At Home with Dr Christian Jessen - 380

| ORTHOPAEDICS|

you were given a spinal or epidural
anaesthetic, you may not be able
to feel your legs for a few hours.
You'll be given painkillers to control
the pain. With a hip replacement,
a special pillow may be used to keep
your hips immobile. With knees, a
continuous passive motion machine
may be used to bend and straighten
the knee in bed, keeping it mobile
and reducing swelling.
You'll have to stay in hospital until
you're able to walk, which usually
takes around three to five days. Most
people, however, are up on their
feet within a day. A physiotherapist
will give you exercises to strengthen
your joint and speed recovery.
It's important to continue these
exercises at home. You'll be told
what movements you should avoid
for a few weeks - for instance,
crossing your legs - to help lower
the risk of dislocation. You shouldn't
attempt to drive for about six weeks.
You may also have to wear
compression stockings to lower the
risk of any blood clots forming,
and you may have to take medicine
such as heparin for several weeks
to help prevent deep vein thrombosis
(DVT). You'll also be prescribed
antibiotics to prevent infection.
You'll need crutches or walking
aids to start with, but you can
expect to be mobile within four
to six weeks, and you'll continue to
improve for a couple of years, as
your muscles strengthen and scar
tissue heals. It's important to stay

'AFTER SURGERY,
MOST PEOPLE ARE
UP ON THEIR FEET
WITHIN A DAY AND
MOBILE WITHIN FIVE'
active during your recovery to
strengthen the muscles around the
new joint, but avoid high-impact
activities (such as running or
jumping) that put pressure on your
joints, and sideways actions (such as
swimming breaststroke) that can risk
dislocation of the joint.
You will continue to have regular
post-operative check-ups and
may be invited for an X-ray every
five years, to check that your
replacement joint is still stable.

A REPLACEMENT KNEE JOINT
CAN LAST UP TO 20 YEARS,
EASING PAIN AND MOBILITY

' I' M D EL IG HT ED W IT H M Y N EW H I P '

RICHARD COURTNADGE, 72, FROM ILFRACOMBE, DEVON,
HAD A SUCCESSFUL TOTAL HIP REPLACEMENT A YEAR AGO
'I first noticed a problem when
getting up after sitting down for
a while - my right hip was very painful and I'd
have to lean on something until it eased. The
pain extended into my knee and shin, and I
was finding that I couldn't walk as well as I used
to - I'd have to drive to the local pub rather than
walk - but I just accepted it as a normal part of
the ageing process. Visiting my GP for something
else, I happened to mention my hip pain and he
made an appointment for me to have an X-ray.
However, in the meantime, I had a fall and was
X-rayed at A&E. It showed the cartilage was
worn away. The solution was a hip replacement.
'Before the operation, I went to an NHS
class to learn how to use crutches and go up
stairs after the procedure, and was given all
the mobility aids I'd need. The first time, my
operation was delayed because I had a mouth
infection which could have spread to the hip.
Once that was sorted, I was ready.
'I had a general anaesthetic and was in
the operating theatre for two and a half hours.
When I came round, I had a morphine pump

to control the pain, but it made me feel awful,
so I was given other painkillers instead. I was
fine as long as I didn't move. When I tried to
go to the loo on my own that evening, I got
stuck on the edge of the bed unable to move!
'The next day, I was on my feet, taking
a few steps with a walking frame - the
staff wanted to get me mobile as quickly as
possible. On the third day, once I'd showed
the physiotherapist I could make it up a flight of
stairs with my crutches, I was sent home.
'I kept as active as possible, walking and
using the stairs, and my wife helped me. The
movement I found the hardest was getting into
bed - I had to use a sling to move my leg. I
got rid of my crutches after a month, used a
walking stick for another month, and after six
months I was back to full strength.
'I've just had my one-year check up and
I couldn't be better. I have no pain, and I'm
walking everywhere. My wife and I have even
joined a walking group and we go on weekly
six-mile rambles. I didn't realise how much my
hip was affecting me until it was fixed.

www.athomemagazine.co.uk MARCH 2015 | 71

68-71 Expect bone replacement FINAL.indd 71

26/01/2015 17:50
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At Home with Dr Christian Jessen

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