In a week and a half I go under the knife at the Salt Lake VA Hospital.
Was wondering if anyone else had had a hip replacement by the VA and what was your healing time?
Did you have any after problems, they told me 5% have bad new hips that will have to go back and replace it a second time? Or the body rejects it. Or the leg gets infected.
They did not mention any therapy so I take it one does not get any?
Any help is appreciated.
You have some very good questions but all of these should have been answered by your MD/Surgeon at the hospital. In order to make an informed decision about having the surgery have you thought about getting a second opinion from a MD/Surgeon outside the VA system? I am 100% DAV and any procedures or surgeries I need I use a Tricare for Life MD/Surgeon, I use the VA Hospital to get my meds and see the MD twice a year there and that is it. Hip replacement is major surgery and if you have unanswered questions it might be wise to get a second opinion. The VA may use different materials for the replacement than in the private sector and the outcome could be totally different (my wife was in nursing so she helped me with this one). Good luck and wish you the best of luck and a speedy recovery.
My doctor who sent in the recommendation for consult is not a regular VA doctor but a private doctor and she recommended I get it done based on my xrays.
The consult was short he told me I would be getting test done a month out before the surgery and that would not take place until Sept or Oct. He said it was severe and necessary and I agree. He said it would be a 2 hour operation and I would be in the hospital for three days. Thats it.
But than I get this call last week and she wanted me in there this week for tests and next week for surgery. Too sudden I did put it off until the 3rd and 11th.
Right now I cannot put any weight on that leg and I can pop the hip in and out of socket which that alone tells me we have a problem.
