I first posted (as Anonymous) on July 29, 2011, and I had the THR surgery in mid-August. Like you, my left leg -- on which hip pinning for a femoral neck fracture had failed -- became shorter and shorter than my right leg due to bone collapse/crushing.
My height has been restored, so I don't see why your surgeon can't do the same. You have a valid concern because, in my experience, balance worsens as one leg continues to become shorter and shorter than the other.
I know it's nearly impossible to think or concentrate when you're in intolerable pain, but perhaps you could seek the opinion of a few more surgeons before proceeding any further.
Maybe I'm incorrectly comprehending your post becaue I see no logical reason why you would need 2 surgeries. My surgeon restored the length of my leg with one THR procedure. I don't need another surgery unless this one fails, which it hasn't.
After the failure of the first surgery, I contacted both a local and a national orthopedic association about the surgeon. That seemed to motivate him to get his act together.
My femoral neck bone was broken in a fall from a ladder. My left leg grew shorter and shorter -- one surgeon said by 3 inches, another said by "only" 1 1/2 inches.
The shorter my leg got, the more falls and balance issues I had. Even my vision and depth-perception were affected. I fell in my home, in the grocery store, at the pharmacy, and on concrete and asphalt, sustaining severe wounds and bruises to my forehead, cheekbone, nose, knees, elbows, palms of my hands, and tearing my clothing.
The only time I felt balanced was with my golden retriever standing at my left side, her head, chest and front paws ahead of me, and me holding on to her collar. I don't know if it's the weight distribution as she positions herself with her "torso", for lack of another word, next to my hip/thigh that supports and balances me or if it's her strength. But she has helped me many times to get up and when I become dizzy, she comes to my side to help me get to a chair. Conveniently enough, she loves to retrieve, and has picked up a slew of things I've dropped, from the phone and pencils to water bottles and clothing.
You're right about this procedure being life-changing. I wish my surgeon would not have minimized the impact the procedure would have on my life. One surgeon I consulted intended to do the procedure on an out-patient basis.
I still have post-surgery pain, but it's not as excruciating as the pain I experienced after the failure of the first procedure. Like you, I reached a point at which I could barely walk and resorted to using the walker I was provided after the failed procedure.
In addition to the post-surgery pain, I apparently have a complication called "end-of-stem" pain, which feels like a flaming sharp metal rod suddenly jammed into my middle thigh. It happens suddenly while I'm walking, even from my kitchen to the living room. The pain is severe, but it doesn't last long. When I get it, I know I just have to stop moving and sit down.
The surgeon said there's no way to know who will experience this complication and that it should resolve itself within a year. Other surgeons say 18-24 months. Apparently, there's no surgical or medical treatment for it.
The pain I now have is worse than the pain I had after breaking my femoral neck bone and undergoing the first procedure. I've heard over the years from people who have had all types of surgery that there is still pain, just a different pain. I would agree with that. I wish I would have never gone to the E.R. and just been able, somehow, to lay in bed until my femoral neck bone healed on its own. From what I've read, that is possible.
My golden, not a "therapy" dog, continues to assist me, and we are now working with a trainer so my girl can be certified. I am so thankful to have her. Just 2 days ago, we were in the back yard together and while walking I suddenly got dizzy and braced myself with a hand on the side of the house. She came to my side so that I could grab her collar and she led me into the house. I adopted her in 2007 from a local rescue group and every day she continues to amaze and astound me with her antics -- to make me laugh -- and her intellect.
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To scubadiver,
I first posted (as Anonymous) on July 29, 2011, and I had the THR surgery in mid-August. Like you, my left leg -- on which hip pinning for a femoral neck fracture had failed -- became shorter and shorter than my right leg due to bone collapse/crushing.
My height has been restored, so I don't see why your surgeon can't do the same. You have a valid concern because, in my experience, balance worsens as one leg continues to become shorter and shorter than the other.
I know it's nearly impossible to think or concentrate when you're in intolerable pain, but perhaps you could seek the opinion of a few more surgeons before proceeding any further.
Maybe I'm incorrectly comprehending your post becaue I see no logical reason why you would need 2 surgeries. My surgeon restored the length of my leg with one THR procedure. I don't need another surgery unless this one fails, which it hasn't.
After the failure of the first surgery, I contacted both a local and a national orthopedic association about the surgeon. That seemed to motivate him to get his act together.
My femoral neck bone was broken in a fall from a ladder. My left leg grew shorter and shorter -- one surgeon said by 3 inches, another said by "only" 1 1/2 inches.
The shorter my leg got, the more falls and balance issues I had. Even my vision and depth-perception were affected. I fell in my home, in the grocery store, at the pharmacy, and on concrete and asphalt, sustaining severe wounds and bruises to my forehead, cheekbone, nose, knees, elbows, palms of my hands, and tearing my clothing.
The only time I felt balanced was with my golden retriever standing at my left side, her head, chest and front paws ahead of me, and me holding on to her collar. I don't know if it's the weight distribution as she positions herself with her "torso", for lack of another word, next to my hip/thigh that supports and balances me or if it's her strength. But she has helped me many times to get up and when I become dizzy, she comes to my side to help me get to a chair. Conveniently enough, she loves to retrieve, and has picked up a slew of things I've dropped, from the phone and pencils to water bottles and clothing.
You're right about this procedure being life-changing. I wish my surgeon would not have minimized the impact the procedure would have on my life. One surgeon I consulted intended to do the procedure on an out-patient basis.
I still have post-surgery pain, but it's not as excruciating as the pain I experienced after the failure of the first procedure. Like you, I reached a point at which I could barely walk and resorted to using the walker I was provided after the failed procedure.
In addition to the post-surgery pain, I apparently have a complication called "end-of-stem" pain, which feels like a flaming sharp metal rod suddenly jammed into my middle thigh. It happens suddenly while I'm walking, even from my kitchen to the living room. The pain is severe, but it doesn't last long. When I get it, I know I just have to stop moving and sit down.
The surgeon said there's no way to know who will experience this complication and that it should resolve itself within a year. Other surgeons say 18-24 months. Apparently, there's no surgical or medical treatment for it.
The pain I now have is worse than the pain I had after breaking my femoral neck bone and undergoing the first procedure. I've heard over the years from people who have had all types of surgery that there is still pain, just a different pain. I would agree with that. I wish I would have never gone to the E.R. and just been able, somehow, to lay in bed until my femoral neck bone healed on its own. From what I've read, that is possible.
My golden, not a "therapy" dog, continues to assist me, and we are now working with a trainer so my girl can be certified. I am so thankful to have her. Just 2 days ago, we were in the back yard together and while walking I suddenly got dizzy and braced myself with a hand on the side of the house. She came to my side so that I could grab her collar and she led me into the house. I adopted her in 2007 from a local rescue group and every day she continues to amaze and astound me with her antics -- to make me laugh -- and her intellect.
December 28, 2011 - 3:53pmThis Comment
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