Has Anyone Here Had Hip Replacement While Being Really Overweight?

I recently went to an orthopedic surgeon who showed me on the x-ray that my left hip is 'bone on bone'.  He refuses to replace the hip until I lose at least 50 pounds due to the extra weight could cause the new hip to fail.  I had RNY 15 years ago but have gained back all but 100 pounds of my weight loss.

Has anyone here had hip replacement while being heavy?  I know this is off topic but I figured that more people would see it here than any other forum.  Thank you so much for your help!

Hi Robin,

Its better for you if you are not heavy when you have any replacement surgery.  

That being said, my husband was close to 300 pounds most of his life and he had hip replacement.  He had his for over 20 years and didn't have any issues.  You may want to see a couple of other surgeons to get second opinions.  Don't feel bad for asking how many heavy people have they done this surgery on.  LOL my husband's surgeon was overweight so he could relate LOL

Good Luck

Yes I have.  I was about 265 or so when I had it.  The first surgeon I consulted wanted me to lose about 75 pounds.  I tried and lost some, but not the full amount.  I was also bone on bone, only able to walk short distances with a cane and was in constant pain.  I found another surgeon who was willing to do the surgery at my weight however he insisted I have a panniculectomy because due to losing and gaining large amounts over the years I had a substantial apron of skin and he said it would get in the way of the surgery scar which needs to be kept very clean and clear due to possibility of infection. 

Bottom line - I had the surgery and physical therapy and am a very happy camper today.  I am pain free and far more active than before.  I thank God for my wonderful surgeon and that he gave me my life back.  I know some surgeons will absolutely not consider an obese patient though.  I wish you the very best because I KNOW YOUR PAIN.

I'd say to get another opinion.  I've had both my knees replaced while being over 300 lbs.  The orthopod said he wished things were different for me, but knew that not being able to walk wasn't going to contribute to me increasing my health.

Hi everyone, 

As I read this post I think to myself that I wish I would have pushed harder for my knee replacements.  I am 45 yrs old and currently in a wheelchair when I leave my house due to the bone on bone in my knees.  I went to see a knee surgeon in 2014, but was told that I needed to loose at least 100 - 150 lbs before they would even consider me for surgery and then recommended WLS.  

So began my journey of WLS here in Ontario, Canada.  My referral went in in Sept. 2014, and my surgery will be March 28/16.  It has been a long road, but I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I hope that I can get back to my old self after surgery, and then without the extra weight on my knees, hopefully get mobile enough to drop the weight fast.  

Good luck in your journey for hip surgery..  

Kim  

Try to find a surgeon who works on sports figures. I had a surgeon tell me the same thing at 315 lbs I ended up waiting for over a year because of him and my femur had ground into my pelvis so much that the second surgeon had trouble getting the replacement in. Sports surgeons tend to work on much bigger people like professional athletes. He told me he could do the work but I would have to make sure I kept up the physical therapy. Five weeks after the replacement I was up and driving my car again with no pain! I was so amazed how much better I felt without that pain 24/7. It was worth every bit of the work, if you can lose some before then all the better. A second opinion never hurts, maybe ask friends if they know of anyone who may work on bigger people. Not all surgeons are jerks but lots of them are!                                                                                            

I never thought about that, but my surgeon did specialize in sports medicine.  Maybe that's why he didn't argue with me about my knee replacements.  I don't regret having them done at an 'early age' - at least I can move around without all the pain in my knees.

I needed it done at 320lbs. Surgeon wanted me to lose weight so I was at 302 lbs by surgery. Best medical decision other than VGS I ever made. It was done in 2012 and I've been very active since! Losing the extra weight will give your hip extra life.

The extra weight is a major hindrance in many ways. It puts a lot of stress on the new joint for one. Also as a nurse in the hospital setting, I see many other issues: slower progression in mobility putting more strain on the healthcare team to get them out of bed, more issues of post op ileus due to less mobility, more falls due to added strain of extra weight on healing joint. Decreased mobility also adds to instances of post op pneumonia and blood clots.

My mother had double knee replacement done at over 250 lbs.  She was bone on bone and basically unable to walk any distance at all -- used a cane to go anywhere.

She is a tough cookie -- her surgeon encouraged her to lose as much as possible before surgery.  She did lose a small amount.  

My mom is a type A -- she did everything the physical therapist advised and while I won't say her recovery was easy -- she regained full mobility.  The surgery was definitely worthwhile.

The bad part is that there is a lifespan for the new joints (usually about 20 years) and her excess weight has actually decreased that.  She is now 75 and actually needs them replaced again...