Open FAI Surgery @ Torbay

[Carolan]

Thank you to everyone who posts on this forum with their experiences - its been great to find this information !

I'm scheduled to have open FAI surgery in two weeks (Thursday 25th June) and was wondering if anyone could pass on any advice on what to expect, recovery times, etc. I've never had surgery before and not had much experience of hospital and i'm now getting very very nervous and scared.

I have read that a couple of your are based in the South West and have had experience of Torbay Hospital. If you could let me know how you got on that would be great.

I did start another thread yesterday but its not appeared, so hopefully this one will.

Thank you all

Carolan

[oscarsmum]

Hi Carolan,

I can't help you with recovery or details of FAI surgery as I am recovering from a different hip surgery.I know others will be able to help you more, but I just wanted to say welcome to the forum.
Being nervous is natural, and the waiting is often the worst part -once you get to the hospital you will be fine.
Hope everything goes well, and look forward to hearing your post-op updates,
All the best,
Kate

[Carolan]

Thanks Kate. I suppose it's just the fear of the unknown. The hospital haven't really been very forthcoming with any details of what's going to happen or what's actually wrong with me. I only found out I was having open surgery because I read the nurses notes upsidedown when I went for my pre-assessment. I'm meant to be having an appointment with the consultant, Dr. Lofthouse, before the surgery but it doesn't look like he can fit me in.

[Spam1]

hi Carolan,

I had Open FAI surgery 13 weeks ago in Truro with Mr Fern. I was in hospital for 4 days post op, usual is between 3 and 5. You will have a spinal anaesthetic usually - so just an injection of local anaesthetic and painkillers into your spine whilst you are asleep. However, each anaesthetist is different and it depends on what they prefer so it could be a patient controlled pump instead or an epidural. They will go through that with you on the day of the op, so don't worry.

The surgery only takes about an hour and a quarter/half, then you spend a hour or so in the recovery room before being moved to the ward. You will be really sleepy for a few hours, there shouldn't really be any pain, you will have oxygen on too (I really hate the masks and have a tendency to pull them off when half awake, so I always ask for nasal specs instead). BP and pulse will be checked regualrly and they will keep an eye on you. Then once your more awake you can start to try some water and maybe some food that evening, depending on how you are feeling.

You will have stockings on your legs - very annoying, and you also will probably have calf things on that inflate every few minutes to prevent DVTs. Then they get you moving your feet up and down lots. You will most likely have little injections into your stomach every night, also to prevent DVTs, they don't hurt whilst going in but sting a bit afterwards.

Post op wise, you stay in bed for the day of the op, then usually you can stand next to the bed the next day, if you are very well the physios may let you take a few steps, but it is more likely you will just go back to bed, then start walking on day 2. You start off with a zimmer frame, then move onto crutches after a day or so. You will be touch weight bearing, which is walking putting no more than 10kgs through the operated leg - like walking on eggshells. I could sit out in the chair from about day 3, but it quickly got uncomfortable so they tell you to move between the bed and the chair and hobble around every hour or so.

Then once you are more mobile, can wash and onto oral pain meds, they will let you go. You will have lots of restrictions post op, so no bending past 90 degrees, no twisting at all, on sitting your hip must always be above your knees. You are likely to get some specific instructions off the physios when you are in hospital on exercises you are allowed to do.

Hope that helps, and if you have any more questions that I haven't covered please ask,
Sam xx

[Spam1]

Forgot to also say, the waiting is the worst bit, once you go to the hospital on the day, everything is so busy that you won't have time to think and before you know it, you will be back in your room and on the road to recovery x

[oscarsmum]

Its a shame you can't see the consultant again if you have some queries-I can't believe they haven't explained the surgery in detail.I have often found that they only tell you when you ask-if you don't they don't always offer the info.You could always write down all your questions then phone his secretary, she should know or be able to find out the answers for you. I have always found them to be quite helpful, the pre-assessment nurses often don't know much about the actual surgery.
Don't be afraid to push a bit, the more you deal with them, the more you learn that( as most of us have found out by experiance!)
Kate x

[Rayray]

Hi Carolan,

Welcome to the forum! The very best person to help is Janet who is 7 months post op. She is on holiday until around Saturday I think but I know she will help. She had the Open FAI surgery at Torbay with Mr Ashworth.

I was due to have mine at Torbay as well but a catalogue of mix ups and delays meant that I went to The Duchy in Cornwall. They have been really helpful and very informative. I had my surgery 4.5 weeks ago.

Immediately post op the procedures at The Duchy are different to Torbay and if you read Janet’s first post she has details about this. All I do remember is that when I came round I was in the middle of a very nice dream and was absolutely shocked to have found I had had surgery so it really wasn’t all that bad. My surgery lasted about three and a half hours although I had two surgeries as my sciatic nerve was trapped in some muscle fibres. I was in recovery for around an hour and a half/ two hours and then went back to the ward. I was wide awake but everyone reacts differently to anaesthetics.

On reaching home I have found I am quite restricted as you cannot bend, move your leg except to walk and do some toe and calf exercises and of course you are on two crutches which stops you doing lots of things. I have a follow up appointment in six weeks to check the bone is healed and so hopefully then I will be off the crutches. It is challenging but if you have a pc you can use over the bed to start, plenty of books, magazines, MP3 player etc with you can keep yourself entertained.

Pain is pretty bearable. They do lots to help with the pain in hospital and I have found that most of the pain I have had is either when I have moved my leg where I shouldn’t have or I have stayed in one position too long.

I have found I sleep better partially propped up due to back ache and so get lots of pillows ready for this. They really help with all sorts – propping your leg on, supporting an achy shoulder. We have also used a range of cushions to help aches and pains and to make me feel comfortable.

I know the biggest thing I was concerned with before surgery was pain and once it was under control it really has been okay – I’ve had more from my other hip than the operated one. The biggest thing I have had to fight is frustration at not being able to do much in the house and watching Hubbie run around trying to keep our business, the house and me together!

It is difficult if you haven’t seen a consultant. I thought Mr Ashworth was the only one who did the surgery at Torbay but obviously not. I don’t know if they have talked to you about recovery:

Six weeks egg shell weight bearing
Two to three weeks to wean off two crutches
Another Three to Four weeks to wean off one crutch.
Six months to pretty good recovery allowing you to do most sports
Eighteen months plus to peak recovery so that you are the bionic woman and ready for the 2012 Olympics!!!
Everyone is different though and so this is not set in stone in any way.

Have you signed the consent forms for the surgery which I thought Torbay insisted you did a week or so before the surgery with the Consultant – maybe this has changed?

Any more questions please ask.

[Carolan]

Thank you all so much, it's really reassuring talking to people who have been through similar things.

I haven't signed any consent forms. Do you think they will get me to do this on the day.

I'm not worried about using crutches - i've been on them since before Christmas anyway and have got quite good at getting around. One thing I am quite concerned about through, and I know it probably sounds strange, is waking up with a catheter. Have any of you had this ?

I've got an appointment next week for the 'torbay orthopedic rapid recovery programme' - do any of you know what this might entail ?

I suppose it is the waiting which is making everything seem worse. I think my timeline has been slightly better than some of you. Although I have had bad hips for quite a few years, my gp referred me to torbay in december (and I had my first appointment with Dr. Lofthouse late January) after i sneezed and got stuck and unable to straighten my hips out and I've been in constant pain since then.

I'm also assuming that i will need nighties rather than jammies and very loose fitting clothes so there's no rubbing / catching on the incision ?

Thanks to you all again.

Carolan xxx

[Spam1]

Carolan,

yes nighties are a must!! and either big pants that don't have their hem on your hip area or none at all ... loose fitting tracksuit bottoms are a must and loose tshirts to stay comfy in whilst i hospital, plus the usual musts of a dressing gown and slippers that have backs (physios wont let u use slip on ones incase you fall on them).

You will have a catheter, and that was also what I was a bit worried about, but to be honest, its so much easier than having to use a bedpan or getting up and its only for the first couple of days, its a godsend. I didn't even notice it was in, until they pulled it out, when it stings slightly but soon is fine.
xx

[Rayray]

Hi Carolan,

Rayray again. I know Janet had no catheter. I did but didn’t notice it at all and removal was a doddle and not embarrassing as the nurse just pulled it out from a couple of feet away after adjusting the valve on day two post op. I was really worried about it before hand and wouldn’t even ask about it as I thought if I had too much detail I would worry. It was easy and no problem but as I say Janet who had surgery at Torbay didn’t have one.

I think you should ring your surgeon’s secretary about consent. I was told by Mr Ashworth for major surgery at Torbay you had to consent to it in advance so that he could go through the risks and make sure you understand the surgery. It sounds to me like they have missed you out. Maybe I am wrong but I would check.