Hip Replacement

[911]

well it seems i am going to have a revision on my left hip replacement , the surgury doesnt scare me so much as the pain after , i will put my pain doc and ortho together so hopefully they can manage my pain .
the issue for me is tolerance , the last time i had surgury the pain after was unbearable because of my tolerance to the drugs they gave me anmd i am terrified of this happing again , i have one more appt with the replacement specialist to find out for sure whats going on but it was obviose even to me that the plastic cup my hip rides in has worn out and there are times i can feel it move like it is trying to roll out of the socket , the doc did say if i let this go to much longer it will dislocate so i guess i have to do it , but i am worried about the pain issue , i am just venting my worries and frustrations about it all , i just dont want to lay in the hospital in agony like i did with my back surgury ,,,,,,,,,, thanks and i hope everyone is having relativly pain free days ,,,,,,,,,,,, Dave ,,,,,,,aka ,,,,,,,,,,911

[C4Quadinc]

Had left hip done in 82.My rheumy said in might be a longevity record for it.I was hurt by the surgery, my rt leg above my knee was black from needles injecting pain meds.I was mad and let them know,to make it even worse they only offered ansaids.It was several months before I could walk any distance.Looking back he did a good job,it still works with little pain.I am extremely careful due to the pain of surgery,they would redo it if I would let them.My rheumy said it was not as traumatic now compared to mine. He said they now actually try to mitigate pain..In 82 there was no adhesive the body would not break down.Making my procedure more painful.In 82 they would not give meds to cancer patients much less for surgery,times have changed.I do not know about a redo but many are replaced with out cutting through the muscles.

[911]

update: i have to see one more doc but the hip is worn out and this guy seemed to think i was lucky to get 13 years out of it and that it should be replaced i will know more on the 14th of jan,,,,,,,,,,, dave

[Mark N]

Good luck with the appointment, it is a good idea to get the two doctors together. I wish you the best in taking care of your hip. 13 years is a good amount of time with the old replacement.

[911]

thanks mark, the doc said the same thing about my time with it considering i continued working and doing all i did b4 the replacement , so i made out ok with it i will know nesxt thursday if i am doing it ,,,,,,,,,,,,, Dave

[houghchrst]

Dave I hope you get some relief. I am glad things have improved so much since your last. Make sure you talk to your doc about pretreatment for pain relief. Studies are showing that treating the pain of surgery before the actual surgery and by numbing the site and making sure you are well medicated during will go a long way for a quicker recovery and less chance of long term pain. Here is a good link.

http://www.answers.com/topic/post-surgical-pain?cat=health

[Tbackpain1]

Dave,

Besides speaking to your PM and your Ortho about post-op pain management for your hip revision, you MUST speak with the anesthesiologist at the hospital you will be having your surgery at. He/she will be the one who be best equipped to provide you with the post-op relief you need. Your anestheologist will be the one dealing with your immediate post-op pain control, so they need to be aware of your current meds and your tolerance. Also, they need to know so that they can keep you comfortably anesthetitized during surgery...who wants to wake up during that!!

Once you're scheduled, make sure you call the hospital's anesthesia dept. I've found that the anesthesiologist's are pleased to deal with any potential complications earlier, rather than later.

Theresa