I have followed the advice to to the letter to protect my revised total hip replacement hip but still ended up in the A&E as my operated hip spontaneously dislocated while I was standing at the sink. It caused me to fall and hit a radiator (fortunately it survived)
I was stuck on the kitchen floor and couldn't move my operated leg because of the pain and spasms so finally agreed to speak to 999 and called an ambulance.
The X-ray showed the head was completely out of the socket and it was caught on the edge of the socket so I had to go to theatre yesterday after a very uncomfortable night to have it relocated, luckily without the need for an incision.
Has anyone else had this happen? as I'm worried it will happen again.
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premierscfc
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Ouch! I hope you have a good physio and can discuss what you need to do to make sure that the muscles are strong emough to help stop this happening again.
I've been very rigorous/thorough with the exercises and the surgeon/physios have been really pleased with my progress.
The thing that worries me is the fact that I was just standing up straight and not doing any of the movements that you are warned about.
The only factor that may contribute to the problem is that my new leg length on the operated side is 2cms longer than my other leg, so when I'm standing on both my feet my pelvis is at a angle.
Sorry this happened to you. I've had both hips replaced and when I had right one done my leg was longer than left,I had heels on left shoes built up to keep me level and had them removed when other leg was done. Result is I was 5ft 4& half now am 5ft 5ins, thought you shrunk as you got older 😂
From our measurements top of pelvis to heel is 2cm different. I've thought of getting some insoles but even though I buy shoes 2 sizes larger than my shoe size they are still tight over the top of my feet.
It happened to my mum when she was alive , she had to crawl out to front door to take lock off while in severe pain. I really feel for you as its an awful experience. My mum had shallow hip joints which made her more at risk of this happening. I hope you have received advice and exercises from the occupational therapist snd physio to hopefully prevent this ever happening again. Best wishes for a full recovery xxxx
Thanks for your reply, I was really lucky that happened when I wasn't on my own, your mum must've been a real warrior to be able to get the door and open it, as I was struggling to do anything.
Did it happen only once? As I've read that the chance of a repeat is higher once you've had a dislocation.
Unfortunately it did happen again and she was kept in hospital for 2 weeks which must have done the trick as it didn’t happen again . This was 27 years ago , i hope things have changed.
I had resurfacing done first time which minimises the risk of this happening.
Although it is too late this time around, my father in law recently had both of his hips done (OA). He had them done privately and the surgeon used a ‘new’ (to them) technique that is used abroad but not in the UK much yet. This involved making the incision either at the front or back (I can’t remember which) and makes it far less invasive. He was walking the next day and home the day after. It also reduces the risk of dislocation.
Not many surgeons in the UK know this technique. Again, I realise it’s a bit late for you but anyone else reading can look into it if they want.
I hope it sorts itself out. Doing the physio / exaercises is the best thing you could have and can do.
Thanks for your reply, I had resurface originally back in 2007 and it was perfect till I started to get a reaction to the metal fragments (approx 15 months ago) so I had no choice but to have it revised back in September.
This does concern me. I have my 10 year follow up coming up, so far I’ve had no problems (that I know of) with the MoM bits.
I guess even if I did have to have them revised / replaced they have given me 10 years of service so far and I can still have a replacement (hopefully) when needed.
What problems did you have with it when it started to fail? I get a bit of ‘clunking’ every now and then, but not a lot else.
Did you find the replacement much harder in terms of recovery? Or maybe that should be — I take it you are finding the recovery much harder from the replacement?!
I started with discomfort in my groin mainly at night then as the pain increased I was getting more during the day as well.
They found it was MoM in a blood test and then confirmed it with an MRI.
Apart from this setback I found the recovery to be similar to the resurface op, although I was told that the op takes twice as long as the MoM pelvic cup isn't simple to get hot.
Mine was that good it was as if I had a good original hip back again up until the issues started.
I asked the rheumatologist how a metal hip could hurt so much and he said he couldn't understand how. Same as you I read about the issues so I got a referral back to the surgeon last year.
I did actually get a follow-up letter from the (private) hospital that I had the second one done at saying there were concerns with the MoM prosthesis and that I needed regular follow-ups.
I had the first hip done at an NHS hospital (and vowed never again) but it was the same surgeon that did both and I never got any follow up from the NHS, in fact I had to get referred back to them to get the 5 year follow-up done because their systems couldn’t book an appointment 5 years in the future.
I went for this NHS 5 year follow-up a couple of weeks ago and they do now have a system in place to monitor these in Birmingham (which is where the MoM hip was invented, hence it is also called the ‘Birmingham hip’ - in case you care 😀).
Anyway, I’m waffling. I hope yours settles down soon. I guess I will be in a similar position at some point (hopefully without the dis location!).
They've always been great at the local hospital, I was in an ambulance within 30 mins of the call on Thursday evening and I was on a ward withing 3 hours.
I have no issue with the Rheumatology / outpatient side of the hospital, or (m)any of the staff (apart from the nurse I saw scratching their arse with their gloves on before they came in to change my dressing - I told them what I thought of that😀) - it is just an old Victorian building and the orthopaedic wards were huge, open-plan wards with women at one end separated from the men by curtains. You even had to walk through the women’s ward to get to the men’s bit.
Also, as it was open-plan you could hear everything that went on. At 3am. Some of the patients really shouldn’t have been stuck in an orthopaedic ward in a hospital for 6 months following their routine hip operations (or whatever they had done), but the care home that they came into the hospital from refused to take them back. So they were left to rot, in an orthopaedic ward, for over 6 months when what they really needed was good social care and somewhere they could be properly cared for, thus freeing up a desperately needed bed in an NHS hospital.
But I’ll leave it there before it gets too political. 😉
I was lucky enough to have private cover through work, so I decided that it was my moral duty to use it and save the NHS >£10k when I had the second hip done. That and the food was soooo much better. 👍
I understand, as I've seen it myself over the last nearly 26 years.
I would hate to think what a state I would be in with the NHS supplied Biologics and there constant care, we are lucky enough to have a Specialist Rheumatology Hospital in the city.
Absolutely and I would far, far rather have the NHS than a privatised alternative. I am 100% supportive of the NHS, it is just a shame that it is not being adequately funded...
I saw the physio I've been with since the operation and they have said I still can't drive😫 and they have given me a single exercise to strengthen the muscles at the front of my pelvis.
I saw the surgeon on Thursday and he said the hip dislocation was to the front of my pelvis which he said was very unusual/uncommon and that continuing to use both crutches would be beneficial to prevent another frontal dislocation. He was happy with my new excercise regime and told me to do anything that would push my pelvis forward.
Being 11 weeks post op I'm hoping the exercises I've done will prevent anymore setbacks.
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