surgery # 5

After years of problems with my right hip, I had an MRI last summer that showed a torn "labrum". The labrum of the hip is the fibrous cartilage (similar to the meniscus in the knee) that runs around the bony rim of the acetablum (the hip socket). The labrum deepens the socket adding stability to the hip joint as well as cushioning the joint itself.

So this morning I had arthroscopic hip surgery...the doctor performed a labrectomy, not to be confused with lobotomy. The goal was to go to into my hip with a few scopes and repair the labrum and check for any other associated issues. Before the surgery, I asked my doctor when I'd be able to ride my bike again...he said "you can ride it tomorrow if you feel up to it"...I was so relieved (and surprised) to hear that. He said I'd be able to walk without crutches when I left the hospital--another huge relief since crutches are such a pain in the ass.

I was in surgery for about 45 minutes probably, then recovery for twice as long. My doctor came to chat with me when I was in recovery, but I was still out of it...so he want to talk to my parents and Pete first. He informed them that he had repaired the tear, but that he had also found that my femur doesn't fit into my hip socket properly, so the bone is essentially rubbing my hip the wrong way (and that is probably how I got the tear)...he said I have signs of early arthritis. So he did a procedure to help re-shape my femur to try to keep it from rubbing my hip. Re-shaping the bone makes it weak (and susceptible to breaking), and it needs time to heal without any pressure. Which is why the doc then told my parents and Pete that I will need to be on crutches for 4 weeks, and the full recovery will take 3 months...they knew I was going to be disappointed (and none of them wanted to tell me!).


(picture is the labrum tear)

Needless to say, I'm disappointed--but I know it's for the best. Hopefully this prevents a total hip replacement later in life. But the "re-shaping the bone" procedure is new--it's only been around for about 1.5 yrs, so there is not good data yet regarding how long the effects will last. And the other scary part is that the doctor said it's possible that the same thing could happen to my other hip. Oh joy.

So I'm sulking a bit today. I hate crutches, I'm not a big fan of pain meds in general (although I'm not in much pain), and daytime TV sucks. But I look forward to trying out my improved hip soon. And the doctor said I can ride my bike on the trainer 5 days from now (but I hate the trainer too). Other than that, I feel pretty good and I'm looking forward to stuffing myself tomorrow!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Sarah