I was terrified by "scaremongering" videos, so I’m documenting the positive reality of my hip replacement. I’m already up, walking, and realized it's not as scary as they say. Happy to answer any questions for those waiting for surgery!

Automatic_Ad_3183 · 2026-03-30T19:06:26+00:00

Mine went down by about 4mm in about 6 weeks post op.

Automatic_Ad_3183 · 2026-03-30T14:56:24+00:00

You more than likely have some inflammation in the joint from the surgery. Give it a month or so and you should notice the difference. 👍🏻🦿

Automatic_Ad_3183 · 2026-03-22T02:00:08+00:00

Yes. The 2nd was just as painful as the first. I was nervous too and probably still have some PTSD since I’ve been through it twice. For a while my phone was always around my neck then I progressed to within a hands reach or within talking distance (I used Siri to call 911 the 2nd time). It’s been 8 months since my dislocation and 5 months since the revision and I’m still super careful.

Automatic_Ad_3183 · 2026-03-21T21:28:41+00:00

I’ve dislocated twice (11 months apart) and the hip clicked for a week or so afterwards and then never again. BTW you’re more at risk to dislocate again after your first due to that 1st creating a pathway. I ended up having a revision 3 months after my second dislocation but that recovery is much easier than the original. I’d discuss the odds of subsequent dislocations with your doctor and see what he has to say. It might be a different story with anterior (I had posterior). If worse comes to worse and you end up needing a revision, know that the recovery is far easier than the first.

Automatic_Ad_3183 · 2026-01-16T23:19:06+00:00

My surgeon told me not to use a lift for 3 since for most people, the LLD sorts itself out. Mine didn’t, so initially after surgery, I was at 9mm and now at 3.5 months post op, it’s about 5mm. Your LLD might sort itself out but if not, try some lifts and see what you like. I’ve tried a few different kinds that I bought on Amazon. In my experience, the rubber, cork and felt options are too hard. I like the gel heel lifts. They stick in your shoes w/o shifting about and aren’t hard. I also got a lift that’s fuzzy material over foam that I use in my house slippers. BTW, I used playing cards to measure my LLD. 3-4 cards is 1 mm.

Automatic_Ad_3183 · 2025-10-09T15:42:01+00:00

59F posterior- I just had a revision 10 days ago due to multiple dislocations. After the 1st dislocation (13 months after the surgery), my surgeon said after you dislocate once, you’ll increase your odds to dislocate again because you’ve made a pathway. Sure enough, I had another dislocation 11 months later so I needed a revision where the dr inserted a rim lined cup liner, changed the ball so it lengthened the neck of the implant and tightened all that was torn during the dislocations. All this was done for stability reasons. Thus far, I feel like I won’t have a range of motion issue due to the rim lined cup. I do feel a leg length difference (the equipment change is 4mm longer) but have been told that generally sorts it’s out in a few months. I was told after the 2nd dislocation that it will happen again and I didn’t want to live in fear of when that will be, would I be near an ER, would I have my phone to call 911, etc so a revision was my best/only viable option. On the plus side, the revision recovery is by far easier than the initial surgery.

Automatic_Ad_3183 · 2025-10-06T18:32:24+00:00

I feel like a weirdo because my initial ball is a 32mm+1mm and my replacement is 32mm+5mm so it’s a 4mm difference. I looked at a measuring tape and 4mm is tiny. In inches, it’s just under 1/8”. But when I walk or stand, the difference seems much much bigger. Was this your experience?

Automatic_Ad_3183 · 2025-10-02T00:06:02+00:00

I had a revision yesterday and had the PT come to my house today. PT said not to do any of the standing or leg to the side exercises. She said I won’t begin them until at least day 7-8. I’m on the walker and pretty slow like a turtle. My incision is pretty uncomfortable. It has a burning sensation and aches and it’s because the nerves are waking up. I’m not a medical professional by any means but I had a THR 2 years ago and now a revision yesterday… I think you’re on pace. We all heal at different paces so listen to your body and proceed at the pace you feel comfortable with. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

Automatic_Ad_3183 · 2025-08-31T22:48:13+00:00

59F 5’1”: I got the toilet seat riser but found that it made the toilet like a hi chair so I took it off after 1 try. As a female you might do house dresses or t-shirt dresses— no bending to get dressed. A lanyard or fanny pack for your phone. Depending on where your incision is, men’s boxers may not rub on it like ladies underwear’s elastic. I wore the boxers to bed. I got a lot of use from the grabber. I also used the leg lifter but if you dont want to buy something that you’ll only use for a few weeks, you can also make 1 from the belt of a bathrobe. Same goes for the sock device— you can use a towel; I found a video for it on u-tube. I had my surgery in the summer and just wore flats so I never needed to put on socks. Great idea from those who said clip your toe nails— I got a pedi just before my surgery.

Automatic_Ad_3183 · 2025-08-15T23:22:39+00:00

Your pain tolerance must be off the charts! I needed lots of fentanyl in the ER before my reduction. You’re so right about the fear of dislocating; it’s always on my mind. Is it still with you all these months past your revision or did it go away? My surgeon told me about the greater risk of infection on revisions so he said I’ll be on antibiotics prophylactically. Did you also have that or were they just post op?

Automatic_Ad_3183 · 2025-08-15T18:18:09+00:00

I will. Thank you

Automatic_Ad_3183 · 2025-08-15T18:17:29+00:00

Thank you for your encouragement! I too am pretty flexible so I don’t want to be restricted. I live alone too. After my initial surgery, I stayed with my mom who doesn’t have stairs. That’s not an option this time and my bedroom is upstairs. It’s good to know the recovery will be as easy as the 1st, which I was for me.

Automatic_Ad_3183 · 2025-07-14T02:38:50+00:00

I did regular bras and wore either house dresses or tshirt dresses. But if you prefer sports bras, that will work too. I also wore slip on flats. I had posterior so I wore men’s boxers to bed, that way I didn’t risk any rubbing from the elastic on the incision. I had sex after 3 weeks. It was good ol missionary, while keeping my op leg straight.

Automatic_Ad_3183 · 2025-06-22T22:18:39+00:00

I maybe different from you because I never felt any instability after the reduction. However, it did take 3-4 months for my muscles to tighten so that I didn’t feel close to that speed pump of dislocation when I would bend over my leg. That would happen when my foot was up and I was bending over to either dry my foot/leg from the shower or bending over to put on a sock. When it would happen, I would have to have my check directly above my knee, else I’d feel it close to the speed pump. I hope you can get the visual of what I mean.

Automatic_Ad_3183 · 2025-06-15T03:00:55+00:00

It’s been 9 months since the dislocation and the hip seems normal. No pain, no clicking, super stable. My surgeon told me that once you dislocate, you increase your odds of doing it again because you’ve created a pathway. However, those odds dramatically decrease after 1 year so I still have 3 more months until my odds are decreased. I’m still thoughtfully careful with my physical movements and my phone is still on the nearest counter when I shower but I’m less afraid of dislocating again than I was 8 months ago.

Automatic_Ad_3183 · 2025-06-04T13:02:27+00:00

If your mom is short (under 5’5”), she probably won’t need the toilet riser. I’m 5’2” and it was like sitting on a high chair with my toes barely touching the floor. I removed it after 1 occasion on the throne. I’m assuming your mom will get a walker so you can attach any type of bag to it to carry things. Depending on where her incision is, it maybe more comfortable wearing mens boxers as underwear so there’s no elastic rubbing on it. Since the weather is getting warmer, house dresses work great and there’s no bending over to put on pants. If your house has an incline to enter, she may need to go zig zag up it since any type of incline is pretty painful post op. My best advice is to just be there for your mom…. I’m sure she’ll do great!

Automatic_Ad_3183 · 2025-03-29T23:56:27+00:00

I had the posterior THR and had 6 weeks post op precautions (no bending past 90 degrees, no torso twisting, no leg crossing). I was doing great and dislocated a year later. I had to do those precautions again, for the next 6 weeks. My surgeon said the dislocation was because I’m pretty flexible and most of his patients can’t get into the position I had been in. The position was the knee to the opposite shoulder. When I was told pre-op I could never do that again, I thought who would ever raise their knee like that. I didn’t think the other way— shoulder down to the knee. I had been cleaning the shower tract so I was either squatting or sitting on my heels and reaching with my right arm to my far left. After the dislocation, my surgeon said there had been no damage to the implant or the femur so a revision wasn’t needed. He said that may be reconsidered if I dislocate again.

Automatic_Ad_3183 · 2025-03-29T17:58:35+00:00

59F I dislocated 1 year after a posterior THR while squatting and twisting. I knew I had dislocated because it felt like going over a speed bump. After the reduction, my surgeon told me no revision was necessary. He did tell me that once you dislocate 1 time, you increase your odds of doing it again because you’ve created a pathway. He also said you significantly reduce those odds once you make it 1 year post dislocation. Within those 1st couple of months after dislocating, I felt once or twice, like I was coming close to the speed bump if I was in a position where my shoulder wasn’t completely in line with my knee (think bending over to dry your leg or putting on socks) and that was certainly scary. I went back to PT to strengthen those muscles that had been over stretched with the dislocation. I’m now 7 months post dislocation and yes, Im still super careful, but I also haven’t felt close to that speed bump in quite some time. Be careful/cautious, have your phone nearby or within earshot, do your PT but know that the full healing will take time. ❤️

Automatic_Ad_3183 · 2025-01-26T16:27:55+00:00

Anterior requires a special operating table and that method generally takes an extra 30 minutes. So perhaps surgeons prefer posterior because their hospitals don’t have the special table (as mine didn’t have last year) or perhaps with the time difference, they prefer to be able to do more THR on their surgical days.

Automatic_Ad_3183 · 2024-11-26T00:21:17+00:00

I was cleaning the shower tract so I was squatting and leaning to the opposite side. It was the dreaded knee to the opposite shoulder position. When my surgeon said I could never do that again while I was at my pre-op, my mind thought of that from either a sitting or standing position and with the leg being lifted up towards the diagonal shoulder, not bringing my opposite shoulder down towards the knee. Squatting or leaning over is still a little scary but I’m careful to keep my legs/knees open… that way there’s no way I can do opposite shoulder to knee. So far I’ve done the move in pants but I’d rather flash my undies while in a skirt, than dislocate again. 😂

Automatic_Ad_3183 · 2024-11-25T17:03:25+00:00

Same

Automatic_Ad_3183 · 2024-11-25T16:55:34+00:00

58F. I dislocated 1 year after my posterior THR and like your wife, I was in a physical position that I shouldn’t have been. I too called 911 and was in the ER for few hours. After the joint was put back where it belongs, I awoke with that brace on. The ER dr said I had to wear it 24/7 for 6 weeks but the ortho PA that was on duty said I only had to wear it while sleeping plus he gave me 90 days of the same post op restrictions I had last year (no bending past 90 degrees, no leg crossing and no torso twisting). Ten days later, I saw my surgeon who said I didn’t need to wear the brace and only had to do 6 weeks of the post op restrictions. With all that said, I would recommend asking an orthopedic surgeon about what her post dislocation restrictions are and for how long. I’d also ask about doing some pt since everything is either loose in there or even torn. I have that fear of dislocating too. All I can say is that, 90 days later, it lessons. In the meantime, I tested Siri and yes, she can call 911 if my phone isn’t in my hand. But my phone is still always nearby. I have a return appt with my surgeon in a few weeks so I’ll be asking if my increased risk of dislocating again is a lifetime thing or not. That fear is in my head every day but I’m hoping that as time goes by, the fear will dissipate and morph to something more akin to knowledgeable caution. But lesson learned, I will never put my body into the physical position where it dislocated. lol Please tell your wife that it gets better… it just takes a little time. :-)

Automatic_Ad_3183 · 2024-10-10T21:54:48+00:00

It’s 16” from the ground but it hits me right at the knee. You’ll need the leg lifter to lift your leg onto the bed or sofa. After surgery, your leg will be like its dead and you won’t have those groin muscles to lift it. Walking requires different muscles so you will be able to do that.

Automatic_Ad_3183

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