Hip replacement operations?

For years my mum has suffered with her hips but refused to go to the doctor as she didnt like to 'wastre their time'. She's barely able to walk now so after nagging her for years, she finally took my advice and went. She had an x-ray and they found she has severe arthritis in her right hip, and bad arthritis in her left hip and both knees. The dr has put her on a waiting list for a hip operation in her right leg. Any idea how long the waiting list is likely to be? I'm annoyed she didn't go years ago as she's have had the op by now.

They no longer do the op in the hospital close to me so it is about 2 hours for me to travel to the hospital to visit her. Any idea how long she is likely to be in for?

Finally, is there anything she can eat/not eat to help relieve her in the meantime?

Thanks

glad she has finally gone to get her self sorted out ...i am a nurse on an orthopaedic ward and deal with hip and knee operations,to your first question i cant give a correct answer because all waiting lists are different but normally about 3-6 month after first consultation with consultant,to your 2nd question it depends on the person how they react to physio etc on our ward we have them out of bed the day after op and physio begings....they usually go home between 3-7 days and for your last question nothing in particular just try keep her weight down extra weight puts pressure on hip,also its better not to be carrying too much weight for anaesthetic ...hope this helps and wish your mum well .....casha

thanks hun, hope everything goes well for your mum and she gets a new lease on life,and she dosent have too long to wait..casha Report It

In the UK the max waiting list time for a hip replacement is 20 weeks going down to 18 in a couple of months

She will probably be in for about a week

As for eating there isn't much really though I have heard Devils Claw or wearing copper band can help relieve some symptoms

Hello. The waiting lists vary from county to county so it is worth phoning your local hospital and asking them what the waiting time is for such operations.
My father was on a waiting list for this and when he went to see his family doctor he told him that this operation was also available free in the private health care, its paid for by the NHS. He had his operation within 1 month of the doctor putting him in the private sector. I do not know what area you are from but it is worth asking your family gp. At the time my father was getting no sleep and could barely walk. It was lucky for him that he has such an understanding doctor.
I cannot think of anything that eases this pain, I know from what my father went through it was very difficult to get respite from it. He just took painkillers and tried to walk as much as he was able. He also tried physio and chiropracty, but they only eased the pain for short times.
You are not usually in hospital for very long, my father was only in for 5 days. But this will differ from patient to patient. Only the consultant can tell you that.
I have put a link below for you to look at. It does have some information about Hip Replacement.
I hope this helps.
Maggie

Well if she is going to have a hip operation there should not be a waiting list, it usually depends on the doctors schedule. But with total joint replacements its a very big operation and she is going to need medical / cardiac clearance and probably donate blood (if she would want). To get all of the clearance might take a couple of weeks and to donate blood will probably take up to 4 weeks. That may be what she's waiting on.
As far as eating goes - that is not going to matter much. If she is hurting she can take an anti-inflammatory (Aleve or Advil) this will help reduce her pain and exercise is the best thing for arthritis... also she can apply ice for 20-30 minutes at a time and do that every 4 hours or so and that might help.
When she goes in to the hospital she may end up staying for up to 3-4 days. They usually try to make sure patients are able to get around before they leave.
Good luck!

No way to tell how long it will take to wait. Her doctor or the hospital should be able to give you an approximate time frame for your waiting and how long she will be an inpatient, the joint is artificial its not a donor thing.
My Aunt had it done, I am not sure how long her therapy was, but she is allot happier and able to get around now.
They should have given her a mild pain medication if she is really having a hard time with it.

I'm guessing you're in the UK (the giveaway was "mum"). I have no idea what waiting lists are like there - I can't imagine having to wait longer than a few months when one is in pain. I am in the US and there was no waiting list as such but I scheduled my surgery about 3 months in advance. I needed that time to wrap my brain around the very idea of having my hip replaced. Also I had to do things such as prepare my home for my homecoming, donate blood for myself, get pre-op physical & labs done, etc.
The length of the hospital stay can vary some - in the US they don't keep you any longer than they have to. My stay was 4 days and I went directly home where I had home visits by a nurse and a PT for 2 weeks. Some patients go home earlier or later than that. Still others go to a rehab center. It all depends on the patient and her needs. I got along fine going directly home from the hospital.
In the meantime, to relieve her discomfort and if she hasn't done these things already, she could ask for some kind of pain meds & start using a cane or crutches or a walker (or if she is real bad, a wheelchair?). I was asked to do whatever I could manage of my post-op exercises for a month pre-op. I could do at least some of them. Any exercise that she can get will help in the recovery. I don't know that diet will make an appreciable difference. Go for the exercise, pain meds, and walking aids.
Good luck to your mother.