Outpatient Hip Replacement...

[runnin n gunnin]

Thanks for all of that R-n-G.

Would be most interested in the ice pack/holster your wife used;

just send me a PM when you get a chance.

Sounds like your wife had a long struggle but a great outcome, which is encouraging to hear, and I'll not worry any more about the 13th!

Thanks for your story - no such thing as bad advice right now!

ESquared: Sorry for the long delay here, been a busy week. The Ice Pack we have had the best luck with for function, durability and holds up to continues use is the Active Wrap.
The Company Website is: https://activewrap.com/
Amazon also has some active wrap available at : https://www.amazon.com/ActiveWrap-Hot-C ... B07YQBWLVT
This is the Hip pack and carrier my wife uses: https://activewrap.com/collections/heat ... t-ice-wrap

The nice think about these packs is you remove the pack from a very well made carrier to re-freeze. The carrier has a Velcro patch on one side that attaches anywhere on the holster that warps around your waist/hip and is neoprene so the Velcro attaches anywhere allowing you to easily move the pack up/down/forward, back etc.

I have had three shoulder surgeries for torn rotator, labrum, etc. over the years and it occasionally still flares up. They are the only company that has a legit shoulder rig that stays put and allows me to continue to do whatever I want.

Best of luck during your surgery, and know that you will be pain free form what you are feeling now !

[runnin n gunnin]

Thanks for all of that R-n-G.

Would be most interested in the ice pack/holster your wife used;

just send me a PM when you get a chance.

Sounds like your wife had a long struggle but a great outcome, which is encouraging to hear, and I'll not worry any more about the 13th!

Thanks for your story - no such thing as bad advice right now!

ESquared: Sorry for the long delay here, been a busy week.

The Ice Pack

we have had the best luck with for function, durability and holds up to continues use is the Active Wrap.
The Company Website is: https://activewrap.com/
Amazon also has some active wrap available at : https://www.amazon.com/ActiveWrap-Hot-C ... B07YQBWLVT
This is the Hip pack and carrier my wife uses: https://activewrap.com/collections/heat ... t-ice-wrap

The nice think about these packs is you remove the pack from a very well made carrier to re-freeze. The carrier has a Velcro patch on one side that attaches anywhere on the holster that warps around your waist/hip and is neoprene so the Velcro attaches anywhere allowing you to easily move the pack up/down/forward, back etc.

I have had three shoulder surgeries for torn rotator, labrum, etc. over the years and it occasionally still flares up. They are the only company that has a legit shoulder rig that stays put and allows me to continue to do whatever I want.

Best of luck during your surgery, and know that you will be pain free form what you are feeling now !

One last thing ESqauared. Hip surgeons are busy people, and yes, there is no such thing as emergency hip replacement.
You will get some relief if you start the ice now, you don't have to wait unit your surgery ! I bought extra packs (we have a total of 4) so we can rotate easily. Also, my wife uses the packs at night in bed without a problem.

[ESquared]

Thanks again, R-n-G! This looks like a great system. I'll see what the doc usually prescribes/recommends for his outpatient post-op icing therapy, but this seems perfectly suited for the task.
The cortisone injection seemed to "wear off" after about 5-5 days, and he's put me on a low dose of Tramadol (50mg every eight hours), which I'm filling in with Naproxen (per his recommendation) to see if I can keep the pain at bay. Fortunately for me, nighttime/sleeping is the least painful part of my day, as I'm totally comfortable on either side.
Just started the Tramadol today, so we'll see how it goes. 3+ weeks until I see the sawbones, but I've been fortunate not to have ever had to deal with/manage chronic pain like this for anything in my life, so it's a bit of trial and error to see what works, other than just staying off of it when I can.
Many thanks for your follow up note and links!

[runnin n gunnin]

Thanks again, R-n-G! This looks like a great system. I'll see what the doc usually prescribes/recommends for his outpatient post-op icing therapy, but this seems perfectly suited for the task.
The cortisone injection seemed to "wear off" after about 5-5 days, and he's put me on a low dose of Tramadol (50mg every eight hours), which I'm filling in with Naproxen (per his recommendation) to see if I can keep the pain at bay. Fortunately for me, nighttime/sleeping is the least painful part of my day, as I'm totally comfortable on either side.
Just started the Tramadol today, so we'll see how it goes. 3+ weeks until I see the sawbones, but I've been fortunate not to have ever had to deal with/manage chronic pain like this for anything in my life, so it's a bit of trial and error to see what works, other than just staying off of it when I can.
Many thanks for your follow up note and links!

Hang in there brother, when you wake up the pain you feel now will be gone! Keep us posted after the surgery.

[JEBar]

following knee replacement surgery, I came home from the hospital with a Cold Water Therapy Ice Machine similar to the one shown in this link >>> https://www.amazon.com/Cryotherapy-Circ ... NrPXRydWU= .... they say it can be used for hip replacement .... all I can tell you is its a tremendous help

[ESquared]

following knee replacement surgery, I came home from the hospital with a Cold Water Therapy Ice Machine similar to the one shown in this link >>> [url]https://www.amazon.com/Cryotherapy-Circ ... flammation.... they say it can be used for hip replacement .... all I can tell you is its a tremendous help

Wow, Jim, that's quite the piece of equipment! I'll be shocked if this doc doesn't have a "preferred method" of dealing with his outpatients' post-op therapies. Will learn more on Friday, the 13th! This is all great stuff, though! Just more to add to my Q&A List!

[markiver54]

Ironic Evan, side stepping a bit, but the guy who supposedly patented the hip replacement, has a $14.000.000 estate on our mountain not far from the cabin, way back in the woods. Stream runs underneath a glass bottom causeway near the middle of the house. Pretty cool, dang, wish I could remember the last name.
He does have a beautifully crafted gate as you enter his property . County street sign named ( Cool Place )
No doubt!
Don't worry, many patients before you paid for it...
Hang in there my friend!!

[dave77]

Ironic Evan, side stepping a bit, but the guy who supposedly patented the hip replacement, has a $14.000.000 estate on our mountain not far from the cabin, way back in the woods.

When I had my knee replaced 5 years ago, I got an itemized bill from the hospital. Insurance paid most of it but the total was over $60,000. The artificial knee was around $25,000 although that probably included the custom guides the surgeons use to cut off the old knee.

I found a video of the procedure, very detailed but condensed down to around 30 minutes. When I got home I noticed the bottom of my foot was slightly bruised, wonder why but then saw the video and the surgeons assistant was holding the guy's foot while the surgeon was hammering in the lower joint.

[ESquared]

I may change my mind, but I don't think I'd want to see a video (condensed or full-length) of a hip replacement! Interesting about your foot bruise, though. I'm sure lots of interesting stuff goes on that we never even think about. I wonder what kind of music my doc pipes into the O.R.?

[JEBar]

Wow, Jim, that's quite the piece of equipment!

its really a pretty simple device .... a cooler which you fill with ice and water (we found that freezing plastic Coke bottles and adding them to the mix make the cold water last longer) .... turn it on and it circulates the cold water through a hose to a pad that is designed to wrap around the body part, and then a different hose takes the water back to the cooler .... no dealing with wet bags of ice and all of the mess that can cause .... it really works well

[Mags]

.
When my wife had her knee replacement the cryotherapy equipment was provided by the hospital. We still have it. I'm sure the insurance got charged handsomely for it.

following knee replacement surgery, I came home from the hospital with a Cold Water Therapy Ice Machine similar to the one shown in this link >>> [url]https://www.amazon.com/Cryotherapy-Circ ... flammation.... they say it can be used for hip replacement .... all I can tell you is its a tremendous help

Wow, Jim, that's quite the piece of equipment! I'll be shocked if this doc doesn't have a "preferred method" of dealing with his outpatients' post-op therapies. Will learn more on Friday, the 13th! This is all great stuff, though! Just more to add to my Q&A List!

[JEBar]

When my wife had her knee replacement the cryotherapy equipment was provided by the hospital. We still have it. I'm sure the insurance got charged handsomely for it.

same here .... it wasn't something we bought separately .... knowing what I know now, if they hadn't of provided one, we would have bought one .... there is no doubt to me that doing so would have been worth every cent

[CT_Shooter]

I have one, too. It was prescribed to help recover from spinal fusion surgery. I agree, it's a wonderful treatment; we also used frozen water bottles instead of ice to cool the water. I laid on it for weeks. Mine circulates the water through the system intermittently, which was helpful. I didn't even think about using it when I had my hip surgery. Duh! It certainly would have helped.

its really a pretty simple device .... a cooler which you fill with ice and water (we found that freezing plastic Coke bottles and adding them to the mix make the cold water last longer) .... turn it on and it circulates the cold water through a hose to a pad that is designed to wrap around the body part, and then a different hose takes the water back to the cooler .... no dealing with wet bags of ice and all of the mess that can cause .... it really works well

[dave77]

I'm sure lots of interesting stuff goes on that we never even think about. I wonder what kind of music my doc pipes into the O.R.?

Better that you never find out!! I had heard of this before, luckily it's very rare.

https://mosaicscience.com/story/anaesth ... paralysed/

[PatientWolf]

I hope you do well. I’ve heard of a lot of people who have been very happy they had the surgery and the fact that it is now an outpatient surgery, I think says a lot about the expected outcomes.

There’s a lot to be said for outpatient surgery. It helps get you away from all those nasties that have a chance to incubate in the hospitals. Don’t get me wrong, certainly the hospital staffs do everything they can to keep them away, but it can certainly be an uphill battle for them based on sheer numbers.

[ESquared]

There’s a lot to be said for outpatient surgery. It helps get you away from all those nasties that have a chance to incubate in the hospitals.

My son's neighbor is in biomed sales, which means he sells all the pieces and parts that surgeons use in these joint replacements. Spent a half hour on the phone with him last night, picking his brain about all the ins and outs of this, as he's been in the O.R. hundreds of times over his 2 decades in the business.
You're absolutely right: the #1 complication is post-op infection, followed by dislocation of the replaced joint. The technology has come so far that outpatient joint surgeries are a win/win for everyone. Lower infection rates, lower costs, more rapid road to rehab, etc.

Very helpful conversation; at least reaffirmed that I'm asking the right questions. Best of all, another one of those "It'll change your life" conversations.

[ESquared]

Finally got in to see the actual surgeon on Friday (the 13th!), and he aced the interview, I'm happy to say. Nice guy, straight shooter, been doing this for 10 years, does about 100 hips and 200 knees per year, so he knows his way around the O.R.
He agrees I'm a good candidate for outpatient, and would prefer to do it in one of his surgery centers vs. a hospital. In his world, "outpatient" means early AM surgery/out-the-door by 1:00 pm or so, and he won't do one after 3:00pm. Couldn't nail him down on recovery expectations, as the paths are so filled with variables.
So, now they work out pre-authorization and surgery center approvals with the insurance folks, and we book a date. Probably 30-45 days out, if the insurance stuff goes through in a timely manner (no assurances, just hope, for now).

[markiver54]

Always a must to find a doctor you're comfortable with. Glad you were able to do that.
Hope you are able to get it scheduled soon and work out the insurance issues. Keep us in the loop Evan.
Glad you chimed in!

[CT_Shooter]

Thanks for the update, Evan I've been thinking about you. Glad you've started the ball rolling. Keep us posted.

[RanchRoper]

Good luck. I think I'll ask for toggle linkage in my knees when the time comes. Just slide the caps off, a little Rem oil and I'm good to go....