I had a total hip replacement in July 2022. I'm 53, w/ongoing hip issues for 3-4 years. I staved off surgery via PT & strength training. I finally got an MRI, which showed that I had no cartilage, prominent cysts, bone spurs, & labral tears. I saw a doc at a different practice but was overwhelmed & felt rushed to get surgery.
I went to Dr. Sean Gallagher at ATX Orthopedics for a 2nd opinion, and everyone was so great - the front desk, the insurance wrangler, the nurses - everyone! I appreciated Dr. G's philosophy: the *patient* should make the decision to have THR when their quality of life is impaired. So after asking a ton of questions, I trusted his assessment, and felt good about the hardware he installs & the approach he uses: SuperPATH.
Dr. G works out of Seton Hospital & Pinnacle Surgery Center. I chose the latter; the experience was positive from start to finish. I was anxious when I arrived, but everyone was kind & patient, which put me at ease. The anesthesiologist stopped by to explain the procedure for deep sedation. Dr. G came in to mark my hip w/a surgical marker, then sat down and asked me if I had any questions. He spent time & didn't make me feel rushed. It was so helpful & grounding. So I was ready to go!
The nurse who wheeled me into the OR said she'd be with me the whole time. Once in the OR, I saw that one entire wall is a big window. An OR that includes natural light - pretty cool! There was a table full of various sizes of hip replacement hardware. All that shiny titanium spread out like that made me think of a Price Is Right display.
I don't remember the spinal ("do a cannonball") b/c the anesthesiologist had started IV sedation. Afterward, I don't remember talking to Dr. G. Apparently, I woke up giggling for about 5 minutes. Clearly *something* was hilarious!
When I fully awoke, I started moving my legs right away. The recovery nurse, Sean, was so nice! I cleared the post-op hurdles, including a walk to the bathroom, & soon enough I was sprung. They called in my meds, and I went home in a pair of TED hose (worn for 2 weeks) & with a walker w/ 2 wheels in the front.
The 1st week post-op was about balancing rest vs. movement, learning which pain meds work best, & icing to reduce swelling. I recommend the Chattanooga ColPac 11"x14" gel sheet. It stays flexible when frozen & works well to position directly where you want.
My surgical site was covered by a large, soft bandage. After 10 days it started peeling off on its own, so removal was easy. A few days later the steri-strips peeled off. Now at 2&1/2 weeks post-op, the scar is very thin; it'll soon be almost invisible. I am impressed.
I had 3 telehealth PT calls w/ Jane Rha (Ascension) who was fantastic! One call was pre-op - so helpful to prepare for surgery. Two post-op calls had me up & moving - this absolutely boosted my mood & shortened my recovery time.
After 1 week, I started in-person PT w/ Rachel Wright (Ascension). I'll see her for *many* more weeks. She's fantastic - highly recommended!
I used a walker for about a week, then a cane for about a week. Now, at 2&1/2 weeks post-op, I use a cane periodically.
Two weeks post-op, I saw Dr. G. I had a dozen questions - he answered every single one. It meant so much to talk to the only person who could answer, "So what did it look like in there?" I asked him about continued recovery, expectations for returning to full strength & mobility, and more. Dr G's focus is on the patient: educating you, reassuring you, letting the *you* make the decision about surgery. To me, this is the ideal way to guide patients through what can be a scary, intimidating process.
I see Dr. Gallagher again in a month for my final post-op visit. After that, I told him I hope I don't need to see him again, BUT *if* I do have to get my left hip done, I absolutely will return. For now, I can't wait to be fully healed, to finally be able to move through daily life without pain, and to see where my amazing, restored hip mobility leads me! read more