Just had a hip replacement

[Henrietta]

Jiwan, thanks very motivating. I don't need to become an acrobat but I do have to work for another 15 years so ideally back to good functioning level. Each day feels a little better than the one before so pleased so far and I am concentrating on walking, following hip restrictions , physio and rest.

Norah, I am same age as as BB's mum was when she had it done which I think they regard as young (just about !) I am lucky to have been given ceramic socket and insert into bone . This type is often given to younger candidates as it can last upto or over 25 years. I believe the metal ones are estimated around 15 years plus these days. I've also heard that if you do more high impact stuff or excessive use it can wear down quicker and need replacing sooner. I don't plan on doing any running or jumping or high impact exercise.

My anaesethist couldn't give me a spinal block as I'd had an allergic reaction to a previous anaesetic when I had a steroid knee injection. He said the type of drug was too similar but they gave me a general anaesetic which I was fine with. I had no desire to listen to the sawing

[Breezey]

That's great news.
Hope your recovery goes well and you are back to 100%

[Melly1]

Sounds like you are doing well Henrietta. Do you have a good range of movement?

Hip replacements are pretty brutal. I wouldn't want to be awake either, though I do hate general anaesthetics - make me feel nauseous/throw up.


Norah I had my first hip replacement aged 30, its still fine 25 years on. It is metal on metal (no longer used) and was a total hip replacement. My second I had done in my 40's that was metal on metal too but a resurface replacement, its the better of my two hips.

Melly1

[bowlingbun]

Melly, that happened to me with my first op. Really awful, and I wasn't put fully to sleep either!

For the second op, I told the anaesthetist, and he said that's OK, I'll find out what you had last time and we can give you something different, and give you an anti sickness injection before you wake up. I sailed through that op, and woke with absolutely no after effects whatsoever, in fact I was chatting normally to the nurse in the Recovery room! She couldn't believe how good I was.

(For anyone with red hair in the family, take note: you may need up to 25% more anaesthetic than those who don't carry the ginger gene!! Mum had auburn hair, eldest son has it. I don't, as dad had dark hair, but I still carry the gene.
Be sure to tell your dentist too)

[Melly1]

BB, They do give me anti-sickness jab now if have an op and I take anti sickness tablets for a few days afterwards - but once these have run out - the nausea returns. Never heard that about the auburn/ginger gene.

Melly1

[bowlingbun]

I didn't know either until I read something on the internet, there's some fascinating information.
However, it explained why I've had so many problems with dentists telling me I couldn't possibly feel anything when I could.
When I worked in a hospital in Australia, we had a red haired patient who nearly died during the birth of her baby.
The doctors and staff said that red headed people often caused problems!

[Charles_2112]

My first experiences with general anaesthetic were horrendous, as when I was 6, 7 and 14 I started to come out of general anaesthetic during the operations, the last time being given a massive extra blast of gas...this after my trying to deck this guy who had half his arm in my mouth. I was left groggy and in no fit state for anything for a couple of days. A few months later another patient around my age died under general anaesthetic at the same dentist. Cue dentist change. After a few such incidents in quick succession around the country, dentists were banned from using general anaesthetic.

My last experience was much better, after talking to the anaesthetist. I slept through the whole thing.

[Penny]

Hope you continue todo well Henrietta.

I have several friends who have had hip replacements but they have all had to fund the ops themselves£14k approx. As they were in such unbearable pain and thr NHS lists were so long. They are all doing really well and are walking several miles and are pain free!

[Henrietta]

Thanks Breezey and Penny, I was in a lot of pain pre op and unable to work most of the last year besides bits and pieces, but I didn't want to spend my hard earned inheritance on a private op- I was lucky to be referred to a private hospital but don't think the treatment was that different besides having more chearful staff- it was clearly in an NHS "wing" as it were and looked like an NHS hospital. I shared a room and had no remote control for the unused tv sat in the corner.

I remember feeling very sick after GA following previous hysterectomy surgery but felt no sickness at all this time with hip replacement. I may have been given an anti sickness pill, but don't think so.

Never heard that about red heads either.

Had my wisdom teeth out at hospital under a local. It was rather strange watching this needle and thread disappear into my mouth as I was sewn back up