What should be first, hip replacement or spine surgery?

  • Thread starter Thread starter deljo
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deljo

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I need a hip replacement on the left side. Also have a herniated disk L4-5 and a bone spur on the spine somewhere. This is affecting the right leg and also gives me pain in the right hip.I use a quad cane and a walker to get around. What a drag, but at least I'm still walking. I have seen the ortho MD and he says it doesn't matter as to what surgery is first. The cardiologist says the spine should be first. I'm seeing the spine specialist 8/11 and am anxious for his opinion. Also my concern is that I have a heart problem and am diabetic. I am 70yrs. and still working full time. What advice can you give me?
 
To recover from spine surgery you need to be in the best shape possible and so therefore I would have to say go with the hip surgery first. It also depenRAB on how bad you back is. Can you wait to have your spine surgery done? I really would push to get the hip done first cause you're gonna need 2 good hips to help you recover well from spine surgery. My aunt had a hip replaced a couple years back. She basically couldn't walk anymore and now she walks like there was never a problem. It didn't take her that long to recover from it either. What had your surgeon/doctor said about this? Anyhow that's my opinion and if it were me that is exactly what I would do. I can't imagine going through spine surgery and not being able to walk etc because of a bad hip. Your body relies on so many parts of your body when your spine is "out" so you can't really afford to have hip problems. Let me know what you decided and best of luck.

Beachgirl ;)
 
I agree with you. I'm seeing the spine guy on 8/11. I had to get all my reports for him. There is no doubt the left hip is very bad, but I think a lot of pain on the right side is from the right hip and not the spine. In the past yrs. the MD's have concentrated on the left. Just recently the ortho said the right hip looks good. I don't know, the pain is the same on both sides. I know rehab from hip surgery is not easy but neither is walking with the cane and walker. I've fallen 4 times now and can't get up by myself. Thats so erabarassing, and I can't continue this way. I'll keep you advised.
 
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