How long does a complete hip replacement surgery take and why do you have to 1st get the ok by a cardiologist?

I slipped on a wet tile floor in Oct. '07, had 3 pins put in my hip, and the surgeon told me on Feb. 14th that my hip had collapsed. Or should I say my femur, and I have to have a complete hip replacement. Before I can get this done, I have to be medically cleared for surgery and also cleared from a cardiologist. I am 52, rather young for this from what I have learned, and am quite nervous. My surgeon has the bed-side manner of a crocodile, lol, and told me to put a little weight bearing on my rt. hip back on Nov 19th. I wonder if that was too early. The really bad problem I have here is no insurance and I have to find a way to get help. I am working on it though. I just need to know what to expect during surgery. does anyone know? please help and give me any advice you can. I live in Florida and live near a teaching hospital called Shands, and I believe they might cover it. Still, what would you folks do? Thanx for any and all input.........Lauren

I found some great info for you on hip replacement, it looks like it will answer most of your questions.

http://www.sportsmednorth.com/hip/JointR...

In this document they state that only those with past Cardiac problems need to be OK'd. Do you have any history of heart problems? The biggest reason I would think that they require this is because of the circulatory component of this surgery, which is key for success. The other reason being that it is a long surgery and you need to be healthy enough to handle the Physical Therapy afterwards.

I also found a great site where a hip replacement patient details his whole experience at Shands Hospital in Florida. Can you believe it? He says his experience was great & he had Dr. Pete Gearen. Maybe, check into switching to this Orthopedic Surgeon?

Here's the story written by Ben Goldfarb, it sounds like he had a good experience:

http://www.mrbig.com/hip/hip-book/hip-to...

It sounds like this is something that you really need & at your age, I am sure much healthier than most. It would obviously add to your quality of life. I have had 2 relatives that have had great success with this operation. Go for it, you are too young to lose your mobility. Hope this info encourages you! Good luck!

It is typical for a patient to be cleared for surgery by her primary care doctor. This is what I had to do. They did a general physical, chest xray, EKG, some blood work, that's all I remember. No cardiologist saw me prior to surgery. Your medical history would probably help determine what pre-op tests you would need to have.

As for "young", they told me I was young when I had my hips replaced and I was 59!

And length of the surgery will vary of course depending on the complexity. 1.5 hours in the OR + recovery room time would be at the low end. I was awake and in my hospital room about 5 hours after entering the OR.

Don't worry about the bedside manner of your surgeon. They're used to dealing with patients who are asleep on an operating table. It's what they do while you're asleep that really counts the most. You aren't hiring them for their charm but rather for their skill.

Being nervous goes with the territory. I was scared too. But for me the results were amazing. I could barely walk and lived on NSAIDS for several years. After I had the first hip taken care of, I realized that having one good hip wasn't enough so 3 months later I asked to be scheduled to have the other replaced. My first surgery went fine but the second was even better. I recovered faster, walked without a cane earlier, had no swelling in the leg. I guess there's an advantage to having "been there, done that". Anyhow, now I can walk miles, have no limp, use no walking aids, and pretty much have my life back. I consider hip replacement a sort of miracle surgery in how it restores function and relieves pain in people who would otherwise end up in a wheelchair.
Good luck to you.