What a great site!!! I wish I had found this before I went into
surgery. I would love to participate and be able to inform people of my
experience as they gather information to make their decisions.
I am 42 years old and just had a THR on 1/14 after living with fairly
severe, unrelenting pain day and night for the last 3 years. A former
ballet dancer, I suffered from osteoarthritis and had developed a large
bone spur that had virtually pushed my left hip totally out of the
socket. Thank heavens, the right hip is in beautiful shape.
The procedure was done by a very fine and gifted surgeon (and a lovely
person), Paul Pellicci, at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New
York.
Two weeks to the day after the surgery, I was able to go up and down the
stairs normally, without a cane (and not just one step at a time!) and
walk three miles a day. At three weeks (yesterday), I am almost off of
pain meds and able to resume all of my normal activities. And my
stamina is at 90%. The only limitation is that I cannot sit comfortably
for extended periods (and, of course, bend the joint past 90 degrees).
But even that is improving measurably each week. My incision, although
impressive, is straight and fine... a testament to Dr. Pellicci's
technique. My girlfriend even told me that she thought it was sexy! On
second thought, maybe she was just being nice...
One of the keys to a speedy recovery is to walk a lot each day and then
use the cold packs religiously (minimum 4 times/20 min
each). I am convinced that this speeds up healing of the tissue and
also aids with pain management and reducing swelling/overall comfort.
The entire experience was extraordinary. Dr. Pellicci, his staff, and
the hospital/staff displayed high standards and an amazing
professionalism, coupled with a truly concerned and caring attitude
-- not only towards me and managing my (fairly high) level of anxiety,
but to my family as well. They were encouraging, positive --
even touchingly humorous -- and thankfully very concerned with pain
management. I can honestly say that I suffered minimum pain, with the
exception of a brief time in recovery.
The surgical suite is high-tech and way-cool (as my son told me after I
described it). Epidural anesthesia lowers overall infection rate (no
intubation) and helps you bounce back a lot quicker than general
anesthesia -- and you certainly feel great as they send that Valium into
your IV! Who cares what happens next...
If you need THR, my strong advice is to RUN (as you are able!) -- not
walk -- to Dr. Pellicci. I would not consider anyone else, particularly
if you are younger and concerned (as I was) about your post-op
appearance. His hands are blessed, and he has earned my eternal trust
and gratitude.
Joan H
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