Hey. I'm 27, and i've experienced practically the same thing. I'm in the process of deciding if I wanna have a hip replacement. I think i'm going to though. I'm an ortho nurse due to going through multiple surgeries on my right hip. Going through surgeries as a young child made me want to be a nurse.

Anyway, I talk to ortho docs everyday. They suggest I wait, but someone told me one day. Why wait til you're 50 or 60 and be miserable all your life. These are your best days. My hip limits me from going places and doing the things I want to do. So, with all that in mind I think i'm gonna do it.

I've been researching the net, and I think the best thing for us older people is to get a ceramic hip replacement. I've read that they last 20, 40 years, and maybe longer.

Keep in touch. You can send me a private message with your email address. Its good to find someone who is going through the same thing. By the way, I don't have kids either and I want to have some. The docs said that I could still have babies after the hip replacement. But, personally I wanna ask for a c-section. I can go on and on. If anyone else has advice for us please give input.

Hello!

I, too, suffered slipped epiphysis w/my right hip when I was 12. Had pins, a partial, then finally a total when I was 23. I'm now 45, and here's the good news: for more than 20 years, I suffered no pain, very good mobility, and a very active busy life. I've had two children (born when I was 37 and 39) and I had no problems w/my hip w/either pregnancy or delivery.

My suggestion: do not live with the pain if you don't have to. More and more docs are realizing that young people deserve to have the active and pain free life a new hip can provide.

The downside of being a "young" total hip recipient: all things indeed wear out, eventually. I'm facing a total hip revision in two months. But keep in mind, I had the "old style" hip replacement more than 20 years ago, and although my surgeon did an excellent job, i'm now told that after years of wear, the polyethelene particles shed microscopic pieces that can affect the bone beneath the cup and cause a condition called osteolysis (basically, the bone starts dissolving).

Newer hips are now using ceramic and also something known as cross-linked poly, which apparently has greater wearing power and not likely to break down.

So, in a nutshell, i've had 20 great years w/my total, and yes, I couldn't jump around and be crazy, but so what? Few people even knew I had a hip replacement. Basically, be sensible about the types of activities you do (nothing high impact like running or tennis) and try to keep your weight under control. I know the outcome of the revision i'll be having soon is not likely to be as good as the first hip, but hey, i'll hopefully be in less pain than i've been in in the past few months, and i'll be able to start up walking (the only excercise I can really stick to!) again.

Good luck with whatever decision you make! - tracey

Hi "mainemom",

thanks for your feedback. I've actually decided to go for hip resurfacing in both hips instead of a total hip replacement.

For anyone out there considering a total hip replacement, I urge you to research hip resurfacing first. There's a great web forum on this called surfacehippy. Here's a link to the forum:

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best of luck,
tara.

It's good to know that I am not the only one faced with this problem. I am 35 and live my life in pain. I had multiple surgeries between 12 and 15 to try to fix the slipped caps in my hips. I have been wavering back and forth on getting total hip replacements done. I have virtually no hip socket left on my left side, and just tying my shoes everyday has become almost impossible. I have had my children, but I want to be able to enjoy them too. I have a hard time doing that when I can hardly walk around the grocery store for an hour without an very pronounced limp and severe hip and knee pain. Thanks guys for letting me know I am not alone!

Tess

Tess -

I hope you will consider hip replacement. Find a good doc that specializes in revisions and knows how to build up your sockets. You are young and deserve to live without pain and without so many constraints. Please feel free to write me. if I can help by sharing any of my experiences with finding a doc, the surgery itself and the recovery. Good luck and know you are not alone!
Tracey

I'm so happy to have found others with this condition. I experienced this in 1965 when i was 11. In 1969 i had surgery where my trochanter was removed and a metal cap was placed over the femur. I am unable to flex my hip and my leg is shorter than the other. The capped bone is working up into the socket. I'm going to see a doctor in the next few weeks to see if hip replacement is a viable option for me at this stage. I have had 40 years without pain, for the most part. I can probably continue this way for the rest of my life - but I can't do the things i'd like to do. Has anyone out there had hip replacement surgery after this kind of procedure and has anyone else had the surgery to remove the trochanter?