| Everyone Recovers at a Different Rate | | | | case you should see your surgeon and get x-rays |
| Remember, this is not a race, you have already won, | | | | taken. |
| you are now pain free. | | | | Some patients will be put on very restrictive post op |
| I believe that as patients we tend to have a | | | | rehab protocols due to having very complicated hip |
| selective memory when it comes to reading other | | | | conditions. Remember, the above super star |
| patients post op stories. We read the super hero | | | | recoveries are just a few out of the thousands of |
| recoveries and secretly believe we will be one of | | | | stories and patients that have posted on the yahoo |
| them, remembering ONLY the really phenomenal | | | | surface hippy site and that I have spoken to. The |
| recoveries. I know I did and was extremely | | | | average and normal are what we tend to consider |
| disappointed that I was not out running a marathon | | | | slow, when in reality they are not slow, they are |
| at three months post op. | | | | more the average. |
| I honestly do believe most of us have selective | | | | Recovery times also vary by surgeon. Check to see |
| memory and only choose to remember the superstar | | | | what your doctors post op rehab protocol is. If you |
| recoveries. I think the reality is that the majority of | | | | are a runner and your doctor recommends that you |
| patients do recover on the slower side. Being a | | | | never run again, maybe its time to look for another |
| patient advocate for hip resurfacing, I have the | | | | doctor? There are different approaches to surgery |
| opportunity to speak with hundreds of patients on an | | | | that cut and disturb different muscles that can add |
| ongoing basis. My experience with doing so, has | | | | or shorten recovery times. Some doctors have a |
| allowed me to see that recoveries range from one | | | | 90-degree restriction, some do not. |
| end of the bell curve to the other. Many that believe | | | | Variables That Can Affect Recovery Times |
| their recoveries are slower choose not to talk about | | | | Your attitude going into surgery! - Some may not |
| it, thinking they will discourage others from having | | | | look at this as important; I believe it is very |
| the surgery, but many of them do however speak | | | | important. The power of positive thinking! Going into |
| to me about it. This is how I know from experience | | | | surgery, fully trusting in your surgeon and believing |
| speaking to so many patients that what we tend to | | | | you will have a positive outcome can help |
| consider a "slow" recovery, is really more the | | | | tremendously. |
| average. | | | | Surgeon and the surgery - The approach he/she |
| This is MAJOR surgery; we all seem to forget that. If | | | | uses, muscles that are cut and or disturbed, tendons |
| you ever watched one of the videos of a live | | | | that are re-attached or not, how the surgical staff |
| surgery, you would realize that a lot of trauma goes | | | | handles the dislocation of your hip (too rough has |
| on during the procedure. With all that happens, our | | | | caused things such as knee injuries), the type of |
| bodies need time to heal. | | | | anesthesia used and how you handle that personally. |
| Remember that your recovery will be like a roller | | | | Your hip condition - Your age, your athletic condition |
| coaster ride, you will have your up days and you will | | | | going into surgery, how long you have limped and |
| have your down days, I certainly did. Some days you | | | | compensated for the bad hip, your muscle mass or |
| will feel like you are full of energy, then the next day | | | | loss of it due to the bad hip, how your body deals |
| you could hit a wall. It is all normal. Leg length | | | | with trauma, how your body handles anesthesia and |
| discrepancy or the illusion of it is very common. I do | | | | pain meds, successful placement of your resurfacing |
| not think I have ever spoken to one person that did | | | | device, PT and sticking to doing the instructed |
| not have the feeling that one leg was longer or | | | | exercises religiously, walking and listening to your |
| shorter than the other immediately after surgery. I | | | | body. If it hurts, stop. |
| think it took a couple of weeks or so for mine to | | | | Things to remember |
| disappear, but boy, I will tell you, my leg literally felt | | | | Start up pain/stiffness: Remember that it is common |
| like it was a good two inches longer than the other | | | | to have start up pain, it usually will disappear |
| leg! But it all evened out eventually. | | | | anywhere from around six months to a year. |
| Take your time; listen to your body. I waited to go | | | | Clunking: it is common to experience clunking, a |
| back to work part-time at about two and half | | | | sensation that the metal is somehow rubbing against |
| months post op, full time at three months. I know | | | | the metal, it is actually ligaments or soft tissues |
| that there is NO way I could have gone back to | | | | moving around, this will more than likely disappear |
| work at two weeks; my mind would not have been | | | | with time. Mine decreased in frequency until it |
| all there. It was hard to keep my attention span for | | | | completely went away after two years post op. |
| very long; I am not sure if it was still all the meds | | | | Leg Length Discrepancy: It is common to have the |
| that were in my system, but I do know I could not | | | | feeling that one leg is longer than the other right |
| think very clearly for several weeks after surgery. | | | | after surgery. This also usually disappears with time. |
| However, one patient posted on the Yahoo Groups | | | | Do NOT wear a shoe lift until you are at least six |
| Hip Resurfacing, Surface Hippy message board, that | | | | months out and your body has had the time to |
| he went back to work in a busy ER at 14 days post | | | | adjust itself. I have heard of PT's immediately telling a |
| op, then got home and worked out, and did 20 | | | | patient to use a shoe lift at only a few weeks out |
| minutes on an elliptical machine afterwards! He was | | | | from surgery, do NOT do this unless your doctor tells |
| still on crutches but fully functional. That is definitely | | | | you it is OK. What will happen is that your body will |
| one end of the bell curve as far as time to fully | | | | adjust to wearing the shoe lift and you will never |
| return to work in a non-sedentary job. | | | | even out. I remember feeling like my operated leg |
| Read the many stories from other patients and do a | | | | was about two inches longer after surgery. It took a |
| search for slow recoveries on the Yahoo surface | | | | couple of months for it to feel even from what I can |
| hippy site as well as the referenced website below. | | | | remember. |
| As far as extremes go, you will get some patients | | | | Low Grade Fever: Remember a low grade fever is |
| that return to running a marathon, two days short of | | | | common after any major surgery, it is only a concern |
| three months post op, like Cory Foulk (Dr. Bose), | | | | if it goes above 101. I had a 99.7 or 100.3 fever on |
| return to skiing at four weeks post op like Mark Baer | | | | some days following surgery |
| (Dr. Su), and while others will return to full out surfing | | | | Heel Pain: Heel pressure sores are a pretty common |
| at six weeks post op like Scott Tinley (Dr. Rogerson). | | | | thing. I had it and it was the most annoying pain I |
| See these patients stories on the referenced | | | | can remember from the surgery. It bothered me |
| website. Then you will get the majority of patients | | | | more than any hip pain after surgery did. The only |
| that will just take their time and slowly return to | | | | solution I could find was to keep two pillows |
| normal day-to-day activities and lose their crutches in | | | | underneath my calves and ankles to raise my feet so |
| a month or two months or some even three months. | | | | they would not touch the bed. |
| My recovery was what I considered on the slower | | | | Tired and exhausted: It is also common to feel tired |
| side. But what really is slower? More than likely my | | | | or exhausted a lot. I know I felt tired for upwards to |
| recovery really was average. The thing is every | | | | three months post op, gradually decreasing with time. |
| recovery is exactly what it should be for you. Unless | | | | Your body has just been through a tremendous |
| of course you are experiencing a lot of pain on | | | | amount of trauma, it needs time to heal; you will be |
| weight bearing, months after surgery, if that is the | | | | tired for a reason. |