Meeting with my doctor today to discuss full hip replacement surgery. Any words of advice from those who been there? Scared to think of being cut open, but excited to think of relief from the pain and limping.
Will I surf again???
Hoping for the best 
Hi Huck. Yes you will. But, you have to believe it, too. I have a friend who surfed at a high level. Big guy, Bad hip. Got the replacement and he still surfs at a high level. I think he’s looking at getting the other hip done. His problem is congenital. He’s not as quite as old as us, but not a young man either. Get your body and mind fit and get it done. Mike
It certainly can be done. I know guys. Never doubt it.
I have not had to deal with bionic joints. But I am likely to face the knife for other issues in the near future.
Science has always served me well with these 3 practices:
Will, diet and exercise, exercise, exercise…
Been there, done that. Somewhat difficult for me, due to my weight gain. Hardest part was being able to straddle the board, while sitting. Had to stay prone, in the lineup, for about six months, before I could sit up for more than a few minutes. Just keep pushing the envelope. Mine was done in 2005. Things are more refined now, so you should get good results. Best of luck to you.
Goodluck with your consult and hope you are at peace with your decision. I would get one if you are dibilitated with your hip as is. Have two cowboy buddies that had hip surgery. Both early 60s, hard working farmers and cowboys that use horses for work 5 days a week. They both have no complaints and back to full living with 6 weeks of rehab. Be prepared for a result that makes you wonder why you waited so long. Keep us posted on you decision Huck.
Also nice nurse in red pants shot. Oh, I see the sign now.
Aloha Huck,
When you talk to your Doc, indicate your intent to be physically active. See if a ‘‘LARGE FEMORAL HEAD’’ prosthetic is available. That is the route I went. It enables a greater range of motion. Also inquire about a metal on metal unit. This is also the direction I chose. My surgery was done by Dr.Harlan Amstutz, preeminent in the field. He would be worth having a chat with. See if you’re a candidate for ‘‘resurfacing.’’ (faster recovery) That was my desired proceedure, but I was not a good candidate for it.
Thnx 4 all the great replies. I’m on the calendar for 1st week in september. Will keep u posted. My health & fitness are good, & my doctor has good qualifications. He did laugh when I asked him please dont let em take out a kidney or some goofy mistake like you read in the news, he promised he would take good care of me. 63 years old and never been in a hospital overnight before. I guess I’m due.
Here is a story about a friend of mine. He was able to get back to competitive surfing after two hip replacements:
Glad you are in good spirits!
“A whoa-a-oh…”
you should be fine
recovery from hip replacement is a much easier than full knee replacement just watch out for the first part you need a toilet seat riser and a walker
getting up and down from the toilet to take a dump will be your hardest challenge right after surgery
looks like I’ll have to have my last good knee replaced soon as well
they say you can’t tell which is BS as I can feel and definitely know I have an artificial knee
traveling through airports suck
and you may have to do things for the rest of your life you to keep the joint limber and free from infection
like daily exercises like walking and standing up from sitting in a chair and taking antibiotics before dental work
here’s a shot of my knee after returning home from the hospital.
I waited way to long to have it replaced so rehab sucked
best of luck and do the rehab and stay active after it heals
Hi Huck. I’ve not had a full replacement but had cam resections on both hips. They were both to stave off a replacement for a bit as I’m 40 they say I’m too young for replacement yet! I bounced back from them after 10-12 weeks. My uncle had a full replacement a couple years back and was way better than he had been in years. Was back to racing dinghys. Have to take it easy coming back into the surf. Sitting up on any board wider than 22” is still a problem! Still lie prone for the most part on my noserider. Do the physio and I’m sure you’ll be back with avengence! Seriously hope it all goes well for you & you heal quick. Medical science is always progressing, It’s amazing what they can do now.
Slanj
I’m at the stage where sitting on wide boards is painful and getting to my feet going backside on a steep wave is almost impossible. You don’t realize how much you contort your back leg getting up backside until you start having hip problems.
Best of luck. Good lord, listening to you guys…I need to start doing yoga.
Best of luck with it all Huck. I’m sure you’ll be back on the horse (metaphorically speaking) before too long.
I’m also sure that it’s going to be a tough road, mentally, with plenty of dark moments. Remember that you always have Sway’s as a dumping ground for when you just need to get it off your chest. Just don’t expect any bloody sympathy, ok!? (It’s hard to convey irony in writing, but rest assured, that was definitely tongue in cheek).
Hi Huck, I’ve been a part of our ortho team in Sydney for 15 years and seen hundreds of hemi and total hips done on 20 to 99 year olds.
As the other guys have said, you’ll be fine. Recovery from a hip is usually quicker than a knee.
There’s a lot of technical stuff so that it’s completely customised to suit your bone shape and it should last you for decades. And by that time there will be something better to take it’s place. The team doing the surgery are specialists in Exacting procedures and specialist knowledge of hips, it’s like asking Greg Griffin if he knows anything about fins.
Recovery is all about planning and your recovery should be paramount.
Get a script for painkillers
Have a good bed setup at home so you can easily and safely get up and around for the 3 am pee. Downstairs bedroom, close to the bathroom, clear away all the floor clutter, have a torch handy.
Have all your bills paid so you’re not forcing yourself to get out when it’s not essential. In Australia you’re not covered by insurance if you’ve had a hip op and drive.
Do the home physio and go see the physiotherapist. Usually we have people up on their feet the next day or day after, but with several people for support.
But you probabaly have all this sorted. A lot of people try to get back in the game too soon and go through more discomfort than they should.
I do not want to be a bummer but both my dad and a local surfer I know have had hip replacments and they did not go great. Both surgery’s happened approx. 1 year ago. I think my dad wishes he never had it done. This was strange considering most of the people I have talked to about hip surgerys make a speedy recovery and are more mobile than they were before the surgery. This just was not the case with my dad. He still has pain and tingling sensations that bother him regularly. Some days are better than others. I feel really bad for him. Just based off of my dads experience, I would only get surgery as a last resort. Are there any lifestyle changes you could make that would improve your hip pain/mobility? Obviously I have no idea about your situation so I can not speak to that. Just letting you know what I have witnessed. Either way, good luck and I am sure you will still be surfing!
Wishing you a speedy recovery Huck.
I have not had hip issues, and hope not to.
Sure genetics and body type play a huge role, but can you specify any one activity or a specific injury as an progenitor which led to the degradation of the Hip joint?
I Think Skateboarding has caused a lot of my Knee issues, not just impacts in my youth, but overuse wear and tear from pushing and muscle imbalance. Perhaps biking too, which i had to quit doing in my late 20’s as after 1/4 mile my left knee would start popping every revolution, and then 1/8 mile later it would hurt when it popped. So I stopped riding entirely and miss it, but not as much as I would miss surfing.
Have a look here Huck, lot of good stories & results:- https://surfingafterhipreplacement.wordpress.com/vistors-stories/
Thanks again, lots of good comments and posts, all are appreciated! The website unclethirsty posted is awesome, lots and lots of surfer comments on surviving hip surgery.
Monday I go in for pre-op, a few weeks before surgery. I am kinda psyched out about it, but realistically I don’t see that I have much choice, the pain is unbearable at times, and the inconvenience even more so. My son-in-law survived open heart surgery a couple years back, I guess I can survive open hip surgery.
My surgeon is an associate in orthopedic surgery, orthopedic trauma, and joint replacement. Prior to this he was a clinical fellow in orthopedic trauma surgery a one of the busiest trauma centers in the country. He is board certified with the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, and his training and internship took place at UCLA. He seems friendly, and easy to talk to, so I feel pretty comfortable with him doing the surgery.
My insurance is very limited in who I can see, and what it will pay for, so I’m really thankful I ended up with the surgeon that I did. He assured me he is using the best materials.
I am physically fit, do not drink or smoke, and even tho I can no longer walk much, I still surf several times a week, and bike ride several miles a week. I could afford to lose a few pounds, and will work on that in the coming weeks. Unfortunately my work schedule will be crazy hectic right up to the date of surgery, but surgery will officially inaugurate my retirement.
The silver lining to all this hip drama is that I now have handicap parking plates, and I can park in the lot at Topanga and Malibu for free, and use the handy dandy handicap parking spots that are always available, not to mention free parking at metered spots all day long.
