You sound like me!!! :d

i had a total hip replacement (thr) in november last year...Much the same a syou, I was walking in severe discomfort...Bone on one, 2.5 inches shorter than other leg....

I agree with your surgeon, bone resurfacing will only work when the hip is not under so much pressure or body-weight... I have a metal hip joint with a metal cup...And it's brilliant.... Just nearly 3 months post op, and I am already walking with no pain, I can do so much more and the wee changes I can see are just amazing.... Your doctor knows what you need...Trust him.

Catheter wise...Yes I had one but it was optional..... It wouldn't hurt for you to have one...What pain relief are they giving you?

I had an epidural, and though it was good, I wouldn't have another!!! The morphine that was being injected also caused me to pass out, when trying to stand!

Go for it....Please let me know how you get on!

thankyou for your reply,
sounds like we are very much alike, my leg on the bad hip side is shorter too, and i've lost a lot of muscel as as well as its been a life time problem started off as perthes disease when I was a child but didn't bother me until I was around 25 years old and got worse and worse, so I won't know myself to be able to walk without pain, it will feel strange.
I have a steriod injection script I have been hanging onto since november, as I have had 2 in 6 months and the second one didn't last to long at all, so the risks of steriods are worrying to say the least I am trying to go with out it if I can, otherwise I take trammadol sr 200 mg for another med problem but it doesn't help the hip one bit.
I am going through the public system here in australia, its not to good but I have cut a few corners and self funded the initial ortho visit and seen him privatly which cut nearly 2 years off the waiting just to see an ortho at the hospital, sounds like they are going to do it soon going by the orthopedic surgeon who has a lot of power in at the hospital.
They too are saying metal on metal joint is the best option.
I have had problems breathing after general anesthetic in previous ops, so I was hoping for a spine block, as I am a smoker I believe general can give big problems, I have read that you are awake but sleepy when having a spine block, did you find that ?
So it was optional were you are having the catheter, i'am not to keen on that myself but I don't know what they do here yet.
Anyway thanks a lot and all the best with your new hip.

Hi...

I'm lucky in that as well as having asthma, ga don't bother me...The morhine however did make my whole body very itchy...Apparently it's a common side effect...

I didn't have a spinal block, and it depends on how long the op will take... I was told by my anaethetist that a routine hip replacement does only last about an hour, so a spinal block with either sedation or a light ga will be used, but in my case (i had reconstruction work too) took much longer..Of course it will depend on your fitness..The fact you smoke, your weight...Amonsgt other factors on what they'll be able to offer you. You've probably heard this before...But is there anyway you could cut down/stop smoking before your op? It would give you a better chance to heal properly after, and may not have breathing probs after having the ga.

Trust me..It will feel brilliant to be able to walk without pain!!! I tried so hard to imagine it before the op..And I couldn't, but it's just fantastic!!

Don't know about the steroid injection...But do know that over a period of time, the steroid although will help the joint/pain.It will also weaken the tissue around it... We don't have that option in the uk.. You can get the jag for other joint problems, but the hip joint is so big... Personally I don't like them! Have they not had you on any anti-imflammatory tabs, such as diclofenac/diclofenac retard? Or naprosyn? I found naprosyn very good... Though i'm not sure you can mix these with tramadol...You could ask your doctor.

hi there i am a 40 yr old woman, i was born with club feet and dislocated hips,i recently went to a specalist for a check upto find if its too early for anything to be done with my hips yet, i have always had the fear of when this time would arrive , i have been doing a lot of serching on the net, i have made the decistion to go ahead with the opp i quess with my fear i am still trying to work out if i made the right choice or not, i do get pain but not all the time when you have pain like this from the word go you learn to live with it and build a pain tollerance i tried getting the dr to say for me to have it done or not but knowing he couldnt really give an opinion like that,he did say that the stage my hips are its not too early to have this done, the pain i do get all i take is a few panadoles a day to keep the edge off , its still there but just dulled a bit , hope i am making sence of what i am trying to say but i quess again deep down its that fear makeing me question this opption , but i am on the publick waiting list and with the dr only being new to the practice he still has a short waiting list so i could be looking at about 6 months till d day then after this one if all goes well with recovering and getting used to my new hip i will need to think about the other hip to be done, but also with my feet i have lots of pain with them too , i quess another thing i am asking is would i feel the benifits of the new hips despite my trouble with my feet the hip i am getting done first my leg is shorter and i reasd in one article ( be careful not to trip over with the changed leg lentgh) it did accure to me but made it more worrying when i read it so any how hope i have made snce of how i am feeling ....

Hi sleepkoals and welcome to ehealth: I have read your post with interest...After recently going through my husband's hip replacement and two knee replacements, I have some knowledge on this...Not too much, but a bit...

My first question is about your feet...Are you going to do anything with them?...Is it difficult to walk?...I know that having one hip done will affect the other hip and possibly put a strain on it...I would question as horrible as it may sound, why he wouldn't do both at the same time so that your legs stay even...

Believe me you are making a lot of sense yet I hesitate telling you to go ahead with this surgery...I guess if I were you I would look into a lot of medical records of people that have had this done with the disadvantage of the feet to start...I would fear one uneven hip which could also be painful...

Please understand that these are just my thoughts...I have no medical experience and just speak of what I have seen with my husband's problems...

Good luck,
Caroline

Hi Caroline
thank you for your reply, i do intend to have both hips done, just want to see how i cope with the recovery after the first one , as far as my feet go, the last opperation i had on my left food didnt work and i am not too sure if there would be much more they can do for my feet at the stage they are at, new cases of clubed feet i have read they can do things without having to have surgery now , but for me dont think i have any more options to look into , yes i do get pain mainly in my left ancle, again like my hip it comes and goes, sometimes i can go for a walk and i am fine afterwards and yet most times now i can be quite sore in the foot for up to 3 days ,but what i always say to my self now and when i was younger was there is always someone worse off then me. thank you again for your reply
Karen...

Hi Karen:

I think you will do just wonderful...Go for it...If you saw my husband running around without all the pain you would smile...The recovery is quicker and less painful than a knee replacement...Get a raised toilet seat for your toilet...This is so important...One that has the handles on the side...Have help there for a few weeks as they are the hardest...Our son has had this surgery too...

Please, if you have any questions don't hesitate to PM me at anytime....

Good luck and I send you my love and best wishes..

Caroline