Revision day

December 31, 2013

I never expected to be having another surgery this soon! But here I am back at a hospital having another hip surgery. This makes 3 hip surgeries in the last 2 years and one shoulder surgery.

Today's surgery is a revision of my LTHR (left total hip replacement).

I checked in and waited with my son Dan and my friend Judy to be taken to the pre-op area. The pre op check in was essentially the same as when I had my shoulder done other than they were going to work on my hip. While we were getting all that stuff taken care of Doc popped in and said he had been thinking about me and the best way to do the revision and he suggested that rather than doing the surgery through a posterior incision which is what he had planned he wanted to attempt to do it via an anterior incision with the caveat that if he could not access everything he would have to flip me over and make a posterior incision as well. I agreed because I would much prefer the restrictions of the anterior incision to the restrictions of a posterior one.

So prepped and ready I was wheeled into the OR for the Anterior incision revision of my THR. Strangely I do not remember being placed onto the table for this or the first THR. . . interesting I just realized that... oh well.

I woke up in my room nauseated and throwing up... everyone assumes it was the anesthesia but I can do anesthesia with no problem when they are willing to listen to me and NOT give me antibiotics or narcotics that make me puke!

I really did not think the pain was too bad or moving around was too difficult this time since I knew what to expect and how to maneuver to get in and out of bed. The aides kept trying to lift my leg to help and I kept telling them "I've got it" ! 

Not much to tell about being in the hospital I have to say it is not that exciting. I slept, I ate, I made trips to the bathroom.The most entertaining thing that happened was on New Years day my surgeon made rounds and brought his boys who are 2 and 4 with him to the hospital. Such cutie pies they are apparently the hospital frowns on them accompanying him but he feels it perks up his patients. It was actually fun to see them.

I stayed in the hospital until the 3rd and was sent home in the midst of a snow storm. I was really worried about getting out of the car and walking in the snow up the walkway to the house on crutches.  I made it in with no problem and settled in to hibernate for a month.

Time flys and a Doc who was willing to listen to me!

It has been quite some time since I popped into Blogger and updated everyone on my progress.

As I mentioned the OS (Orthopedic Surgeon) I had for my scope and my hip replacement in 2012 sent me to get a 2nd opinion and that OS docs office was not useful and did absolutely nothing for me. I went to see the OS who did my shoulder surgery in August and asked him if he had a partner who did hips and could take a look at my hip issues. I ended up scheduling an appointment for 11/20/13. I was VERY impressed with this new guy and his staff. He listened carefully to my questions and concerns and even accepted the article that I had printed out regarding Illiopsoas impingement issues. He and his intern both asked me what my work experience was and were surprised when I told them I worked on equipment. They both commented that they were impressed because I sounded very knowledgeable I was about PVNS. The new guy agreed with doc #2 who wanted me to have an injection into the groin done under Xray. I agreed to give it a try.

Three days later I got a call from the hospital letting me know that I was on the schedule for an injection at the local hospital and the time I should appear the next day. Yes that is correct just 4 days after seeing OS#3 I was having the injection. I arrived at the hospital at the expected time with my mom as an escort. . . just in case I had my normal weird vaso vegal response to the injection. All went well and in less than an hour I was injected and sent on my way.

The goal of the injection was to hopefully to eliminate the pain by reducing the inflammation by injecting a steroid directly into the tendon sheath. If the steroid worked and my pain went away then it would be clear that the issue is not mechanical and there would be no need to proceed with a revision. If it did not help with in  a few days then it would be clear that the injection had failed. I waited 2 weeks and then placed a call to the doc's office to let them know there was no reduction in pain. Well nothing lasting any way. They used an anesthetic with the steroid so the first day I was somewhat pain free but by the next day it was back.

I received a call back from the office and an appointment was scheduled with the doc to discuss my options. In that appointment we agreed that it was time to get some relief to the pain and the only real option was to open up the hip and either cut the tendon or to do a revision. In my mind cutting the tendon was like placing a bandaide on a seeping wound but not finding why it was seeping. Not an answer to what is causing the problem. I told him I did not want that and we talked about the revision and what that would entail and how he would be doing it. I agreed to the plan and then discussed open dates with the scheduler.

So 12/31/13 was selected as the open date for surgery and I was grateful to get it in in this year since my deductable was long since met!