy, and recovered quickly, and I am sure that you will too. I was prescribed some strong pain relievers, but really didn't use them past the first couple of nights. I was discharged each time after two days, and was up and walking the morning after the surgery each time. They usually glue them into your bone, so they are immediately stable. The only difficulty is getting the muscle mass back, and I suspect you will not have any problem in that area!

I am now back to playing tennis and handball, without any hint of pain, and the ceramic joints have given me no problem. My doctor told me that after 3 months, I could do what I wanted. I used to be a pretty goods skier, but I have been sort of afraid to take that route, for fear of the dread "revision." As you probably know, you're skiing down the mountain in perfect control, get careless for just a second, catch an edge, and you're in the snow. I do miss it, though.

I will watch your progress, and if you need any advice, I would be glad to give it to you, but I am thinking that your probably won't have any problems. I do admit, it was pretty scary the first time I went into the hospital to get the first one done!

Good luck!

[sgman]

so... i too am an avid lifter about to get a thr. my surgeon uses a ceramic/ceramic prosthesis. i know there are also ceramic/polymer prostheses. any thoughts on the trade-offs between these two hardware sets?

The ceramic parts are incredibly hard, leading to minimal wear, which is good. It is theorized that the ceramic head is so hard it place you at an increased risk of cracking the ceramic socket.

[jscan1]

I had an anterior total hip replacement 2 yrs ago, At age 45. I was bone on bone from yrs of ice hockey and weightlifting! The replacement has been great, because without it I would have had to cease almost all activity as the daily pain was getting unbearable! I did guided cortisone shots for a yr, but after a while that became ineffective! Don't do anything but an anterior , the recovery with anterior is much quicker! I walked the next day, and was pedaling the recumbent at a very low level 5 days later! Now for the bad news, before the hip deteriorated I could easily squat 405, lunge with 70lb Dumbbells in each hand, I tried to go back to working legs heavy, and frankly there is no possible way I could! I will say just now, I have been able to start adding some lbs to the leg press, and yesterday squatted with 225 although squats now feel a little weird! I don't care what anyone says it takes a long time for the metal and bone to grow and fuse. Only now 2 yrs later I am confident that I can now do a decent leg workout to stay strong and in shape! My daily living is mostly pain free, I scuba dive weekly, and except for some flexibility issues getting fins on, I enjoy it immensely and it would not have been possible to climb on and off dive boats in my previous condition! Anymore questions pm me and I'll try to help