Hip Replacement Full Recovery Time

[Finn16]

I am 65 years old and in good shape. I've been experiencing on and off severe hip pain for the past couple of months. It bothered me some last fall but nothing like now. Some days it's not too bad and other days it is downright painful - in both the hip and groin - it is also affecting my sleep. I made an appointment with a surgeon but he doesn't have an evaluation opening until the third week of April. So my head is swimming with, what hunts do I apply for this year or do I scale it back? If I need a replacement, do I try to buy some time and get a cortisone shot to hold me over until after hunting season or is there still time to get it done? I've done some research and talked to one person I know that had it done and the recovery times are all over the map. So, you guys with experience with this, what is the latest you'd recommend getting a replacement done so that you could hunt hard by October 1 - assuming the surgery goes well and I do my part. Thanks in advance for the info.

 

[Lukem]

Not my experience here, but my father's. He had his hip replaced in Feb 2007 at age 55. Was told he'd be on crutches for 2 months min and a cane for likely 6 months. He put the crutches down after 28 days and was a full go in under 3 months. He's also a freak. He had his knee replaced last Wednesday. Hasn't used any assistance walking (cane/crutches/walker) since Friday and is no longer taking any pain meds.

I would put him on the extreme end of unreasonable expectations for recovery. Everyone's situation is different and their body reacts in their own way. October is basically 5 months post surgery. While I'm no expert (who am I kidding, I don't know anything here) you could probably hunt, but I wouldn't count on hunting "hard".

 

[Ross]

Good luck Finn keep us posted

 

[Wildwapiti]

I had my left hip replaced about 8 years ago, at 53. It was totally shot, not from a single serious injury, but from living life to its’ fullest. At the time i looked for an ortho that could perform the replacement using a fairly new method of anterior versus the older established posterior. The new method is said to have shorter recovery times. Unfortunately, he told me that the hip was destroyed and that he would not perform the surgery using the anterior method, he needed more opening and working space due to the condition of the hip. I took his advice and went forward, with the posterior method. Underwent surgery the day before Thanksgiving. I return to an office job using a walker that following Monday. I used a walker for a week, a cane for the 2nd week, and then on my own. I started climbing 6 flights of stairs in the office during the 2nd week. My recovery was fast, I pushed hard, went back to the gym very early. It did take about two to three months before I was able to comfortably throw my leg over the saddle of my Harley. Good Luck.

 

[Bloodsoakedberber]

My dad is 63 and had a hip replacement in July. The cartilage was completely gone and he'd worn down the head of his humerus. He'd been dealing with it for several years until the discomfort started to affect his sleep. We're not climbing mountains here in WV but he's been out scouting with me a few times since December without any issues. He recovered a lot faster than I expected him to but you're definitely going to want to do it before July - how much sooner I'm not exactly sure. He'd tell you about his experience if you wanted to give him a call.

 

[Stillkickin]

I had my hip replaced in 2018 at 60. My issue had been going on for 15 years and really painful for the last two years. but I toughed it out as I had other issues that were more important and I couldn’t be laid up. My hip similar to the other posters there wasn’t anything left to repair so it was major reconstructive surgery and i had to keep it weight free for five weeks and then it took about three months before I was walking ok , a year before I felt Like I was at 100%.

The moral of the story is to not wait like I did and follow your ortho doctors orders to a T and you’ll be hunting fine by October.

 

[Finn16]

Thanks guys for all the info - much appreciated!

 

[kevinlindgrenMD]

Thanks guys for all the info - much appreciated!

Hope everything went well with your surgery. I tell my patients that they could be sitting in a stand within weeks, but hiking the hills could easily take 6-12 weeks or more. Fatigue is the thing that many people may notice even for several months. It can take a year to get all of your strength and endurance back. Check out other frequently asked questions to help you through your course. https://kevinlindgrenmd.com/faqs

 

[Pony Soldier]

I 'm a bit unusual but I have had total replacement of both hips. No problems with either. I was walking with a walker that evening. Bed exersizes and a walker for the first week. The second week was taking the walker for a walk. After that it was 6 weeks of walking every day with a cane and needing less each day. Nothing ever hurt but at about 3.5 weeks I hiked up a hill and had to back off for a couple days as I had pushed too far.

At eight weeks elk season started and I was on a horse for 6-7 hours a day. Never had a problem. I was back to full strength at about 12 weeks but the endurance took another 6 months.

The first hip was at 65 and the second was at 68. I haven't had any hip or leg pain since the surgery.

Recommendations? Pick your surgeon carefully. Follow the exercises they provide but do just a little more. Get in your best shape possible going into it. Walk a little more everyday. I started at a couple hundred feet then to a couple hundred yards then to a mile. After that it was a couple three miles a day. Listen to your body. Walk everywhere you can.

Lot's of luck.

 

[Finn16]

Hope everything went well with your surgery. I tell my patients that they could be sitting in a stand within weeks, but hiking the hills could easily take 6-12 weeks or more. Fatigue is the thing that many people may notice even for several months. It can take a year to get all of your strength and endurance back. Check out other frequently asked questions to help you through your course. https://kevinlindgrenmd.com/faqs

I cancelled out of the operation 5 days before it was to happen. It a very long story and still not resolved. If you don't mind, I would like to send you a PM.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I have no experience with joint replacement but I was just reading the rampages books and the author talks about having both of his shoulders replaced. He waited until after hunting season so he wouldn’t miss any hunts.

 

[KMSbuck]

Just saw this thread. I had my right hip replaced in Oct 2020 at age of 47. I was born with dysplasia and didn’t know it until a couple years before the surgery, but that’s what caused the hip to wear out prematurely. I was at the point where I struggled to walk 200 yards at a time. Hunting had become basically impossible.

I had the posterior version of the surgery. 2 weeks on a walker, one week on a cane, nothing after that. Hunted whitetails exactly 30 days after surgery and got a doe and was able to drag it a quarter mile. 3 months after surgery I felt almost back to normal. 6 months after surgery I was walking 5 miles up and down hills while turkey hunting with no issues. Today I feel great, no pain, and strength and endurance have returned. It was a real life changing surgery for me and I wish everyone contemplating it the same outcome.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

I was 48 and now 2-years post right hip surgery. I was 95% within 6 months and have stayed about 95% since. I have some residual front flexor pain that just hasn't resolved, so i guess that's my new norm. I can run but don't so i preserve the life of that joint work. I ski all winter and bike in summer.

 

[Crotalus]

Late to this thread as well. Similar to KMSbuck, I was born with displaysia and wore both hips out early. When I was 46 I didn’t have pain one day and had pain the next day when I went bone on bone. Absolute shock to be sitting in Orthpedic office being told I needed total hip replacement and they could schedule me in the next two weeks. That seemed a bit rushed for me.

went for a second opinion with doc that was on salary not paid per surgery. we ended up delaying surgery, my biggest issue was mobility rather than pain. Thought it was my fat belly thet kept me from bending over easily and poor coordination that caused me to trip and fall in the woods often. yeah the belly I didn’t help but a lot of my problems were related to mobilty with occasional pain spikes.

In the fall of 2019 I fell 4 times helping my son track a buck. Decided it was time and I had both replaced in 2020 at age 50, one in January, the second in June. Both anterior, was on walker for a week, cane for a couple weeks and back to normal in a couple months.

I‘m not a western hunter but I hunted whitetail all fall and drug the buck in my profile pic a mile out of the woods in Nov 2020.