sailing with a new hip

[SAMYL]

I had my right hip replaced two years ago in March.

Six weeks later in May I was chartering in Croatia, still sore but it worked OK.

In the summer I sail three nights a week in a 24' classic yacht and cruise weekends in my Westerly. Winter time I ski.

I can go for days forgetting all about it until some airport scanner pics it up. This happened on Tuesday at Stansted on my return from the boat show and the arrogant love child of a security man would not believe me that I had had a new hip, so after some discussion I dropped my trousers in front of everyone and showed him the scar!

 

[Seajet]

My chum, the neighbour I mentioned a few posts ago as having his hip replaced, gets to & from his Anderson by tender, and despite my nagging won't even fit decent pelican hooks to make the guardrails detachable !

He seems to have stayed in one piece so far, I've not heard of any problems; as I say he was just careful to start with.

 

[brianhumber]

Don't worry, have had both side joints stuffed with metal, a couple of years apart in my mid fifties.

Second operation was worse than the first because apparently more knock out juice had to be used as more sawing and filing was needed. It caused the old water rejection device to sieze shut resulting in a cathoder for a day.

Did result in an extra day in hospital but otherwise you are mobile surprisingly quickly and discharged ASAP ie when you can cope with up and down stairs, as my surgeon said, better out of hospital than in it, you catch too many nasty bugs inside.

I found the first month a real grind sleeping on my back, and used to hobble out at night time in frustration but after that recovered quickly. You get the knack of getting onto and out of beds, chairs, toilets easily. However I found I was not really feeling top dollar for a year after each operation.

Mobilitywise I wished I had had the first hip done sooner than I did, it had got to the stage the joint kept feeing it was half dislocated.

My Surgeon is a sailor and simply said go easy for first year, no shocks or jars really whist the bone etc grew around the metal. Swimming ok but again no attempt at speed swimming using breaststroke.

I do not think about the hips apart from not leaping onto the pontoon etc which as I get older is probably good practice anyway. As another poster said the only drawback is those damm air port scanners and I would take that hastle anytime for the pain relief the operations gave.






Brian

 

[Leighb]

I have had both hips replaced, and apart from taking care for the first few weeks there has been no interference in normal sailing activities.

Make sure you do all the exercises and follow instructions about restrictions in the early weeks and you should have no trouble at all getting back to yacht cruising.

If possible get it done in the early winter and you should be fine for the followiing fitting out and sailing seasons. I had mine done in early Nov and Dec.

Incidentally, re airport scanners, as well as the hips, I have metal in my back, breastbone and left ankle, the scanners go potty.

 

[binch]

Hip Hip Hooray

After 70 years of disability I had new hip number one in 1997 (the good leg went first, wouldnt you know it) and number two (very bad, a total rebuild job) in 2000. I am now 83 and skipping like a young lamb, only stopped sailing last summer because Binches' eyes were giving trouble. No regrets at all; but be aware that physio afterwards is terribly important and probably the worst bit. No gain without pain. (Mrs Binch speaking.)
Check in advance the physio provision at the hospital, this varies enormously both in NHS and private, and according to my surgeon is the most important part. He said cheerfully that anyone can do the carpentry.

 

[A1Sailor]

according to my surgeon...anyone can do the carpentry.

Ah - but,
Q: What's the difference between an Orthopaedic Surgeon and a Carpenter?
A: One knows the name of more than one antibiotic!

 

[johnalison]

There is scarcely any disability that should stop someone from sailing. I haven't had a hip done but I know plenty of sailors who have. A few years ago we met a man of 79 who had navigated during the war. He had sailed from Christchurch to the Baltic, having done the same every year for several years, in a Moody 30 with his wife, in spite of having had both knees replaced and at least one hip. We were with them in Heligoland and walked up 400 steps with them. He thought nothing of it and denied that he was special in any way.

 

[Thistle]

I think the important messasge seems to be "don't go sailing without it!"

 

[tudorsailor]

Hip replacements and yachts

As an Orthopaedic surgeon (but no longer doing hip replacements) I can offer some advice.

The big worry with a hip replacement and sailing is mainly dislocation. Standard hip replacements are no more stable now than they were 20 years ago. A total hip can dislocate for various reasons. Some are technical and relate to the orientation of the cup and stem at insertion. Hips put in through a posterior approach have a higher risk of dislocation than through a modified lateral approach. Hips are at a greater risk of dislocation in the first few months than after a few years. After 20 years the risk goes up again as the cup wears.

The commonest cause of dislocation is the owner flexing the hip beyond 90 degrees. Therefore cutting toe nails with knee and hip bent maximally is a good way to dislocate.

After dislocation, the next commonest problem is fracture around the prosthesis can happen with a fall or sudden stress - such as jumping onto the pontoon off the yacht!

If you have surface replacement such as a Birmingham hip, the risk of dislocation is very much lower.

If you have not dislocated after a year or two your hip is probably stable. If you dislocate within the first year, it can be a major problem and can result in revision/redo surgery

I have sailed with a lady who had an artificial hip. I spent the whole week trying not to wince audibly whenever she bent into a high risk position. However she was fine. As with all things my worry was coloured by seeing patients who have dislocated early and then have a major problem that can end up with multiple operations (not mine operations of course).

So what would I advise? I would try and talk the patient out of sailing ever again if they are undergoing a hip replacement. I would explain all of the above to make them as scared as possible about having a dislocation. If they insist on continuing to sail, and they have a choice, they should go on as big a yacht as possible. I do not think they should sail alone. I do not think that they should sail off-shore. Imagine being mid-Atlantic with a femur fracture or a hip dislocation!

Hope this helps

TudorSailor

 

[voyager35]

Thanks for all your feedback, of to see my gp on monday to try to find a sports oriented surgeon

 

[voyager35]

Thanks for all your mainly encouraging replies
Of to see my gp on Monday to try to find a sports aware consultant.