Hip replacement recovery time?

[klpca]

I need a sanity check here. My 85 year old mom who is very independent, told me yesterday that she has decided to get a hip replacement later this month. I didn't even know that she had any pain when walking, so this was not something that I saw coming. Even though she is healthy and "independent", when she has issues I am the primary caregiver. So far it has only been once for some outpatient surgery, but she was very coy with any information about the procedure and only told me that she needed a ride to and from the outpatient center. What she actually needed was almost full time care for 3 days, plus help with meals/shopping etc for 4 weeks. She had told me that the healing time was 3 days (lol). It was 6 weeks before she was fully healed. None of this would be a big deal except that she is an awful patient. She is mean and demanding (she keeps those traits somewhat under control normally) but when she doesn't feel well anyone within eyesight is a target. I am dreading it.

Here is the weird part. She does not have a surgery date but keeps saying "this month". Ok. So November. But she is scheduled to go on a photography trip in early December. When I asked about how she would be able to do this within weeks of her surgery, she said that her doctor cleared it and that he was going to give her a shot before she left so that she could walk. I cannot imagine this being ok. I can't even imagine that the wound would be healed by then. My mom is not realistic about healing time or pain, so I don't trust her to be able to assess her ability to do the trip, which will be a walking trip.

If you have had a hip surgery, or have cared for someone who has, what did the recovery timeline look like?

 

["Roger"]

It depends upon how the hip replacement is done. If they use the anterior approach (which requires a special operating table), recovery can be very fast. My wife walked out of the hospital after two days with just a cane and was pretty much fully recovered after two weeks. (She was much younger than your mother, however.)

You simply need to get your mother to fess up to who is doing the surgery and question him or her as to what procedure he or she will be using and what the prospectus is. What will actually be done cannot be answered on this forum.

 

[Tia]

Check with the discharge planner and the surgeon about her going into a rehab facility post-op . Medicare pays for this.

 

[Elan]

Agree with above -- highly dependent on procedure employed. I'm early 60's and had anterior in March. Walked out of surgery the same day, didn't use a walker ever, and played 18 holes of golf exactly 30 days after surgery. Jogged our greenbelt exactly 60 days post surgery.
I would say her recovery would be highly indicated, but obviously not guaranteed, by how active she is pre-surgery. If she's not that active, I suspect her recovery will be much longer (and perhaps more painful) than otherwise. The hip joint is a relatively simple joint. It's the displacement of tissue around the joint that takes time to heal.
As far as post-op care, I had a pretty extensive drug regimen, so she very well could need assistance with that. As far as pain, the pain post-op was negligible compared to before surgery. With regard to her planned trip, my assumption would be that if she could do it now, in pain, she'd likely be ok to do it 30ish days post-surgery. But it's just an assumption...
As Roger stated, you really can't get an answer here. Just sharing my experiences and thoughts.

 

[klpca]

Thank you! Those are good points that will help me get some more information.

I think that the trip may be only two weeks post surgery. I will hopefully know more tonight after we have dinner together. She relaxes over a meal and can be more candid.

She doesn't want to ask for help which is why she is so coy. But at the end of the day, I always wind up picking up the pieces. She has always been impulsive and I have always been the fixer.

 

[b2bailey]

If she's not forthcoming with details, I would let her know you have 'something' on your calendar for end of November and want to cooperate with whoever else will be assisting her.

 

[Luanne]

I had the anterior hip replacement surgery. I was 72. I stayed overnight at the surgical center, which was expected. They almost kept me another night as my oxygen level dropped. I was able to go home, but with an oxygen unit (which I was able to stop using after a period of time). They would not let me leave until I could walk and climb steps, as we have steps to get in and out of our house. I am very fuzzy about recovery time after that. I did have my husband doing just about everything for me. He even had to help with the compression socks I was required to wear. If I hadn't had him I don't know what I would have done. My doctor wanted me up and walking once every hour. I figured I was getting up to use the bathroom enough that that counted. I used a walker for quite awhile. When I graduated to a cane I didn't use that for long at all. I had PT and a nurse coming into the house for the first 6 weeks I think. Then I started going out for PT.

 

[Luanne]

@klpca a good friend of ours, who is also very independent, and has a daughter (and her family) in the area opted to go to a rehab center after she had surgery. Is this something your mother might consider?

 

[klpca]

I had the anterior hip replacement surgery. I was 72. I stayed overnight at the surgical center, which was expected. They almost kept me another night as my oxygen level dropped. I was able to go home, but with an oxygen unit (which I was able to stop using after a period of time). They would not let me leave until I could walk and climb steps, as we have steps to get in and out of our house. I am very fuzzy about recovery time after that. I did have my husband doing just about everything for me. He even had to help with the compression socks I was required to wear. If I hadn't had him I don't know what I would have done. My doctor wanted me up and walking once every hour. I figured I was getting up to use the bathroom enough that that counted. I used a walker for quite awhile. When I graduated to a cane I didn't use that for long at all. I had PT and a nurse coming into the house for the first 6 weeks I think. Then I started going out for PT.

This is exactly what kind of recovery that I am concerned about - she is 85 (almost 86) after all - and while she walks a lot, that is her only exercise. After her last surgery (outpatient) the discharge instructions were completely opposite of what she had told me. She told me that she would be "in a bit of pain" for a day or two. In reality, she was on hydrocodone for 3 weeks. She was furious with the doctor for not being more forthcoming about the recovery, but the discharge instructions were clear as day (4-6 weeks). I am pretty sure that the doctor did not say "a day or two" because they sent her home with enough hydrocodone for a few weeks. Unfortunately, she believes what she thinks, and dismisses what is distasteful.

Maybe I will ask to go to her next appointment so that I can hear exactly what they are telling her.

And due to the fact that she just told me yesterday, and I am a timeshare person, I *do* have trips planned. She lives in an independent living facility that has an onsite skilled nursing facility so I already asked her to look in to that.

Again, thanks so much everyone. I have a better idea about what to ask (anterior?), and hopefully I will be able to accompany her to her next appointment. I think that it is reasonable to loop me in since I am also affected. I cannot understand why she isn't getting a cortisone injection before the trip and postpone the surgery until after she returns. If she isn't fully recovered, she won't be able to travel. It seems like such an easy solution to postpone the surgery for a few weeks.

 

[rickandcindy23]

My hip surgery took 3 solid weeks before I felt comfortable walking without my walker. I had physical therapy in my house, and I did the exercises every day for 6 weeks. I was not able to walk 10 feet without pain before the surgery.

 

[heitmullerj02]

Had mine done @66, was able to drive in 3 weeks, but 12-18 months for full healing per Doc. I would not attempt a trip at her age with only 2 week’s healing. if she dislocated it the whole operation has to be done again, which happened to a friend who is 54. Is not healed inside , the pain just is gone which can be misleading to some.

 

[klpca]

Had mine done @66, was able to drive in 3 weeks, but 12-18 months for full healing per Doc. I would not attempt a trip at her age with only 2 week’s healing. if she dislocated it the whole operation has to be done again, which happened to a friend who is 54. Is not healed inside , the pain just is gone which can be misleading to some.

This makes so much sense to me. You can look healed outside, but the inside healing will take some time.

 

[Shiba]

Call the doctor's office and speak to the RN or medical assistant they would be able to tell you what typical recovery is like. The office might have a packet with instructions for their post surgical patients. They may not give you specifics on your mom's case because of HIPAA, but you can ask what typical recovery is for someone in their 80's. Ask if rehab is an option for their post surgical patients.

 

[klpca]

Good news - after a discussion she decided to postpone the surgery until after the trip. I am relieved about that. I am dreading dealing with her recovery but there is nothing that I can do about that.

 

[rapmarks]

Check with the discharge planner and the surgeon about her going into a rehab facility post-op . Medicare pays for this.

Hmm. I was told I wasn’t decrepit enough for that after knee replacement. I know very few who get the rehab facility but worth asking

 

[LMD]

I am a physical therapist x27 years working in outpatient and home health so have seen TONs of hips over my career. Hopefully I can help you! Like some of the other responses- recovery is dependent on 1) her physical condition going into the surgery 2) surgical approach. You also have to consider her age- how is she going to handle anesthesia. Hip replacements are not without risk. If she is walking right now without pain why does she not just go on the trip and scheduled the surgery for another date? If they give her cortisone shot they typical don’t want to surgery within three months of the injection due to risk of infection. In my opinion going on a trip that requires travel and walking two weeks after surgery is not a good idea. I would definitely recommend going with her to the next appt. Google the doc too! Make sure she is in the best hands possible.

I just now saw your post that she is going to postpone- maybe encourage her to try some physical therapy before the surgery to see if she can avoid it all together.

 

[isisdave]

I'm sure you've already done this, but:

Employ the Golden Rule of Communication in Relationships: Ask for What you Want.

"Mom, like you and everyone else, I can be a much better helper the more information I have in advance. Let's look at the recovery forecast together, and plan, in advance, what help you might want or need, and how it can best be provided. We should also make contingency plans, in case it takes longer than anyone expects."

 

[noreenkate]

Hmm. I was told I wasn’t decrepit enough for that after knee replacement. I know very few who get the rehab facility but worth asking

My surgeon is not a fan of inpatient rehab facilities -he writes papers on infection rates and readmissions.

 

[clifffaith]

Hmm. I was told I wasn’t decrepit enough for that after knee replacement. I know very few who get the rehab facility but worth asking

Everyone here at the Old Folks Home who gets a knee replacement goes to our rehab facility. Our 90 year old friend who had the first knee done after Thanksgiving last year, and the second around Easter, spent over a week each time. And this was without any complications that I think she would have shared with us.

 

[klpca]

I really debated about asking for help with this yesterday but I am beyond thankful that I did. I would assess my mom as being very sharp mentally. But everything that she had said about this surgery, plus what she said about her past surgery made me start to think about things. I wonder if she isn't remembering things correctly (vs disliking what they are telling her). I think that going forward, I may ask her if I can go with her to some of her appointments so that I can be a second set of ears.

I see we have reached the challenging stage of our parent/"child" relationship She's not going to like this suggestion at all, but it has to be mentioned.

 

[sue1947]

how is she going to handle anesthesia.

I've been told twice in the recent pass that it takes a couple of weeks to get over the anesthesia for older patients so this is something to ask the doctor about. In one case, a friend in her late 70's had a hip replacement + a tendon had to be repaired. She was in excellent shape (a hiker). The other is my 98 year old mother who fell and broke her hip and it did take her a couple of weeks before the physical therapy was able to make any progress.
Going with her to medical appointments so you can be a second set of ears is a really good idea. What she told you really doesn't add up so there may be some memory issues.

 

[nomoretslt]

My husband had anterior hip replacement in September 2023 (69 years old). His pain came on suddenly….and he suffered for 6 months before the surgery. Did your mom mention at all anything about going for a heart stress test first? This is a requirement around here….if you fail, then you have to go for a heart catherization to clear blockage….. husband had a false negative for the stress test (he had to do nuclear as he was in too much pain to do the treadmill). And if you DO have to get a stent, then you can’t get operated on for 3 or is it 6 months. Our daughter was getting married end of October 2023….so he was able to dance with her at her wedding pain free. That being said, he has had a long recovery. He has muscular thighs and they had to do more tissue and nerve cutting than anticipated. He was under anesthesia longer than planned also. He was kept overnight due to nausea. He’s a healthy and strong guy (gym and pool 4 days/week). He still has numbness in his thigh. But he’s not in the kind of pain he had before. He’s not a park commando at Disney any more. He tires easily (God forbid we rent a scooter). not that I’m an expert or anything, but I think his body type and frame structure had a lot to do with his recovery. He did use a Walker for a few weeks and will use a cane when we are at Disney.
it’s a little strange that your mom hasn’t mentioned she’s in unbearable pain. Are you on her HIPA form? i would talk with the doctors office about her. I had to help my husband get to the bathroom for at least a week ( and was woken up in the middle of the night at least 3 times a night to follow him to the bathroom). He was concerned about lightheadedness and falling which would have not been good.
Sorry this is so long. Everyone is different, but she is 85. I would insist on going to her next Dr. Visit. This surgery will affect you also and you have a right to know what is in store for you.
im glad she’s postponing the surgery. Best of luck to you.

 

[klpca]

My husband had anterior hip replacement in September 2023 (69 years old). His pain came on suddenly….and he suffered for 6 months before the surgery. Did your mom mention at all anything about going for a heart stress test first? This is a requirement around here….if you fail, then you have to go for a heart catherization to clear blockage….. husband had a false negative for the stress test (he had to do nuclear as he was in too much pain to do the treadmill). And if you DO have to get a stent, then you can’t get operated on for 3 or is it 6 months. Our daughter was getting married end of October 2023….so he was able to dance with her at her wedding pain free. That being said, he has had a long recovery. He has muscular thighs and they had to do more tissue and nerve cutting than anticipated. He was under anesthesia longer than planned also. He was kept overnight due to nausea. He’s a healthy and strong guy (gym and pool 4 days/week). He still has numbness in his thigh. But he’s not in the kind of pain he had before. He’s not a park commando at Disney any more. He tires easily (God forbid we rent a scooter). not that I’m an expert or anything, but I think his body type and frame structure had a lot to do with his recovery. He did use a Walker for a few weeks and will use a cane when we are at Disney.
it’s a little strange that your mom hasn’t mentioned she’s in unbearable pain. Are you on her HIPA form? i would talk with the doctors office about her. I had to help my husband get to the bathroom for at least a week ( and was woken up in the middle of the night at least 3 times a night to follow him to the bathroom). He was concerned about lightheadedness and falling which would have not been good.
Sorry this is so long. Everyone is different, but she is 85. I would insist on going to her next Dr. Visit. This surgery will affect you also and you have a right to know what is in store for you.
im glad she’s postponing the surgery. Best of luck to you.

My mom's last surgery was at the end of April and there was zero mention of pain at that time. She did have a fall (she told me a month after the fact) so maybe that is what precipitated this latest issue? I am not sure. She apparently takes tylenol 3 or 4 times a day to relieve pain. If I could control my pain with tylenol, I wouldn't be getting surgery. But my mom and I are total opposites. I am too afraid of complications so I would wait as long as possible to have surgery.

She does have to have some type of heart test. Thanks for giving all of the details about your husband. More data points! I am shocked that she is rushing into this (although I really shouldn't be surprised). I am going to speak to the social worker at her facility tomorrow to see if they have noticed anything. My sister is on her medical POA (I am the representative for everything else). Since we have such opposing views on medical care, I was uncomfortable with being able to carry out her wishes for maximum intervention including things like feeding tubes etc. My philosophy is completely opposite. If I am not going to have a great quality of life, let me go. My mom says to do everything possible. So we'll see how things go with her allowing me to be a more active participant in her medical care.

 

[Snazzylass]

My mom's last surgery was at the end of April and there was zero mention of pain at that time. She did have a fall (she told me a month after the fact) so maybe that is what precipitated this latest issue? I am not sure. She apparently takes tylenol 3 or 4 times a day to relieve pain. If I could control my pain with tylenol, I wouldn't be getting surgery. But my mom and I are total opposites. I am too afraid of complications so I would wait as long as possible to have surgery.

She does have to have some type of heart test. Thanks for giving all of the details about your husband. More data points! I am shocked that she is rushing into this (although I really shouldn't be surprised). I am going to speak to the social worker at her facility tomorrow to see if they have noticed anything. My sister is on her medical POA (I am the representative for everything else). Since we have such opposing views on medical care, I was uncomfortable with being able to carry out her wishes for maximum intervention including things like feeding tubes etc. My philosophy is completely opposite. If I am not going to have a great quality of life, let me go. My mom says to do everything possible. So we'll see how things go with her allowing me to be a more active participant in her medical care.

If your sister is the Medical POA, why isn't she the one to offer rehab etc? Glad you are reaching out for more insight on how to deal with this. You mention a SW at the facility where your mom lives now...where is that?

I guess as a mom I'm used to going to the doctor with the patient and advocating for them. In my recent accident, first, my son took the lead. Later when my sister was in town, she stepped up - went into the appointment with me, took notes, texted the P/T. She had done all this a few years ago with my mom and was terrific! We both agreed that sick people shouldn't go to the doctor alone. Like you said, when she's not feeling well...no wonder she might be confused. I know I was.

 

[Snazzylass]

Everyone here at the Old Folks Home who gets a knee replacement goes to our rehab facility. Our 90 year old friend who had the first knee done after Thanksgiving last year, and the second around Easter, spent over a week each time. And this was without any complications that I think she would have shared with us.

hmmm....surprised an 89 yo is getting a knee replacement, but I'm getting surprised about old people stuff every day.