I went into hospital in January for my second hip replacement. The surgery went like a dream, and I was walking later that afternoon, and ready for home in another 2 days, like a spring lamb! * days later, however, the dressing over my wound became somewhat distended, and eventually, while awaiting a district nurse, it burst, and a lot of fluid and blood flooded out. A trip to A&E led to my admission to hospital (not the one that did the surgery!) where my leg was observed for 2 days, then redressed, and I was sent home. Two days later, a repeat performance led to my leg being redressed, this time in A&E, and my being sent home. A week later, when it happened again, I talked a doctor into insisting that I was taken to the hospital where the surgery had taken place - thankfully. Tests showed that I had developed a e-coli infection in the wound, and I was admitted and placed on IV antibiotics. After a couple of weeks I had a debridement, and although it helped for a while, the fluid escape started up again. Another debridement was planned, but it was found that the stem an head of the hip were now infected, so they were removed, along with the cement, and I was left with a plastic "spacer" - a plastic hip which leaks antibiotics into the wound, but which isn't as sturdy as a metal hip. After 6 weeks, I was allowed to return home, with daily visits from the District Nurses to set up the drips, and frequent checks at the hospital - I think that they would have preferred me to stay in, but I was starting to feel depressed.
I'm not really sure what the future will bring if the antibiotics fail. I have been told airily that they will just remove everything artificial in the area, leaving me with no hip for a while, but I'm not sure what that will imply for my movement and pain levels. Has anyone else had an infection like this?
(P.S. It turns out that I had a non-symptomatic e-coli bladder infection, and the e-coli probably migrated via my bloodstream. I had a lot of cases of cystitis last year, and had a number of different antibiotics to deal with it. The e-coli is resistant to a lot of antibiotics, presumably as a result of this! Not the fault of the Surgeons, but I wish it had been diagnosed, and treatment started, earlier!)