Hate to ask...question re: hip replacement.

[Bulldog9]

Hate to ask this question, but who here has experience with hip replacement and how has it impacted your riding?

Feel freel to PM response.

[groundhog105]

  I have a friend with knee replacement and he rides all the time.  He rides a BMW GS and. Ducati Panigale.  It took some work to get the range of motion.  I think hips, from what I’ve heard are even better for recovery.

[oldbike54]

 I edited the title to include some more info .

 guzzi4me will be along shortly .

 Dusty

[Yukonica]

I'm a recent recipient as of last December. Put 12,000 km on the V7 this summer.
Previous summer, before surgery, I couldn't last 150 km in a day without significant pain.
This year I had no problem riding 300 km then taking an hour off saddle before riding the second half of the day.
Do all the physio you can before surgery and then do even more afterward.
Next summer I expect to be back to 1000km days.
Good luck.

[kingoffleece]

Ugh.  I'm looking at a new knee, or two.  We are old, aren't we.  SHITE!

[frozengoose]

Well the first one sucked, but the second, not so much cause I knew what to expect. Find a surgeon who's done a lot, cause you don't want to be part of his learning experience. It's way better now and I'm glad I did it. Had insurance, so it paid the bill. So if you feel you need it, go for it, cause it don't get any better the longer you wait. I know, cause I waited, but now I'm good to go.

[SIR REAL ED]

Good to know that even old farts use the internet to share information.

I'll be going in for a hip replacement myself in a few weeks.  I know 6-8 people who have had it done.  They all say it is not a big deal.

[Rick in WNY]

My dad at 76 is on his second set of replacement knees. First set was supposed to be good for 10 years, he got 15 out of them. Second set, due to advances, was supposed to be good for 20 years, he's had them in for 5 now. Docs said if he wears these ones out, his bones are good enough for at least one more set... the technology has come an awful long way in the past 20 years.

That said, there is a "dark side" to all implants. The area where they join the metal to your bone becomes a collection point for bacteria and other nastiness, so a bad systemic infection (dad got a wicked bad staph infection 3 years ago, a complication of him being diabetic and having poor circulation in his legs leading to some diabetic sores, but anywho....) will collect in those areas. The end result is you may beat the infection out of the rest of your body, but those pockets will hold onto it and it takes a lot longer to clear it up. The old man was on antibiotics for about four months before he was completely clear, even though the sores on his legs were gone in a month. The good news is, docs are becoming more aware of this, so it's less of a problem now than it used to be.

Got a brother in law who at 50 found his left hip was grinding itself to oblivion. He took a trip to NYC because the bone cutters around here said he was too young for a replacement. He spent three days in NYC, the day before, the day of, and the day after his surgery.  OK, it was a long 5 hour car ride home for him, but the docs did an amazing job. He walked out of the hospital in NYC. Recovery was quick, and today, you'd never know he has a titanium and ceramic hip. The big takeway there is shop around, find the best doc you can, rather than whoever is close by, because how the job is done, good or bad, it will be a life altering event. Choose wisely...

[SIR REAL ED]

Thanks Rick.  Rochester native here who escaped to VA 32 years ago!

What you said is all true.  My surgeon who has a great reputation says that in lag tests, the hips should last 600 (no typo) years.  In reality, in the human body, you should expect 20-25 years.

Out patient surgery is the norm, one friend went in at 5 am, and was headed home by noon.

[insignia100]

Although I don't know anyone who has had a hip replacement and rides a motorcycle, I will offer up one bit of advice. Be religious about your physical therapy! Follow everything to a T. Don't be one of those guys that thinks they don't need the PT -- if you neglect your PT, you'll be worse off than before the surgery.

[rocker59]

My passenger has had double hip replacement.  She has ridden probably 20,000 miles on my V11 LeMans and Sport 1100 as a passenger. 

Prior to her hip replacements, she just about couldn't walk, much less sit like a jockey on the pillion of a sportsbike.

[guzzi4me]

Greetings!

I had my right hip replaced in January 2018. It got to the point where I had terrible shooting pain in my leg, could hardly walk let alone ride.

Thanks to the board I reached out like you for opinions...not that I had any option but surgery at that point! Was assured that it was no big deal, I would wonder why I didn't get it done sooner, riding would not be affected, etc.

The board was right!!!!

Went in for surgery at 5 am. Woke up in recovery and my pain was gone!! They had me up and walking, with the aid of a walker of course, and was home by 4 pm.

Had a physical therapist come by once a week for 3 weeks which did help. As stated by insigna100 do the exercises. It does help with recovery.

I was told to stay off the bike for 3 months. Took a little ride around town after 2.5 months (just couldn't stand it anymore!!) and all was fine.

There are 2 types of procedures. One is Anterior I believe and the  other one is posterior I think.   The one I had is the newer procedure which  goes through the front of the hip. If your Doctor can do it this way and you are a candidate for it I would suggest it. Do some research on both methods. Lots of info out there.

No impact on riding at all, other than I can now ride! In fact just the other day one of my friends asked how the hip was doing and realized I hadn't thought about the surgery for months! Sometimes I even have to think about what side was done!!

My Doctor says that I will have to have the other side done in the future. When it starts hurting I am NOT going to wait long to get it done.

If you want to talk PM me a message and  I can give you my number.

Really it is a no brainer. Get it done and get back out there riding!!!

Jeff

[Ncdan]

My wife had a hip replacement when she was 23 and is now 51 on the same replacement with 0 issues. She was on her feet the next day and a horse two weeks later. We have ridden 10s of thousands miles o er the last 25 years and the hip replacement has never been an issue. With the replacement of her era she has a 70% percent closing ratio however now I think the newer designs allow much more ability to bend. Hope this helps.

[poorBob]

I had my right hip replaced about 5 years ago. I had been limping pretty much my whole life and now wish i had done it sooner. As others have said, don't be a guinea pig - get it done by an experienced surgeon, follow directions and it should be fine. Surgeon told me 47 minutes to get the old part out and new part in, 2 hours after surgery nurses came to my hospital room and told me to get up. I did and walked around the room with a walker. They sent me home next day - no stitches - they glued mine shut. I obeyed instructions to the letter and 21 days later, was going up and down the stairs in my house slowly. Was riding not long after that - can't remember how much longer but it wasn't long. I have a couple of 900+ mile days since the surgery and can ride any of my bikes without discomfort.

The surgeon who did my hip is an Italian guy who used to race Ducatis back in Italy. He was enthusiastic when I told him I had a Moto Guzzi. Part of the pre-surgery instructions included using a felt pen to write the surgeons initials on the correct butt cheek. I had my wife write "Use only genuine Moto Guzzi replacement parts" on the correct cheek. Surgeon told me later he got a laugh out of it and called others over to see. "Hey come here and look at this!" It helps to maintain a sense of humor.

[Bulldog9]

All, thanks for the feedback, good information and comments. I appreciate it. I have my next consult in a couple weeks, and will see where things go.

poorBob, I appreciate the humor... I have had 4 open knee surgeries and 5-6 arthroscopy (all on right knee and same side as bad hip) I always write yes and no on my knees for which is the correct one for surgery.... lol.

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

I have not had a hip replaced, but I fell in a MTB accident in 2000 and punched the head of my femur thru the back of my hip socket and had to get the entire pelvis pieced and wired/screwed back together.  I don't know if it's a testament to a young body or medical tech, but I have had ZERo issues with it since. about the only time it is sore might be during a 12+ hour car ride.  Moto doesnt seem to affect it, and I have a very physical job where I stand, squat, lift, walk, carry, and stoop for 10hrs a day...

[kirb]

My riding was starting to get impacted before my first replacement...after was great.
My second was done sooner than my first, no impact to riding.

I shot a 2-day rifle match in TX (drove from MI) this year 6 weeks after the 2nd replacement.

You can do this, it's not hard.

[garbln]

After the initial recovery I had no problem riding.  I had my right hip replaced so it was about 10 Months before I was comfotable kick starting any of my old bikes.  The CT90 was the first i could do the 64 BSA and 73 Triumph were next, finally after a year I could do the 56 Harley.  The rest of my bikes have electric starters so I was OK.

[Twinboy]

I have read with great interest the postings on hip replacement. I just had my right hip replaced 2 weeks ago! I guess too many years of kick starting Velocettes, Nortons and Husky 430s! I am transitioning from the walker to the cane currently and proceeding slowly. We missed the first Barbers Festival this year as we have been to all since they first had the Superbike races initially! I hope to be riding by Christmas. I was having a lot of pain before the surgery which was gone immediately after the procedure. Now is just bone knitting and strength recovery. The titanium socket they installed should last me through my riding years to come!

[wolfeguitars]

I used to be Hip...…….now I need one...

[guzzi4me]

I used to be Hip...…….now I need one...

That's funny!!!

But so true...

[265coupe]

I had bi-lateral, both at the same time, 7 years ago. Before I couldn't swing a leg over a bike and the pain was pretty bad all the time.
I'd ridden for 40 years before and was worried my riding days were over.
Afterwards it was a quick recovery with no complications.
My range of movement is like it was when I was 20!

I laughed about the kickstarting. I kicked Bultacos for years and thought I'd worn it out from that. But that was only on the RHS anyway

My doctor laughed as well. Said it was just bone spurs. That a dickhead doctor hadn't picked up much earlier unfortunately.

[nighthawk]

Had my left done July 19th. Before that was  several months walking w/a forearm crutch and barely making it to the mailbox. I'm back to riding now and hope to make a short trip Saturday. Stamina isn't what it was but I'm working on that and at 71 maybe I'm expecting too much. Glad to be back among the living for sure and have a new respect for the handicapped out there.

[Muzz]

Right hip done about 3 years ago. It collapsed over about 4 months.  The cartilage came off in flakes due to meds for something else. Intense pain as my job involved climbing ladders.

Woke up from op and PAIN GONE!!!!!!!

Never looked back.  Absolutely now problem on the the bike at all.  My partially detached left hammy gives me more grief, probably because I am sitting on top of the tear.

[mechanicsavant]

Yup I’m bionic too 2knees & a hip . Plenty of good advice here . Get the best sawbones you can . And P T is huge .
My only bitch is no zerk fitting !

[Bulldog9]

I really appreciate all the positive feedback and information. I still have some consternation over having part of me hacked out and artificial pieces put in, but I want to be mobile and enjoy life as much as possible.

Based on my doctor's appointment yesterday, there has to be some serious planning because I also need my knee replaced on the same leg. The doctors need to do some evaluation to decide which should be done first.... There's some concern that much of the problems in my hip are because of my compromised knee, having had four open knee surgeries over the last 20 years. I have an appointment with the totsl joint replacement people at Walter Reed next week. This is going to be interesting...

as my doctor put it, it's better to have these done before I retire from the Army because a fight with the VA over not service-related issues can be a nightmare once you get out. If all goes according to plan I'll have my hip knee and back squared away before I retire, will be all recovered and can step literally... Into retirement as healthy as possible. I've Been sucking it up for the last 10 years so I could stay with soldiers.

[Bulldog9]

Just finished re-reading this thread and want to say again thanks for all the encouraging words.

I have my preoperative appointment and class on January 7th and I'm scheduled for surgery the first or second week of March.

Plan is to do the hip in March and then knee in December if hip recovery goes well.

Hope to be riding by mid July and get the back half of the summer and fall in, then knee in early December, hopefully recover by the following summer.
I'll probably reach out to one or two of you by p.m. to talk about recovery times etc.

[oldbike54]

 So you became a part of the new breed
 Been smokin' only the best weed

 Sorry , couldn't help it 

 Dusty

[john fish]

Good to hear the positive reports.  I do have a question for all of you.  How much did your hip replacement cost you?

[SIR REAL ED]

Good to hear the positive reports.  I do have a question for all of you.  How much did your hip replacement cost you?

hey John, I'm not sure what the total cost was, but for me, after insurance it was about $4,000.

I thought I posted a post surgery update here, but I don't see it.  Now I realize it was in another thread, here it is:

11/19/2019 - Got my right hip replaced today.  Piece of cake so far.

Arrived at 6:30, went in for prep at 6:45, went in to surgery at 7:30, at 9:05 the surgeon came out and told me wife everything went great, I woke up at 10:30, arrived back home at 11:30.  So far virtually no pain at all, but my right thigh feels like I did a bit too much physical labor.

Anyone who gets this done, spend the $140 for the polar cube!  Well worth it.  Otherwise as a buddy says "That's why stupid is supposed to hurt!"

11/23/2019 - Advice from a buddy who had this done.  Going upstairs lead with your non-surgical leg, going downstairs lead with your surgical leg.  Just like going to heaven or hell, good leg lead up, bad leg lead down.  4 days after surgery, there is so little pain, I'm standing at the top of the stairs and thinking "Hmm.... which hip was operated on again?  Oh yeah, the right one."  Good sign.

12/4/2019 - Post operative appointment with surgeon.  Everything is great.  Excellent range of motion.  Doctor says let mild discomfort be your guide not pain.  Wise advise since there has been so little pain, I never took any of the pain meds they prescribed and I would be going WFO other than the fact that I don't want to screw this up!  For strength training, for the next few weeks, he recommends 4 sets of 15 reps each so there is no danger of overload or loss of control due to too much weight.

12/13/19 - Went to a yoga class yesterday.  Biggest difference between before and after surgery, my right hip is now stable.  Next appointment with therapist is 12/18/2019.

I am only one datapoint, but based on friends who have had this done, my experience is typical.  Note this was anterior not posterior surgery.  Posterior involves cutting more muscle and has much more post op caveats.

If you need a hip replacement, don't dred it.  Do your homework and get a surgeon who has a good reputation.