Recovery Timeline FAI Surgery - 7 Weeks Post Op

I have made it to 7 weeks post of with no big dramas, no falls, bumps or knocks to my hip & it feels like it has been a lot longer timewise. I really must thank again all my friends (especially those who have been through similar hip problems) and family who have been so supportive through all the ups & downs you go though after surgery. It makes a difference to have such a wonderful support network!

I had my 2nd post op checkup on 29th July & had x-rays taken (these are on my Imaging post). The screws had not moved and the outer trocanter where it was cut was healing nicely though there is still a section nearer the bottom which was not as healed as the rest.

I have been given the go ahead "To Work The Hip" (that's specialist speak... lol) and start fullon physio therapy focusing on core strength (ugh time to wake up ab muscles..) stretching the glute/thigh area, Aqua Jogging & something else I couldn't read on the physio referral.

My lovely phsio who I have had for the last 4 years and who as been through my hip saga with me has just moved to greener pastures in Australia & I felt the task of finding another great physio quite daunting. Our town here only has around 40,000 people and 3 main physio places with a few solo physio practices around. However I have; I was talking to a friend who had a very bad motorcross accident and ended up dislocating is shoulder out the back (which aparently only happends in 5% of cases) and had a very complex recovery stemming from that. He said the physio he has was brilliant and handled a lot of complex/complicated cases and has many years of experiance behind her. So last week (Wednesday 30th) I went to my first appt with her however she was sick so was booked in for this Friday 8th August. She is very popular but I am hoping once I am in the system I should be able to see her every second day.

Pain - I have made quite a big step and have downgraded from Morphine 20mg 2-3 times a day to Codine 60-90mg twice a day. If it is bad a need the 90mg to get on top of it & my stomach seams to be holding up with the change of medication ok but I will see if that lasts.

Over the last couple of days my pain has changed and another element has added itself. This pain;

1/ Feels like a burning pain

2/ Is around the groin area

3/ Shoots down my leg & feeling quite deep like it is shooting down the bone

4/ End up in my calf/foot which is really uncomfortable

I am wondering if my screws have got something to do with it? It's starting to annoy me as it hasn't get less or gone away. Frustrating at night as it has made things harder to sleep again so have been trying all my tricks (wheatbags, creams. pillows, massage etc) to try and get on top of it. Saturday night I was still awake at 3am!! But did manage to catch up on some sleep yesterday.

At 7 weeks I can fully weight bear and there doesn't seam to be much if any pain when standing however things start to feel more uncomfy when walking and sitting in chairs or moving round in bed trying to find a good position. I have had come very sharp pains in the joint like a stitch has come loose in the labrum and it's rubbing but it only lasted a few minutes, still getting the odd popping sound but have been told it's normal in these early days.

Swelling is much better (will photos photo this afternoon) and I can fit into my jeans again :) My thigh muscle has stopped randomly cramping on me and it slowly getting stronger, though it is still at least half the size of my good leg. Quite amazing how quickly muscle wastes away when not being used as normal.

I can manage to get in & out of our Spa with relative ease and find this has helped a lot with my stiffness and just relaxes everything. I am looking forward to getting into some deep tissue massage with my new physio, I know I will most likely cry to begin with but it is going to feel SOOOO good afterwards - look at that I am EXCITED about PAIN! lol.

Will expand this post later in the day :)

Imaging - X-Rays & MRI Images

MRI Screen Captures - 14 May 2007

X-ray of pelvis pre operation:

Pelvis after FAI operation (14/06/2008) where they shaved the impinging bone on the head of the femur, removed the inflammed bursa & repaired another tear - all things they were unable to go in the scope operation. The screws are holding the outer Trocanter on and if I am lucky they will not irritate me and they will stay in! :

Left hip take at 6 week check-up 29/07/08

Cross table view after the operation taken 15/07/08:

Cross table view taken at 6 week checkup - 29/07/08

Operation Report 14/6/08 with Operation Photos

Operative Procedure:

The patient was anaesthetised, the left hip was prepped and draped in the usual manner to give a sterile field. An incision was made over the greater trochanter through the subcutaneous fat to ilia tibial band, this was split, the greater trochanter was found to have moderate bursitis here, this was excised.

A trochanteric osteotomy was undertaken, care was taken to avoid damaging the blood supply to the hip and the gluteus minus lifted off and the hip capsule exposed, a capsulotomy was undertaken, the hip was dislocated. The findings showed that there was an area of contusion to the anterior labrum with some associated chondral damage with this.

The previous arthroscopy where the labrum had been torn was visible and found that the labrum was adequately excised. I removed the anterior labrum and reattached it with X2 anchors after I'd removed the bone behind this, then went to the head/neck junction where there had been obviously impingement here and used the templates to check the serosity of the head and removed the excess bone, the head/neck junction offset was improved and the raw bone surface and placed some bone wax into the raw bones to prevent bleeding here.

I closed the wounds in layers just slightly tightened the anterior capsule as I felt it was somewhat lax, then a redivac drain was placed in the deep layer and the greater trochanter reattached with X2 screws. The skin was closed with subcuticular Monocryl.

Post Op Instructions: Pain relief as charted, no active abduction for 6 weeks but patient may mobilise full weight bearing, check xray and haemoglobin in 24 hours.