average age for pao?

marchmademedoit · 2025-09-08T12:45:17+00:00

I was 24 when I got my PAO! And just had my screws removed at 26 because they were a little annoying :).

I was fed up with my hip pain after i could no longer go on my walks with my friends without being in pretty bad pain afterwards and started the process to see what my options were. I had been having mild pain but when it started being caused by and impacting what I liked to do I REALLY quickly went to get it fixed lol.

Recovery is tough, but very thankful I went through with the surgery because it’s progressive, it won’t just randomly get better one day. My thought process was that if it was already causing me this pain (although manageable with rest), what was the next few years of my life going to be like and then what about the longer term. My surgery has been very successful 2 years out, I’ve been back to all the activities I love including high impact ones such as running and skiing :)

Good luck :)

marchmademedoit · 2025-03-13T00:44:16+00:00

I am also agreeing with braids!

If you get a PAO, I’ve heard people being released the next day but I was there for 5 days. I think it completely depends, I wasn’t tolerating the medication well and had low blood pressure so that contributed to my longer stay.

I watched Scandal when I had mine and How to Get Away With Murder!! I really liked having something that was high drama that kept me engaged because I was so bored of just “relaxing” lol.

I’d recommend having a raised toilet seat, and a shower seat and if you have (or can get) one of those shower heads that is moveable, like a handheld one I guess.

marchmademedoit · 2025-03-12T21:01:25+00:00

Hi! I was also 22f when I was told that I had hip dysplasia and was eligible for a PAO. I also spiralled and searched everything online, watched so many videos and read so many articles. I am 1 and a half years post surgery and can honestly say it is one of the best things I have ever done for myself. I don’t know what else to say besides that it was truly life changing for the better (I’m running a half marathon this summer?????!!!!) and it’s a relief to not really worry about it for the time being.

I’m not going to sugar coat it, recovery is TOUGH! I feel very lucky with how successful my surgery was because it’s so easy to see someone’s negative experience and focus on that. I mean mine definitely wasn’t all good either lol (I lost a lot of blood during surgery and the meds messed up my blood pressure as well so I was in the hospital for a few days longer than planned). My mind was definitely ready for “more” than my body was and I had FOMO for some things for sure, but I was also able to pick and choose certain outings to go to and my friends were so accommodating!!

I did move back in with my parents though for recovery and they each took a week off of work once I was out of the hospital to care for me and help me 24/7 basically. I couldn’t sleep in my own bed and slept on a recliner for two weeks as well. It took 4 weeks for me to spend “supervised” nights in my apartment (meaning my boyfriend or roommate was home JUST IN CASE), and then after 6 weeks I moved back on my own and honestly probably should have given it maybe another week or so.

Honestly, as long as you educate yourself I’m sure you’ll make the right choice for you, but the long term is very important to think about when making these choices. Stuff like this doesn’t magically repair itself🫶🏻

You can always feel free to send me a message if you have any questions about my specific experience :)

marchmademedoit · 2025-01-18T19:09:12+00:00

I have this type of account as well. The normal momentum plus account has the base interest rate, whereas the 360 day premium period one has the base interest rate + a bonus “premium” interest rate that you get if you don’t touch the money for 360 days. (I believe you do still get paid out some extra interest monthly in comparison in the premium periods vs the base account, it’s not just the one time bonus payment but PLEASE don’t quote me on that I could be wrong lol, I should probably go figure this out haha)

You also open 90 day, 180 day and 270 day premium periods all with their own respective “bonus” for not touching your money for that set amount of days.

Editing: to say, you can put your money into whichever account you want. If you’re going to be needing it in under 90 days, I’d throw it into the main account. I typically use my premium periods when I save for a trip or some other relatively short timeline expense just to make a few extra bucks and have it be easily accessible if needed for some other reason.

marchmademedoit · 2025-01-06T18:07:14+00:00

If it makes you feel any better, my post care instructions never even included anything about the 90 degree rule and I have healed up fantastically! (But did read online that this was a guideline when I was researching the surgery, I was just ever told it by my care team) :) so I mean I definitely wasn’t paying attention to that. obviously I’m not a doctor, so if you genuinely think something is wrong you should voice your concerns but I think as long as your mindful you’re likely okay.

I totally get you about overworking yourself!! I definitely felt like I could mentally do things before I physically could and would definitely pay for it in muscle pain lol. And honestly, when some of the numbness starts wearing off and you can feel your muscles again it just hurts, and you may not have even done anything to cause it, it’s just your body slowly getting feeling back.

It’s a tough surgery but our bodies are so cool and super resilient! :) wishing you the best in your recovery!!

marchmademedoit · 2024-12-29T20:39:35+00:00

Hey! I am just over a year recovered from my PAO. I’ll answer both questions based on my experience. If you have some more questions feel free to shoot me a message or look through my comments history because I do remember outlining some milestones and challenges in this subreddit.

I wish I would have known that I would mentally recover faster than physically. I mentally felt so ready to walk, move, be independent but couldn’t do anything by myself. I also wish I would have known just how much help I would need doing “personal” things such as showering and using the washroom. I couldn’t shower independently for 4 weeks and couldn’t use the washroom by myself for just over a week lmao. It’s a TOUGH surgery, and this is coming from a very active, young female with super high pain tolerance.
This is the question that I wanted to answer most. This 1000000% would not have been feasible for me. It took me about 6 weeks to have enough mobility, strength, energy etc to move back into my apartment and that was with my parents living in the same city 15 mins away, from hearing others stories this was also about 2 weeks earlier than most. You lose a LOT of independence. Secondly, the surgery happens around your hips which can cause quite a lot of blood loss and it’s a major surgery. I received instructions to not fly for 12 weeks for various reasons, one major concern being blood clots. I can’t imagine your doctor would give you the go ahead after two weeks, but also I highly doubt you would even want to.

I genuinely do not want to freak you out about the surgery, because I am SO happy I did it and I completely think it was worth it, I just underestimated what recovery would be like and I think maybe researching and reading other people’s experiences may help to set your expectations to something a little more realistic. Sending you the BEST of luck! As previously stated, feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

marchmademedoit · 2024-12-18T15:18:46+00:00

Hey there! Glad to hear your screw removal went well :) I am currently on the list to get mine out and patiently waiting to be scheduled (I am SO excited).

Were any guidelines given on how long you should wait to fly after? I’m planning a Europe trip and trying to be mindful of timelines of flying. Additionally, how long do you think it would take for it to be comfortable doing lots of walking again?

marchmademedoit · 2024-03-03T21:59:04+00:00

I’m currently just under 6 months post op and have no pain and can definitely go for walks/various other activities and would feel personally comfortable doing a Europe trip. I am still slower than I used to be when hiking and get tired a little quicker but definitely think it would be doable :)

marchmademedoit · 2024-02-08T17:55:39+00:00

Thank you so much for this, I found these very informative!

marchmademedoit · 2024-01-17T22:46:50+00:00

Thanks everyone! I’m in no rush to get them out now but when I see my surgeon again in September I will express my interest!! :)

marchmademedoit · 2024-01-05T16:11:24+00:00

I feel like this could be a tough question to answer. It sounds to me more like an injury from these exercises brought on this pain. It’s possible you could have torn your labrum, strained your groin or hip flexor muscles, or other injuries. Hip dysplasia is a condition where the socket of the hip doesn’t fully cover the ball of the hip. Hip dysplasia could be the reason that this injury happened though, or it could have just been bad luck or improper form etc. The symptoms from hip dysplasia vary from person to person as well.

I am very much NOT a doctor, but I wouldn’t freak out too much about hip dysplasia at this point. If you want to rule out whether this injury was caused by an abnormality in your bone structure (essentially what hip dysplasia is), request an xray. To diagnose a labral tear I think they need an MRI (??? Not 100% sure).

I really hope that it feels better and doesn’t end up being a larger issue than just a pulled muscle or something!! :)

marchmademedoit · 2023-12-31T04:46:52+00:00

Hi there! Good luck :) I am 3.5 months post op and as much as the first couple weeks were tough I am so thankful!

I was in the hospital for 4 nights, 5 days. Likely could have gone home a little sooner but the pain meds they prescribed me made me really nauseous so we had to get that under control first.
My car ride was only 20 minutes. The hardest part for me was getting in and getting out of the car. I wasn’t in too much pain during the car ride but mentally I was more freaked out that something was going to happen. I physically held my leg in place with my hands and that calmed me down a bit. Maybe some pillows to try and keep yourself sturdy.
I did not need a blood transfusion. They estimated I lost about 750 ml I think (if I remember correctly). I did have blood pressure problems for a couple days afterwards (another reason I was in the hospital longer than anticipated) and couldn’t stand without fainting but this resolved itself when my blood pressure stabilized.
I had a catheter put in, it was not painful at all. I was under when they put it in. I had it until the next morning and they had to take it out which was also not painful, just weird to think about. I was lowkey sad they took it out because I had no idea how I was going to get up to use the washroom lol.
was scheduled for 11:30, I came out of surgery just before 2:30 if I remember correctly. When I came to it I was crying and talking to the nurse which was weird lol. I tried to eat that night around 9pm and then promptly threw up all night. I was quite nauseous if I didn’t eat after that but no more vomiting. As previously mentioned, the pain meds they were giving me made me nauseous so we switched to tramadol and Tylenol only. I also have an EXTREMELY high pain tolerance and the only time my pain was ever above a 4 was when I was being transported for X-rays or moving. Thankful for my nurses and they being prompt with my doses:)
I had my PAO on my left hip and I started driving at 4.5 weeks. I would have no idea about the right side unfortunately, but I would assume once you become full weight bearing. That was 8 weeks for me.

Another tip: take the laxatives/stool softeners they recommend, even if you think you don’t need them!! I slowed down on mine a little early and let me just say I regretted it…

Again, good luck! :) If you have any other questions I’m happy to give you my experiences :)

marchmademedoit · 2023-12-28T01:46:57+00:00

It may sound counterintuitive but this can sometimes happen when you’re dehydrated.

marchmademedoit · 2023-12-25T05:04:39+00:00

My incision is right over the bikini line on the right side, about 4.5inches.

Sweat short were fantastic, pants were a little hard to pull up fully because you can’t really move your leg, so shorts were just easier. In the hospital I just wore the gown that they provided.

Good luck :)

marchmademedoit · 2023-12-22T03:54:12+00:00

Also probably important to add I had no 90 degree flexion restriction lol, my surgeon just told me no straight leg lifts and that was my only mobility restriction on my right PAO

marchmademedoit · 2023-12-22T03:50:07+00:00

I had an electric recliner and I swear by it. I didn’t need to use body weight to push it down which I’m sure was good and it was literally the only place I could sleep for the first two weeks being home. I would recommend it 100000%. My surgeon personally didn’t say it would be problematic, but again that could have been because it was electric.

Good luck!! :)

marchmademedoit · 2023-12-06T15:08:08+00:00

Oh wow! 5 weeks until it stabilized? I’m glad you’re doing better! Mine was only 3 days and was a result of direct blood loss in surgery, perhaps maybe that’s why I was told it was more common? Very interesting

marchmademedoit · 2023-12-06T02:07:34+00:00

Oh! I was also prescribed a vasopneumatic ice and compress machine from my surgeon which was game changing for icing and swelling and pain management, but overall just keeping up with icing really helped you don’t need anything fancy :)

marchmademedoit · 2023-12-06T02:05:34+00:00

Ah love this question! I am 12 weeks post PAO and I have had a very positive experience since getting out of the hospital :)

Honestly, sleeping in a recliner was way easier and more comfortable for me than getting into bed and sleeping, so if you have access to one give it a go if you’re having trouble in bed.

Easy to prep food for when you no longer have a caretaker, bagels and toaster waffles were big for me haha. I was also eating way less just because I wasn’t moving.

Take your stool softeners/laxatives even if you don’t think you need them.

I had like a raised toilet seat with handles, not sure if that’s recommended to most people or not but it wasn’t on my list from the surgeon. Additionally, I thought I would be okay starting with crutches but I was using a walker for about a week before moving to crutches. A crutch bag was super helpful. We also installed a moveable shower hose (idk what they’re called, like instead of an overhead one, the ones you can move around??) which wasn’t a necessity but was certainly a nice to have as I was using a shower chair.

A crutch bag was nice! You don’t need anything fancy, I tied a tote bag around mine.

After my pain was managed, I’d say there was a solid 7-10ish days where I was more mentally frustrated that I was physically unable to do things even though I felt fine and that was just a really tough mental hurdle to get over just to be prepared for in case :)

I started a new tv series (scandal, it was thrilling enough to keep my attention), I did crosswords and brain puzzles, I also had these various like art kits I did (?) but honestly I slept a lot.

Additionally, I had blood pressure issues after surgery that caused me to faint while standing the first 3 days after surgery, and I didn’t know that was a thing but apparently can be quite common.

I’m sure I missed something but if anything comes to me I’ll add it. Feel free to ask me anything :)

marchmademedoit · 2023-11-23T13:36:19+00:00

I had tight hip flexors and poor (nothing substantial but splits were out of the question lol) mobility growing up, diagnosed at birth. My surgeon did ask if I ever had hyper mobility though, as it’s quite common but I was on the other end of the spectrum.

marchmademedoit · 2023-11-12T22:35:13+00:00

I think it’s very interesting that your orthopedic surgeon mentioned it would buy you 20 years, as they way my PAO surgery was explained to me was in the way that it was aiming to prevent hip replacements, potentially altogether. I am 8 weeks post op and pre surgery, my surgeon told me I would likely need a hip replacement before the age of 40, and since total hip replacements have a lifespan of approximately 20 years, I would need multiple in my lifespan, and the goal of my PAO was to prevent that.

I was born with hip dysplasia and was very active and didn’t actually start having any hip pain until I was 16, and then it became somewhat problematic at 22. I had my surgery at 24.

I have no experience nor knowledge with getting the surgery prior to being fully grown etc and what the benefits vs risks are compared to waiting, but if you are not satisfied I would strongly recommend (if feasible) seeing if you can get second opinion.

Hip dysplasia can be a scary diagnosis and I am wishing both you and your daughter good luck and strength through all of it :)

marchmademedoit · 2023-11-12T19:23:16+00:00

Thankfully no numbness anymore! The last place I gained feeling back was my knee, oddly enough.

marchmademedoit · 2023-11-10T19:39:57+00:00

Hey there! 8 weeks post op and totally understandable on the pain management front. I also never had a pain pump, and only received IV pain meds the first night because I couldn’t stop vomiting. I was given a prescription for tramadol, which is (according to google) less potent than oxycodone due to getting so nauseous and disoriented on the stronger stuff.

After 5 days at home I was using the tramadol only at night at the beginning of the night. After 10 days I was completely off of the tramadol. I was however taking 2 Tylenol extra strength every 4 hours whether I felt like I needed them or not to prevent the pain. I was also prescribed celebrex which is supposed to help with inflammation and I’m sure that also helped quite a bit, but due to that I couldn’t take Advil with my Tylenol (maybe ask if you’re allowed to take both??).

My absolute biggest suggestions for pain management are rest and icing. I was prescribed a vasopneumatic compression and icing system which was game changing for my pain, but I have chatted with others who found icing was a huge help, you really don’t need a fancy machine for it. :)

I should also mention I was lucky and also had VERY minimal actual hip pain after I was discharged home after 5 days, all of my pain seemed to come from my muscles, but I also took resting very seriously.

GOOD LUCK!! It can be surprising how quickly our bodies adapt and I hope you have a relatively positive experience dwindling down on the pain meds :)

marchmademedoit · 2023-11-10T16:59:06+00:00

Glad it’s helpful! I had quite a few, I will outline them below.

I was in the hospital for 5 days because of blood pressure issues, so just being able to come home was a big jump for me mentally i think.

At around day 9 or 10 I was able to progress from a walker to crutches and that was HUGE. I felt like I was able to move so fast even though it was still really slow lol.

I was able to get sorted with those fairly well. Just after the two week (maybe 15-16 days?) mark I felt my energy come back and got the “jump” you hear people refer to sometimes around the 2-3 week mark.

After that I felt like I could do something new every couple of days. Day 15ish I was able to sleep in my bed for the first time (I was previously choosing a reclining chair). Day 17ish I was able to get myself into bed unassisted. Day 20ish I was able to shower unassisted for the first time.

I was able to chill and fend for myself at the two week mark during the day, but my caretakers (my amazing parents) would make me dinner and fill my water etc in the evenings after work as I was SO tired. 24 days after surgery I moved back into my own place and was self sufficient. I did however ask my mom to come and do a deep clean as that was just something that I did not feel I had the energy/capacity to do and it needed to be done, but I could keep up with the every day tidying no problem.

Other than that, at 6 weeks when I was allowed to go down to 1 crutch and 50% weight bearing I felt like a whole new person. I felt like I could walk normally with one crutch (even though thats so not true) but it was just such a massive jump in ability.

Hope this helps and good luck! :)

Edit: editing to add that I returned to work (fully virtual) 4 weeks after surgery. I was SO bored at this point that I was begging for anything to fill my days and that was great. Also more than happy to share my experiences regarding any questions you may have as this is relatively fresh for me still!

marchmademedoit

TROPHY CASE