Hip Replacement and woodworking

[Gordon Stump]

The doctors kept giving me sideways glances when I asked about recovery. "You can climb down stairs after a few weeks. Can you sit on a stool, do you have to move around, are the boards heavy"?

I am not as tough as I thought I was. No spinning blades and a walker. My customers are not as important as my health. Listen to your wife. Stay out of the shop. Inventory is dwindling. I am not upset about that. Go buy stuff from China until I am better!! Am I a bad person....probably!

Cheers,

Gordon Stump

[Larry Frank]

One piece of advice for you. Be careful during recovery as it is not too difficult to dislocate your hip. Believe me that the pain of doing it hits the top of the pain scale. It caused me to blackout a couple times.

[Robyn Horton]

Second piece of Advice do all the exercises that they tell you to do every day religiously ! My wife had a full replacement in 2012 and you would never know by watching her walk that anything was ever done .. the new hip is 100% Perfect

[Lee Schierer]

There is a really really good hip doctor near me. He has a different method for doing hips that requires less recovery time. As I understand his method, no major muscles are cut.

I had two partial knee replacement done by him and I have no complaints.

[Jim Becker]

I agree with the advice to stick with the doctor's recovery plan to the letter. They are generally pretty agressive about getting folks back to "basic functionality" really quickly, but it's still major surgery and it takes time to both heal and for everything surrounding to get back to where it needs to be to fully support the new joint.

I expect I'm going to be facing this sometime in the not too distant future on my right side. I hope I can be blessed with the newer procedure that Lee mentions.

[Alan Lightstone]

I'm just going to throw out a small amount of medical advice here, as I religiously avoid it online.

When getting this surgery, go to an orthopedic surgeon that does LOTS of hip replacements in a hospital that does LOTS of hip replacements. Numbers truly do matter, as every study shows. Especially for rehab, and also for results and avoiding/treating complications its really important. How you find out that information -- well that's more difficult.

And best wishes for your recovery, Gordon. Listen to your doctors, and rehab personnel. And especially the OWMBO.

[Lee Schierer]

I'm just going to throw out a small amount of medical advice here, as I religiously avoid it online.

When getting this surgery, go to an orthopedic surgeon that does LOTS of hip replacements in a hospital that does LOTS of hip replacements. Numbers truly do matter, as every study shows. Especially for rehab, and also for results and avoiding/treating complications its really important. How you find out that information -- well that's more difficult.

And best wishes for your recovery, Gordon. Listen to your doctors, and rehab personnel. And especially the OWMBO.

That's why I recommended the place in PA. All they do are knees and Hips and they do lots of them. Their rehab plan is markedly different from the other hospitals in this area. From my observations, the end results are better as well.

[Bill Dufour]

When my BIL got his knee replaced he went to pt, paid his co-pay one time and memorized the exercises and equipment needed. He bought a medium price exercise bike, some giant rubber bands etc. He saved a bit of money and lots of time doing it at home instead of spending hundreds of dollars on co-pays. Just like buying tool instead of hiring a handyman.
Bill D

[Keegan Shields]

Statistically, the most important factor in the quality of a surgery and avoidance of mistakes is if the surgeon has experience with the surgical team.

I found that surprising when I learned it, but it makes sense. Even the most experienced surgeons make more mistake when working with an unfamiliar team, even if each person on that team has tons of experience.

That's because surgery is a team sport, while people tend to focus solely on the surgeons background.

So I always ask how long or how many operations the surgeon has done with the surgical team.

In a large metro area, a surgeon may have multiple locations where they conduct their operations - often with different teams at each location.

Pick the one they've done the most surgeries with. That way, there's less chance the team makes a medical mistake, operates on the wrong arm, leaves a item inside you, etc. The actual surgical outcomes are typically better as well.

[Warren Lake]

what Alan said. Read the same when looking into shoulder surgery. Even drove to the US to the Steadman Hawkins clinic to ask questions. Halls lined with photos of Athletes. Waited two years for a top guy up here then read in the paper at two years he had moved to the states as it pays more. Argh.

[Gordon Stump]

Thanks everybody. My guy specializes in anterior hip replacement. And the recovery period is shorter and more compact. But something really major happened to my body. They are getting a little caviler about recovery. I know they are all competing for the insurance but approaching a spinning blade with a crutch or walker ain't gonna happen in my shop. I will let you know when I go back in. Thanks again for your support. I was feeling sorry for myself and you folks are great.

[Kevin Jenness]

Recovery rate is individual and you have to suss out for yourself the guidance you get. Physical therapists often have a better handle on what you can do than surgeons as they are getting a closer more frequent look at your progress.

You are right to be cautious. I had a partial knee joint replacement 5 weeks ago and was recovering well until I slipped on a muddy slope 2 days ago. My good foot slipped forward and the quads on my bad leg caught all my weight and exploded with pain. Now I am waiting for an MRI to see if I tore the sutures in a tendon that could require further surgery. It's starting to feel better but you can bet I will be more cautious going forward. I was hoping to get back to the shop soon, but time will tell. I wish I had asked for a more thorough explanation of the surgery as I had not realized any tendons would be cut. I only blame myself, but the more information the better.

[Richard Coers]

When my BIL got his knee replaced he went to pt, paid his co-pay one time and memorized the exercises and equipment needed. He bought a medium price exercise bike, some giant rubber bands etc. He saved a bit of money and lots of time doing it at home instead of spending hundreds of dollars on co-pays. Just like buying tool instead of hiring a handyman.
Bill D

Does your BIL do his own dental work with a Dremel and channel locks? How about his own prostate exams? I hope you are joking around. The exercises change as range and healing progresses. Suggesting anyone follow this example is pretty crazy in my book, and even not something to joke about! My wife had a horrible experience with hip surgery. As the surgeon cut the ball off the femur, the bone broke. It was riddled with osteoporosis. They had to add plates and cables to bind that part back in place. Her recovery took months.

[Jon Grider]

My hip replacement is now 16 1/2 years old. I got mine when minimally invasive hip surgery was fairly new. I've had few issues, I guess the most vexing one is pain from where the femur is cut and the "spike" with the ball is pounded in. I have some discomfort if I pick up too much weight. My replacement has not slowed me down. I continued a fairly physical job for 13 years after surgery and continue wilderness backpacking albeit with a much lighter pack weight now. Follow the directions and chances are excellent that you'll be fine and free from the debilitating pain you have before surgery.

[Larry Frank]

My hip was replaced in 1996 and I wore it out in seven years. The revision was with better materials. They just replaced the ball and insert socket and is made from a cobalt chrome material and has lasted much better 19 years on the revision.

It is important to use a physical therapist to more quickly recover and avoid hurting yourself. This is not the time for DIY as we are talking about something that is the rest of your life.