New Hip anyone?
 

I know that there are several new knees on this board.......anyone ever invest in a new hip?

After a year or two of being sidelined.......I started swimming again last year and added bicycling to my activities. I thought I was on top of the world.......even thought about taking up running again.........and Bam.........stupid me biking and hit a rock and crashed........screwed up shoulder and hip.........................damn.

Starting to feel a bit better......but the orthopedist I am seeing has brought up the possibility of a hip replacement. Said with my arthritis that it could be a win/win.........(not a should......BTW).

Don't have the greatest of health insurance so it would be a bit costly......anyone with any suggestions I would welcome some outside input.

Second, third, fourth opinions from other Orthopedists? Keep on the same track and see if I can get back to where I was when feeling I was feeling good (swimming and biking when I am up to it)?

I do fairly well with pain using just Aspirin which makes me think that a new hip might be a bit premature.......but would appreciate any input that y'all might have.

Joel

I know of a couple of umpires who have had hip replacements. The recovery is long, but they're back on the field and doing well. It's a common issue among umpires and referees.

Get lots of opinions. I'd rather spend $200 on opinions and know what I'm getting into than to spend nothing at all and go in blindly.

I've heard just the opposite, that the recovery isn't as long as a knee. Maybe it all depends on what you are going to do afterwards.

Well, it's certainly a good number of months. One umpire I know had his hip done in April of last year, and was walking reasonably well by August or so. Don't know what his plans are for returning to the field, but that's another matter.

I have a few friends with new knees and have heard that the recovery for that is much longer than a hip. The only person I know who has had a hip done is my mother....and she is 79 and not super active these days......so not much help about getting back into outside activities.......:cool:

Joel

Some of your recovery will inevitably depend upon how fit you are. I'm pushing 250 lbs, and my ankle going to take a bit longer to recover than if I weighed, say, 180. The two umpires I know who have had hip replacements are both below 200 pounds, which has aided tremendously in their recoveries post-surgery.

I've not met you in person, so take no offense in what I say. But if it's something you're seriously going to consider, you may want to make sure you're at a good weight before having it done.

I had my hip done in August 2008 (the day after the 12U Nationals ended). Actually, I had a procedure called "re-surfacing." It's actually more invasive, with a slightly longer recovery than a total hip replacement. The recovery was relatively easy. I was back on the field in two months. The hip was fine (but the quads were out of shape). :cool:

I know 3 people that have had hip replacements. One is my mother who fell and broke hers, compained about it before and still complains about it, so dont put much weight on her opinion. As someone said earlier, she wasnt very active before, and is even worse now.

2 of the people I know are men in their late 50's to mid 60's. One of them walked very hunched over and took short shuffling steps when he walked. He actually had both hips replaced over the course of a year and last time I saw him he was standing much more upright and taking much more normal length steps.

The other man I know was a high school basketball coach and had his hip replaced about 2 years ago. Both men said now that it was over, if they had known how much better they would feel they wouldnt have waited so long to have it done.

The old man has had both hips done (the knee is coming) in his late 50s (10+ years ago). The first hip was flawless, recovery was steady and he was back on the field in a few months and 100% by 9 months. The second hip had a complication, turns out the socket was installed rotated forward very slightly. The problem was that if he bent then rotated, he could pop it out, and did so, at least three times. Each incident meant starting over with rehab. This covered the better part of five years and is the only reason he stopped all involvement in officiating (also worked football).

Based on the results of the first procedure, I would suggest it is well worth it. I watched the old man go from an old 55 to a rejuvinated 56. Unfortunately, everything comes with a risk. Now the poor sob is just old... ;)

This is an old thread, but its relevance is certainly new to me.

Labor Day weekend I was working a slow pitch tournament and scheduled for 4 games on Saturday. After the first game, my hip started bothering me, particularly when standing up after brushing the plate. By the 3rd game, catchers were clearing the plate for me, and I got someone else to work my last game.

I have arthritis pretty much everywhere and x-rays revealed that I have an impingement problem in my left hip. I cannot take anti-inflammatory medication for other reasons. I asked about arthroscopic surgery to clean up the bone growth causing the problem(s) but the degenerative condition of the joint and my age (65) would not provide a workable solution.

I had cortisone injections in both hips 10 days ago and this has provided substantial relief. My fear is that this is basically masking the problem and not resolving it. Hip replacement was mentioned as a possibility/probability. Cortisone only lasts so long and a body may see shorter benefit from future injections over time.

I am thankful this didn't hit me either just before or during my National this past summer.

I'm wondering if I should try getting the hip replacement over with now (soon) so hopefully be ready to be on the field by mid-April for the start of HS season. Is that even realistic?

I'd be happy to hear of any recent experiences from forum members or their families and friends. You may send me a private message if that better suits you.

Thanx.

When I had my knee done, doctor said give it a year before any strenuous activity. I worked a couple games after 7 months and still didn't feel comfortable with all the lateral movement

ouch...
 

One thing I have heard from replacement patients is that the younger they were, the better condition they were in and the harder they worked at rehab made a HUGE difference.... kinda obvious when I think about it.

experienced
 

About 90% of the outcome depends on you surgeon. Many orthopedic guys do knee and hip replacements as well as arms, legs, shoulders or what ever else you need. Look for the best Dr. you can find that only does the joints that need help. I have two new knees and one new hip. Second knee and hip came after retirement but with first was back on the field in two months with no problem. Trust me, the hip is not as much recovery as the knee and there is much less therapy to do. In my case I knew I had the best Doctor.
BTW, if you have a hip joint going bad the pain will be a burning in your groin much more than just your hip.

Updating: I finally took the plunge and opted for a total hip replacement, anterior method. My surgery took place 11-28-17, so I'm about 11 days post-surgery.

I was discharged the day after surgery after doing some short walks around the ward with a walker. I was sent home with the walker, a pair of crutches, and a cane (which I'm not supposed to use yet).

I was given some oxycodone to be supplemented with Tylenol. Had a few other drugs to take to help with nerve pain, constipation, and urination.

The pain level for the first week was tough. I've had visiting nurses come to my house along with Occupational and Physical Therapists. My dressing was changed once and will be checked again next week to see if I'll be able to just let the incision "air out".

My right leg is still quite swollen and I have significant bruising along my backside. I'm required to wear "TED" stockings during the day to help prevent blood clots. Thank goodness my wife helps me with those as I don't think I'd be able to handle those on my own. Same with showering - I can't reach below my waist much to wash/dry.

I have about a half-dozen exercises they gave me to work. Amazing that I'm not even able to lift my right foot up following surgery. I have to "wake up" various muscles and re-train them to do what they're supposed to do.

My first follow-up with the doctor is 12-27. Pain is getting more tolerable. Worst right now is the right quad which is a burning sensation whenever I flex it.

I'll update as I go along. If anyone has a question, you can post it here or send me a PM.

My target for return to the field is mid-April which is when our HS season starts. I would have preferred another couple of weeks buffer, but we'll go from here.

I had my dressing checked earlier this week. Incision looked good, no swelling, redness, or heat coming from the wound.

Working the exercises, some tougher than others. I swear I have to try my good leg on some exercises to convince my brain that my body can actually do those "simple" motions. Trying to do them with the operative leg is quite difficult.

Today I was told I could ambulate about the house with a cane instead of the walker. Not to do stairs or go outside yet without the walker, but my gait seems positive enough to progress to the cane. Outside is not quite safe yet around here. We've had some snow and freezing rain, so I'm sticking the the warm and safe areas.

Still taking the pain-killers, but at a somewhat reduced rate.

Progressing slowly...

Just a note: Even when told you no longer need the walker or cane, be wary of where you will be when leaving to house or even at home. Even though some may see a cane or walker, many do not pay attention and disturb your space or intended path. Pets and children are often oblivious to a walking aid and/or do not understand why you may be using it.

In public, I carried my cane long past the time I was ready to put it away. More than a few time it came in handy blocking a playful child from running into me. Sad part is when I blocked the child, only once did the parent respond with a mild admonishment to the child to be careful of others. On the other half-dozen or so instances, I got a nasty glare from the parent for having the audacity to protect myself from their uncontrolled child.

Even though you may be walking with confidence, it only takes one relatively simple slip/nudge to put you back in the hospital.

Be careful and follow all the rehab directions.

Thanx, all good advice. Given the time of year, I likely won't be venturing out from the homestead too often excepting appointments and such.

All this puts a lot of extra work on my better half and I need to remember to tell her how much I appreciate it.

That's why she is your better half

That is a fact and cannot be disputed.

It has been exactly 1 month since I was discharged from the hospital following the procedure.

I had a 1-month follow-up today at the doctor's office.

I was asked to fill out an questionnaire regarding my opinions on my overall health, procedure specific health, and mental health. I was then taken to have some X-rays taken. Two pictures were taken: one straight on as I lay on a table and another from the side as I lay on my side.

The PA that I saw showed me copies of the X-rays and said everything looked great. Alignment was excellent and everything was in its proper place (although he used more doctor-speak language than I can remember to explain).

Incision looked excellent and was actually flaking off some of the surgical tape they used. He said cocoa butter would help that.

I had finished the oxycodone that I was originally given, and later got a script for Vicodin which I tolerate better. The oxy gives me weird dreams. For a few days now I had been trying to wean myself off the Vicodin and just use the acetaminophen. I was trying to gauge how much pain and where it was the last couple of days by not taking anything. That led me to discover that I still had some pain in my quad as well as along the upper buttock area. Also, my knees were very sore.

It was recommended that I continue on the pain meds taking each of the Vicodin and acetaminophen 3X daily spaced out. (Vicodin is 5 mg of Hydrocodone and 325 mg of acetaminophen.) Don't want to exceed 3k mg of acetaminophen in a day. So I will try that for a while. Obviously, with a goal of being able to drive a vehicle, the Vicodin has to be eliminated. Although I don't have enough strength in the leg to be able to lift it to the brake pedal yet, I need to continue to do the exercises that will help me to do that.

I will not need to go to outpatient physical therapy, but just continue to work on the exercises I've been given. I also no longer need to wear the dreaded T.E.D. compression stockings. While I still have some swelling on the operative leg, it is within reason and will continue to subside slowly.

I need to continue taking a drug called Gabapentin which helps the damaged nerve that was disrupted during the surgery. My entire outer thigh is numb to the touch, much like if I had a major shot of novocaine there. It will also help with "restless leg" syndrome.

I need to practice stairs, not just the one-at-a-time procedure that I do now. I only need to negotiate 2 steps to get from my garage into my house, and I haven't done that all that often anyway. So that will be a bit of a challenge.

I mentioned that on occasion that as I'm walking, I feel a "clunking" sensation in the hip. He said that was normal and things over the next 2-3 weeks would start firming up. In fact, he stated that within that 2 or 3 week period that I'd get to a point where I'd feel like I had "turned the corner" and things would start feeling a whole lot better.

I have follow-up appointments scheduled at 1 and 3 months.

Bonus for today's visit was that I was able to get injections in both knees to help alleviate the pain. Normally I wait until early April which is just prior to our HS softball season to get that done. Good news is that it's done for now; bad news is I'll have to see how long it remains effective.

Good to see you are improving! :D :cool:

You are taking some risky drugs, seem to be minimizing them, but be careful.

Not sure how you have personally reacted to Gabapentin, but it is a drug I would be very leery of. I know of a few doctors personally that will not prescribe it for anything.

My mother was on a large dose for years. After a change of doctors and conversations with him about her lethargy, lack of balance and mental confusion he suggested we take her off of it. It took almost 3 months to slowly taper off the drug and when we finally eliminated it she was much more sharp mentally, was not as lethargic and her balance improved.

My sister's doctor prescribed it to her for neuropathy. She took it for 3 days and said the entire time she was scatter brained, could not keep a train of thought to save her life and had no balance. She stopped taking it because the side effects were worse than the condition.

Hope it is working in your case, but something to watch out for.

Little skeptical over the lack of continuing rehab. But whatever works for you....

Thank you for the inputs. I'm not sure what you consider to be "a large dose". I am taking 300 mg before bedtime. How does that compare to what your Mom was taking?

I've taken it starting right after surgery while still in the hospital. I haven't exhibited any of the aforementioned side effects, knock on wood. Well, except for maybe the scatter brain aspect. ;)

I'm supposed to get a refill as my first script is almost out.

My Physical Therapist who comes to my house is of a similar opinion. She will be here tomorrow and I will discuss that further with her.

I have 2 ump buddies that have had the same procedure recently. One friend is 75 years old, bless him. He had an issue during his procedure where the insert cracked the bone into which it was being positioned. So he ended up being in the hospital for 3 weeks and then spent another 3 weeks in a rehab facility. He says he was able to drive following being discharged from the rehab.

My other buddy is 54 and has done extremely well. He was using a cane to get around mere days after his procedure. He's returned to work as a HS administrator and doesn't use his cane (which I admonished him about). He claims to have had excellent pain reduction. This guy had his procedure done 1 week before mine using the same surgeon. He was not advised to do any outpatient PT either.

Since I also have a 1 month follow-up with the surgeon, I will bring this up at that time again. I'll see how the next few weeks go and take under advisement any suggestions that my in-house therapist recommends.

Obviously, like discussing case plays in this forum (which I love) different opinions abound. Some surgeons have different ideas about medications, therapies, and the use of T.E.D. stockings. (During a pre-operation clinic, the nurse giving the overview mentioned that some doctors swear by them and others don't require them at all.)

Thanx again for any and all suggestions and thoughts. Never a bad idea to have as much information as possible.

I think my sister was on the same dose you are taking. My mom was on a HUGE dose. As I recall it was 500 or 600 MG 3 times a day. We were told the withdrawals can be horrendous so the doctor told us to break one oill in half, give that a couple of weeks, then another etc with 2 week intervals on each. It took about 3 months to finally eliminate it all together.

Glad to see you are progressing well.

Everyone is different and maybe you really don't need the additional therapy. The therapy for my knees were not the same since there were different conditions But for the same reason, don't let anyone talk you out of it if you and your present therapists believe it is necessary. Your surgeon should have a final report from your therapist before making a recommendation

My therapist's suggestions today were along the line of the differences between getting me able to perform normal day-to-day stuff like getting around my house, getting myself dressed, bathed, in and out of bed, doing the food shopping, etc., to the next level of getting out on the field doing "umpiring stuff".

I will admit that at this point, only 1 month removed from the surgery, that I'd be concerned about sufficiently and acceptably able to perform on the field coming out from behind the catcher, being in a proper set position, and on the bases to be able to pivot and chase down plays. That may be the next step where the outpatient activities would be necessary. So I'll have about a month to assess progress and then bring up the suggestion with the surgeon at my next meeting.

Make sure you don't lose any insurance coverage if there is a break in treatment/rehab.

My next follow up visit with the doc is on the 24th. In general, I'd say things are progressing well. I no longer feel the occasional "clunk" that I mentioned earlier. Not to say that I won't ever again, but it feels more comfortable.

I'm totally off the Vicodin at this point. I take Tylenol more for my back than for the hip at this point. And that is sporadic. Still on the Gabapentin with no obvious issues.

I've been practicing going up/down stairs in my house. Still a little weak when stepping up on the operative leg. I use both the railing and my cane when negotiating the stairs. After the first couple of days of doing the stairs I was surprised at how sore my calf muscles were. Apparently they weren't being used enough in that month following surgery. The soreness has subsided meaning the muscles must be strengthening.

I meander around the house often without the use of the cane. Especially in the kitchen area, there are plenty of things to reach out for if I need a little extra support.

Last Thursday I drove myself to the grocery store and did our food shopping. Driving was fine, no issues from gas to brake. I have a Fitbit One and that day I managed to record over 5k steps, the highest since surgery. I'm usually around 2k to 2.5k daily. I will say that by the end of the day my legs were very tired. If the weather improves, I may try walking up and down the street a bit. But it was 7 degrees this morning with a wind chill of -7, so I'm in no hurry to get out there other than taking the dog out for a quick piddle. If my dog poops, I can't bend over to pick it up, so I have to stay in my immediate yard area. She doesn't like the cold either!

I have a few appointments and errands coming up that I'll be able to drive myself to so that takes some of the burden off my wife. She's back to her regular work schedule as of last week.

While I can mostly dress/undress myself, I still need help with getting a sock on my right foot. I can now get a sock off, but need the sock aid to get it partially on. Then it needs adjusting around the toes and heel. But I'm making progress. Still thinking about being able to get plate shoes on! :eek:

I had a follow up with the doctor on 1-24. This was the guy who did the actual surgery. He feels that I'm progressing along on schedule.

I asked for a script for PT, which he gave me.

Prior to surgery, back in September, I asked if I had the surgery done in the fall, (which ended up being November 28) if I'd be ready for umpiring my mid-April. Back then, he said that shouldn't be a problem.

In my last visit, he did make a point to remind me that hip surgery is a year long process for healing. So I think he did walk back his initial comments somewhat, but I'm sure that reminder gets conveyed to all his patients. While I'm not about to go running any marathons, I will need to do some amount of running. (Well, that's what I call it, anyway.)

The first PT session was Monday of this week. It was a lot of data gathering, history, and measurements for range of motion. The second session of the week go into a few exercises. Some were the same that I had been given by my home therapist. Some were new. I was told to stop doing one particular exercise where I lay on my back, non-operative leg bent up, and then raising the operative leg up. This was very difficult for a month after surgery, but over time, became easier. The therapist said they will give me something new a bit later that will be somewhat more challenging.

I did some mild squats with holding onto a table for support. Only a few, but the knees still complained a bit.

I was actually a bit sore on Tuesday which must have been just from the measurements of my range of motion. A bit of Tylenol took care of that.

I've been out in the neighborhood a little bit when we had some nicer weather. Today, we're back to 4 degrees with a wind chill of minus 4. I did run some errands Friday including food shopping and managed to get my steps to over 7400 which is my highest post-op.

PT will be twice a week for the next 5 weeks. One of my neighbors, an ex-Marine, tells me that any pain I might feel is weakness leaving my body. That sounds SO Marine-ish!

Jarheads! Pffft!

As important as it was, I always dreaded the measuring of range because the PT always forced it farther than I was ready to go.

Walk before running. :) A good walk allows similar mechanics and cardio with much less stress on the real and replaced joints.

Just a suggestion on something I mentioned to my PT. As an umpire, our movements are not always forward and reverse. we move laterally, sidling and cross-over steps, a lot. When I returned after my first replacement, I got hung up on a clump of dirt/mud and it was very painful.

I mentioned it to the PT after my second replacement and he had me do a few things that helped me become comfortable with lateral movement.

Good luck.

Those are the movements that most concern me. The sunny-day scenario of me walking on a flat surface is fine, but I need to account for those quick starts and stops and changes of direction.

Would your PT have a fit if you tried some slow Carioca? We used to do that as part of our form running for football and track...seems like a low-risk way to test your lateral movement/comfortablilty and get your hips moving.

I will ask. It does look like it could be helpful.

However, I'm not sure I'd be doing that 20 years ago with my hips in better shape than they are now!

I think your priority should center more on making sure you pick-up your feet instead of sliding them when moving in a lateral manner.

That old axiom that everybody puts their pants on the same way - one leg at a time? It doesn't really apply to people who have had hip surgery.

For me, it's been about a third of a leg at a time (on the operative side, anyway).

At one point, I got a bit absent-minded and tried putting my shorts on "the regular way" by lifting my leg up to the opening. I immediately got what I'd describe as an almost electric shock in my thigh. It was quite painful and for a short while I wasn't even able to lift my leg up. It eventually subsided to the point where I could walk around, but it was sore for about a day.

At my next PT session I mentioned it to the therapist. He thinks I aggravated my hip flexor muscle(s) which likely has some scar tissue. He did some massaging with a kind of rolling pin device up and down the thigh as well as some deep muscle manual massaging of the muscle just above the groin. He said I needed to continue to get some fresh blood into those areas to help the healing process.

I have been doing some other exercises with bands around either my ankles (for sidling) or knees (for sitting up without arm support). Also do a bit of recumbent biking for 5 or 6 minutes when I first get there. Then a few sets of leg pushes on a weight machine (feet up on a panel, then push back with knees and hips). I have a step exercise where I keep my right foot on a step, then step up and bring my left knee up high, then just step back again. The right foot stays on the step which will help to not aggravate the flexor muscle but strengthen the buttock.

I did ask about the carioca, and he knew what it was. He thinks that's too aggressive for me at this point. But I think I have some individual stationary exercises that might be considered part of the carioca regiment.

Yesterday he was doing some manual manipulation of my hip and thought I had made some good progress w/ ROM. So he went and got his measuring device and said I've gained over 10% in ROM. To me, it didn't seem all that impressive, but the therapist was quite pleased with it. He claims that will help with normal gait and future exercises.

So progress is being made. My knees still are problematic and sore after doing certain exercises. He wanted me to do an exercise yesterday, but I said I couldn't because the knee simply wouldn't cooperate. Too many parts wearing out! :(

I accepted my HS schedule over the weekend. My first game is scheduled for 4-11. That's almost 2 months to work on things and get more ROM and muscle strength.

After several weeks of PT, a month of March that was colder than the month of February, multiple snow storms in March, and still waiting for a few snow piles to melt, I did my first game yesterday.

My early schedule is all base assignments (by request).

While I've been doing some exercises at home to strengthen the hip/leg, being out on the field was the true test. I admit to being somewhat timid in my movements and did pass on doing some buttonhooking that I might otherwise have not had a problem with. Running was tentative and I never did go into a full out sprint.

Overall, I had some "tiredness" after the game, but so far this morning things seem pretty good. I still have some sensitivity on the outside of my thigh which can be a little sore. It's like having taken a pitch on an unprotected area that stays sore for several days. It seems to be slowly dissipating so I'm hopeful that more game action will further strengthen that area.

I took a couple of Tylenol before the game as a precaution.

Yesterday was a varsity game that ended up a mercy game. Today is a JV game that could have a similar result based on what I've heard from fellow officials that have worked the teams playing today.

Now it's day to day looking to "get back to normal".

new hip
 

I am sorry you have had so much trouble getting over this new hip. I got my new hip at 72. I did next to no P T, had very little pain and it all went very well. I will admit that my umpire days were over by then but, all things being equal, I don't think it would have been much a problem to umpire in a month to six weeks.

Please refer to the post I had early in this discussion.