"Hip Replacement Mount Vernon Hospital Trinity Ward"

I had a full hip replacement in February 2014. The staff at Mount Vernon Hospital were excellent. I attended the Joint Clinic in advance of my operation and found it invaluable. You have clear expectations regarding the process and understand that you are the key contributor to your successful recovery. The operation is quite an experience. The spinal injection procedure is straightforward and you do not feel a thing from the waist down. I chose to be sedated but woke up mid way through the operation to the sound of an electric drill. The anaesthetist spoke to me and gave me additional sedation but not before I spent a few minutes listening to the doctors chatting and feeling banging movements and further grinding drill noises. It was strange sensing all this while feeling absolutely nothing at all. The physiotherapist turned up for my first session soon after my tubes were removed on day after my operation. She asked me to start with a walking frame but, after a few seconds, I asked her if I could use my crutches. She agreed, so I started walking by bringing my unoperated leg up level with the crutches for a few steps. I asked her if I could use the crutches normally and she said I could if I felt okay. I was immediately able to bring my unoperated leg forward in a normal walking step. I had none of my previous hip related pain. I was able to put weight on my new hip and walk freely with the crutches almost immediately. The most amazing difference I noticed during those first few steps was that my legs were the same length for the first time in years. I was put on OxyContin for the first couple of days. It is a strong opioid pain medication. It's probably best to warn your visitors that you're likely to drift off to sleep frequently on this stuff. It's great for pain relief but hopeless for conversation! You have to overcome a few hurdles prior to discharge. These include going to the toilet for a 1 and 2, being able to walk up and down stairs using the crutches and coming off OxyContin and going on Tramadol. I was on a mission to get out of hospital as quickly as possible and managed to get discharged on the third day after my operation. On reflection, my advice would be to stay an extra day if you feel you need it since there are no shortcuts when you get home. I was glad to get home and found that my condition improved on a daily basis. I had already bought a hill walking stick with a conventional handle before my operation and found that I used that as soon as I got home - I hardly used the crutches since I felt that it took too much weight off my operated leg. One thing you might experience is pain in your heel due to lying on your back all the time. A little cushion should relieve this. Another problem I experienced was an extremely itchy rash on my back, again due to lying on my back all the time. My Rapid Recovery Coach gave this a good cleansing rub down a few times which got me over the worst