Hi everyone! Question. Has anyone had both hips replaced at the same time? I am 40yr old woman who has both hips bone on bone and have exhausted all medicine, cortizone shots etc. "you know the routine" I am now looking at THR and I need them on both. Doc said he wouldn't do "that" to his patients meaning doing both of them at once. But I have heard of people having both and said the pain was hard but worth it. any suggestions? I meet with doc Tuesday 12/13 and want to state "my case". I think both at once would be the best thing since I won't be pain free until they fix both hips.
Please HELP?
Hi everyone! Question. Has anyone had both hips replaced at the same time? I am 40yr old woman who has both hips bone on bone and have exhausted all medicine, cortizone shots etc. "you know the routine" I am now looking at THR and I need them on both. Doc said he wouldn't do "that" to his patients meaning doing both of them at once. But I have heard of people having both and said the pain was hard but worth it. any suggestions? I meet with doc Tuesday 12/13 and want to state "my case". I think both at once would be the best thing since I won't be pain free until they fix both hips.
Please HELP?
Hi magaco:
There is no way I would have both hips done at the same time! I asked my doctor about that when I consulted him about hip replacement. He was horrified that I even asked the question.
I had the worst hip done first but you say both hips are bad. Maybe some who have had both hips done at once can chime in here and give their reactions.
Shirley H.
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Had two hip replacements about a year apart - the last one being August 2009.
No way would I have had both hips done at the same time. It would have meant a much longer recuperation which would have been difficult for me, living alone as I do. I needed to schedule with relatives and while they were willing to help, it would have been too much to ask them to help for more than a few weeks. I had my right hip done in August 2008 and now only just thinking of doing my left one. I'm starting to beef up my gym routine to get in shape though haven't actually started ball rolling to get anything scheduled.
Hi Larimergirl:
Are you familiar with the on-the-bed thigh exercises where you press your knee down on the mattress, hold it for a count of 30, then your heel doing the same thing, and also the exercise where you tighten your buttocks one by one? These got my thighs in shape for the hip replacements. If you put one hand on your thigh you can feel the muscle tighten up and know you are getting something done.
When you are psyched up for the last hip replacement, let us know, and in the meantime exercise those thigh muscles.
Incidentally I have moved from MN to OK! Experienced my first 3 earthquakes.
No snow to speak of to worry about in the winter, but we do get occasional icing on the roads and everything comes to a stop.
Shirley H.
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Had two hip replacements about a year apart - the last one being August 2009.
Yes. I remember those exercises. I'll have to add them into my routine. Are you living close to a family member in Oklahoma? I have been to Tulsa a few times and it seemed really nice.
The responses sound really scarey! I had the jabs and can honestly say, THR surgery is less painful than the injections! The worst thing is, in my option, feeling like you are "getting there". With one hip done you will be walking aided within 2 days, on crutches for 4 to 6 weeks and then you are away.... If you have them both done, not only is there an added risk of infection, but your ability to stand and exercise will be really limited. I am 45 and was so scared of having ops. Had right hip done in June and the left done in December so still recovering but benefit was incredible. You will also find that after your first hip starts to recover the other one will have to take less of the strain. My surgeon thought I would last a couple of years, but noting the benefit of the first placement - I couldnt really wait to get the other done.....that said -go one at a time. Easier to cover and easier to get your goals! All the very best!
My dad had both of his hips replaced 3 years ago and he did it at the same time. His dr thought it would be worth it just to get it all done at once since honestly you wont want to go through it a second time. So in my opinion I would get them both over with and then just rehab alot because they wont feel exactly like your hips. But as for going through the whole process once instead of twice just on that i would go for a double replacement! good luck!
Some surgeons do offer both at once, but having just had a TKR I can't imagine doing both at once. What I've seen from people in PT is doing one, then doing the other 3-6 months later. When I was in the hospital for my TKR the nurse came to take me to the bathroom since the other person on the floor was a double hip THR and she said "toileting" that person takes over 30 minutes so she wanted to get to me first as she'd be unable to assist for 30 minutes (other staff could attend to my needs but there would be staff unavailable due to helping out the dual THR patient).
I have had both hips replaced at an interval of about a year.There is no way I would have wanted to have both done at the same time! I asked my surgeon if he were going to do both at once and he looked at me as though I were crazy. Well, who knew?
Shirley H.
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Had two hip replacements about a year apart - the last one being August 2009.
Sorry, have to disagree. Speaking from someone that's had it done, the operation and first week are fine. It's then the rehab where you need to be up and about. Having at least one working leg helps. I was told to weight bear 20% on the operated leg. If I'd had both done I would not have been able to move! 40% on legs and 60% on crutches would hurt like hell and I would avoid at all costs. Can't imagine the discomfort of both sides being done together, let alone risk of bleeding and infection..... Would need some serious home help for d double THR.... Up to you.
Since the original poster was seeing her doc back in mid-December, I wonder what she decided to do?
I had both knees done at the same time but mine was due to medical problems that made additional surgery a risk. I would NEVER suggest anyone do this unless they had some of the same kind of issues I had and were young enough to tolerate the post-op pain. You just can't even imagine the pain.
I know hips are easier than knees but still....you just never have a good leg to stand on and no way to get away from the pain when bearing weight.
I explained it to my doc this way afterwards.....having 2 joints done at once is like having twins over a single birth. Having twins is not having 1 baby twice...it has a ton more complications for both babies and mom. Same with 2 joints at once. The complication rate is not twice the norm but 4 times the norm. So is the pain.
You may be thinking how much easier it is but to your body, it is hell.
I asked my doctor about that when I consulted him about hip replacement. He was horrified that I even asked the question.
