Differences of Post-Revision Surgery Rehab From That Following the Original Hip Replacement
Wednesday, December 15th, 2010Orthopedic surgeries are different from other major surgeries, especially since they typically do not touch any internal organs, making them less risky compared to most operations. However, since they deal with the repair of bones or joints, parts of the musculoskeletal system might be affected at a certain degree. For instance, during a typical hip replacement surgery, a metal prosthetic implant is fixed into the damaged hip joint. Along the course of the surgery, tissue trauma is sure to happen since hip replacements are also invasive procedures. Regardless of this occurrence, those with hip disorders still choose to undertake this operation, and they are also willing to take part in physical therapy sessions right after.
The expected duration of the entire rehabilitation process, at most, is up to three months. This is, unfortunately, not the case with DePuy Orthopaedics’ hip implants, particularly the ASR Acetabular System and ASR Hip Resurfacing System. With a very high failure rate of 12-13%, it might take six months to a year for rehabilitation, instead of the ideal three-month duration. Hence, there is definitely a huge difference between therapy after revision surgery and therapy after the first hip replacement. Below is the timeline that mirrors the ideal progress that hip replacement patients should gradually show:
One to two days post-surgery:
The patient initiates simple physical movements, such as sitting and standing up, and may even be permitted to walk, as long as careful assistance is provided.
Three to five days post-surgery:
In the absence of complications, the patient is discharged from the hospital.
Six weeks post-discharge:
The patient learns to practice different range-of-motion and weight-bearing exercises to improve strength, especially in the hip region.
Six weeks to three months thereafter:
The patient regularly exercises to promote the strength of not just the hip, but the trunk and knees as well. To prepare for normal walking, canes, walkers, crutches and other assistive devices are discontinued.
From this time on, the patient is expected to have regained the strength and endurance in the hips, and will continue to exercise to promote overall health.
Rehabilitation after a stressful revision surgery must be very difficult for the victim. If you are a recipient of a recalled hip implant from DePuy, you should immediately visit your doctor for thorough medical evaluation. After that, you should hire a lawyer so that a DePuy hip recall lawsuit can be filed accordingly.