Anyone with post-op success story for labrum tear/HA surgery?

[Jill]

Can some one talk about post-operative success and lifestyle changes following labrum tear/impingement, say after 1.5 years or longer? For example, did the surgery correct the problems and pain? Was the surgery worth the risk? Post-op do you have groin pain or is sitting difficult? Moreover, if given the option, would you do it all over again or avoid the surgery?

I am schedule for surgery and I am debating whether to go through with this. I am scared it may make things worse. Any opinions? I would greatly appreciate your input!

[injuryupdate]

Perhaps not what you were looking for, but Geelong AFL player Steve Johnson had a good game on the weekend 2.5 weeks after hip arthroscopy! Will play in the AFL Grand Final this week, but this gets him only to 3.5 week follow-up!

[Vixen]

Quite right about Johnson, a few things though >

1. You cannot measure yourself against an elite sportsman who has a chance to play in a grand final, they will risk everything/lie about the pain/take any drugs needed to play.

2. Good chance he did not have major damage pre op.

3. Good chance he may have further problems at season end and going forward.

4. Footballers in particular are willing to accept long term damage to play on, many pay a big price in later life.

[la_bailarina]

For the most part, I'd consider myself a success story.

I'm a year out from a scope for labral debridement/impingement fix on my left hip, two years out from the same on the right, and three and a half out from another labral debridement on the right. It's probably important to note that I'm not your standard "hip case"--I was first injured when I was 17, at which point I was dancing close to 40 hours a week and preparing for a professional career. I landed wrong from a leap and torqued my right leg, at which point I felt a sharp release in my hip which was the labrum tearing. Within about two months of the injury, I was diagnosed and had surgery booked a month later. I returned to dance six weeks following. I had continued pain which I later learned was impingement that was further tearing the labrum in my right hip--had surgery, was recovering well but it was bilateral and I needed the left treated as well. So I had three hip scopes between the ages of 17 and 20.

At this point, I'm back dancing a modest 20 hours a week. The 40 hours I had been doing just isn't safe--hip problems or not. I'm now a junior in college and will be graduating with a BA in dance performance, at which point I'm hopeful that I will be able to find a career. My hips are being closely monitored and, at this point, I have no further joint damage. The biggest problem I have is chronic psoas problems in my right hip. We're not sure if these are due to the fact that it was scoped twice or that my psoas was pulled pretty badly when I was first injured--either seems like a logical cause. It flares up from time to time but isn't enough to really sideline me.

At this point, I can't say that I would put myself through surgery again. The recovery is too taxing for me--if I were to do it, it'd be so that I could continue pursuing dance and, after putting myself through it three times, I couldn't do it again. But, if I were starting this process over from the start, knowing what I know now, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. It's kept me dancing and really let me continue on with my life as I knew it.

Good luck! It's a tough and trying process.

[oscarsmum]

LB,

Thats great to hear you are doing so well now. Hope it continues and you are able to keep dancing.

Jill,
I haven't had FAI but I had a scope for dysplasia then a PAO to reconstruct my hip socket. I would weigh up the pros and cons to having the surgery based on how it is affecting your life now. If you are in so much pain that you are unable to function on a daily basis or alternatively it stops you doing the things you love, then its probably worth the risk, if you are only expeciencing mild symptoms that you are happy to live with then maybe not. Its a very personal choice that really only you, with the advice of your OS can decide. This probably doesn't help much, but whenever I have scheduled surgery there has never been any doubt in my mind, in fact I was always in so much pain that I was counting the days until surgery.
Hope this helps
Kate

[dreamwalker]

I had a labrum tear fixed in my left hip about three years ago, and the result has been fantastic. I still have to be careful because I have mild dysplasia, but I am absolutely glad I had the surgery. I am currently recovering from repair to the labrum in my right hip, and it's too early to tell about that. The dysplasia is a little worse in that hip, but I hope that having the cartilage fixed will eventually let the muscles get strong enough to compensate for the dysplasia.