Question
Hi, my 19 year old son needs a hip replacement. He went through a leg lengthening procedure last year which was successful in itself - but he contracted MRSA when the hardware was removed from his femur. It went into his hip & was not properly diagnosed at the time. Cartilage was destroyed between his pelvis & femur Anyway, he just had a rod & screws removed from his femur and we have been told that we need to wait 3 months to have the hip replacement, so that takes us to April. He hopes to return to college in August. Is that a reasonable time for rehab, assuming that all goes normally after the replacement? Do you think that he might be without a cane or crutch by then? I know that everyone is different, just wondering what to expect. He went to college last fall, using one crutch & I want to prepare him for the possibility that this may be the case again this August, although hopefully not a permanent situation. Thanks

Answer
Hi Natalie

I am truly sorry for all the trauma you son has had in the past.  Once he gets past April it will be become better for him.

Teens and children heal much more quickly than adults.  I can say that in my experience, he should be able to be back at college in August.  As for the crutch or cane, most likely he won't need either, but he needs to be prepared in case his recovery is a bit slower, so I would tell him that he might need to prepare himself for being on the cane at school and if he heals faster, that's the topping on the cake.

He just has to listen to the doctors and do what the physical therapist tells him.  He has to be aware of the restrictions he will have be sure to stick to them because if he does not, and he has a dislocation, it will push him back.  

So as long as he does exactly what is recommended, she should be all healed by August except for possible muscle pain which will eventually go away.  He also should take a pair of crutches up with him to school, just in case he should need them.

Sharon Davis