Hip replacement and riding...

[RDKLL]

I am heading down the road of needing a hip replacement on my right hip. Arthritis exacerbated by my accident last April. What I am looking for is insight from anybody who has had a hip replacement and how long before they were back on the bike. Currently, getting on the bike is not too bad as long as I am slow and deliberate when mounting and dismounting. The KTM's seat height is a bit higher than a stock valk and much higher than the bobber with 11" 444's
The most painful aspect is putting my right foot on the ground, like at a stop. It is very painful to lift my foot. It has made getting in the habit of leaving my right foot on the peg during the stop.
Please post up your exepriences with hip replacement and riding a motorcycle.

[Safety Steve]

I have a good friend that had total hip replacement and he said that he feels great and is pain free, and he is riding like he stole it.  I can't remember now long he was laid up but he is very glad that he had it done. 
I know a few people who have had it done and not one of them regrets having it done.

I wish you luck..

[..]

I have a good friend that had total hip replacement and he said that he feels great and is pain free, and he is riding like he stole it.  I can't remember now long he was laid up but he is very glad that he had it done. 
I know a few people who have had it done and not one of them regrets having it done.

I wish you luck..

I too have a friend who had it done. He's now back riding his Africa Twin and smiling. His recovery seemed pretty quick.

[John Schmidt]

Had my right one done Nov. 30, 2016. I found a surgeon that had been doing the anterior method for about ten years so contacted him. He was the 3rd ortho dr. I had been to in recent years, and all the others wanted to do was give me injections. At the first visit, he took one look at the xrays and commented "shots haven't been doing anything for you for quite some time...correct?" Bingo! He then said "we'll just replace it so you can get back to doing whatever you do."  He then went on to explain how he doesn't use anything but the anterior approach, which doesn't involve cutting any muscles or tendons. That meant the recovery was much less painful and faster. He was right....I was walking without a cane most of the time in the week that followed. Although I was back on the Valk in about 3 weeks, I did find raising the right leg up and over the seat was still a bit testy, obviously not everything is fully healed in that amount of time. Even though they don't cut muscles, they still get stretched during the operation and some nerves go with that. The former method involves cutting the muscles in/around the butt, that takes time to heal and recover. Just standing up uses the glutes as does walking. In the gym, I approached leg exercises carefully, started out fairly light with a lot of reps. By around Feb., 2017 I was back to 300+lbs. in leg presses, 3 sets, 12-15 reps. About the same time I was up to doing 140lb. abductor exercises....you sit on the machine and press the weight outward with your knees against a pad on the outside of the knee, sometimes referred to as the "good girl...bad girl" exercise.  

In short, get it done, shoot for the anterior method for faster and near painless recovery(also less expensive). Some surgeons using that method will actually send a patient home the same day if they have good results following an early morning procedure....and they have adequate help at home. They took me in to the OR around 12:30 midday, back in my room by 2:30pm, stood up from the wheelchair and took 3-4 steps to my bed. About 5:00pm I walked to the bathroom with a nurse at my side, stood there and did my thing(alone), then walked back to bed. Had some pain that first night which they managed real good for me, next day they had me walking the halls twice a day. Since I had nobody to help me at home I asked to stay an extra couple days, walking the halls 3-4 times a day. I never did use a walker and carried the cane....just in case.    Keep in mind....no more MRI's allowed.

[f6gal]

As John said... Recovery time is much shorter with anterior approach.

[NewValker]

As stated, anterior approach is way better, & quicker to heal.
I had a left hip replacement 4/3/17, and was riding on 5/17/17. PAINLESS!!
RDKLL, hear you about lifting that leg, I re-learned how to stop and lean right every time!
Good luck with it, LISTEN to your PT!!!
Craig

[RDKLL]

Thanks for all the great info. I will be getting back to finish the PT he had started me on. I have had one cortisone shot...was painless for about 2.5 days...

[NewValker]

Oh yeah, I had 2 cortisone shots, first lasted 3weeks, second one lasted 2weeks. Dumped that Dr., went to highly recommend surgeon and as advertised he was great.
BTW, I never want a needle that close to the boys again!
Craig

[John Schmidt]

Oh yeah, I had 2 cortisone shots, first lasted 3weeks, second one lasted 2weeks. Dumped that Dr., went to highly recommend surgeon and as advertised he was great.
BTW, I never want a needle that close to the boys again!
Craig

Amen to that, that sucker looked like a miniature harpoon. The first one was given by a youngster that appeared to be on OJT. I know that gurney has my fingerprints permanently embedded in it. The idiot didn't wait for the surface pain killer to take effect, just gave me that shot, laid down that needle and reached for the main juice and started in with it. Some words slipped out that hadn't been used for years, but I'm sure he understood where I was coming from. It lasted about 10 days.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Thanks for all the great info. I will be getting back to finish the PT he had started me on. I have had one cortisone shot...was painless for about 2.5 days...

Tony, maybe post this over on the AZ chapter. I know George (Nautibrit) has had both of his done now.

[Atl-Jerry]

I sold one of my IS's because I thought my riding days were coming to an end.  It became unbearable to swing a leg over it and I dreaded coming to a red light and having to put that leg down.  Mar 2015 replaced left hip using the anterior approach.  Walking and climbing stairs within hours, next day climbing stairs "step-over-step".  I took the pain pills because they said not to get behind or you'll never catch up.  Took them for a few days then quit, never thought I needed them.  The only restriction he gave me was not to do a full weight pivot on that leg for 30 days.  I was riding pain free in a couple of weeks.  The only thing I'd do different is I wish I had done it sooner. 

[NautiBrit]

I've had both hips replaced using the anterior approach in the past year and a half. I was walking within a few hours after surgery and as a concession to my Dr. was back on my Valk in 6 weeks. I felt good enough to ride my Spyder after 3 weeks. The most important aspect of a successful recovery is the Physical Therapy, do not short change that.

My Dr. is in Sun City, has done hundreds of replacements and I'd be happy to pass on his name and contact info.

[RDKLL]

My Dr. is in Sun City, has done hundreds of replacements and I'd be happy to pass on his name and contact info.

I will be having a conversation with my doctor. He did my broke-in-three-places collarbone after my accident last year.

[da prez]

I had the right hip replaced in May of last year. B E sure the Dr. does this on a regular basis. (which is common now) I was one of the occasional , nicked the nerve patients. I was on my feet about three hours after the surgery. About two hours of it was in the recovery room. If I could walk down the hall and up a set of therapy stairs , I would be able to go home.  I did , and I went home. Two days later I stopped taking pain meds. Everyone is different , I have a high pain tolerance. Physical therapy is a must. No pivot turns. I was told that in three weeks I would be able to ride the bike.
 Now , the nicked nerve. I was unable to tell if the leg was on the ground unless I looked. I also have arthritis in my back and need the left hip.  Get it done. I am sorry I waited so long.

                                             da prez

[RDKLL]

I want to thank everyone for their input. A person's perspective: I am excited because everyone I have talked to or whatever has only one regret...they didnt get it done sooner. My wife on the other hand, works with a guy who has had nothing but problems. We have a consult with the ortho doc next week and we will find out what the next step is.  We have been in the Mayo health system since we moved out here and up until this year they had been out-of-network and now they are an in-network provider