My intent with this blog is to calculate a recovery timeline and to also inform others what exactly to expect post operatively when dealing with FAI and Labral repair. Everyone's timeline and road to recovery will range and there are many speed bumps along the way; so I believe this will be helpful to readers and to myself since I have BILATERAL FAI resulting in me needing the same surgery on both sides of my hip.
I initially started noticing issues with both sides of my hip in early Sept when I was finding my range of motion diminishing and it difficult to stretch before runs. I became very frustrated with this inability to do butterfly stretches so one day I overstretched, forcing the desired range of motion which resulted in the tightness in the hips to radiate down my thy bones on both sides. The soreness lasted about three days when I then decided to get things looked at. I followed a co-workers recommendation and saw an orthopoedic she knew who x-rayed both hips and noticed bone growth below the femoral head which was limiting range of motion inside each hip socket. Worse case scenario rubbing the labrum which is the cartilage lining the socket and causing damage. I then scheduled arthrograms for each hip 10 days apart. Arthrograms are MRI's with a dye contrast to fully expose inside the hip. After having both procedures my results were sent to my orthopoedic surgeon who informed me I would need surgery for FAI and Labral tear on both hips. He then asked me when I would like to schedule the procedures and I said ASAP! I left the doctor's office kind of in shock not believing someone my age was going to need two hip procedures. Althoug my Dr. informed both could be done arthroscopically which would significantly reduce recovery time.
I then scheduled my first surgery six weeks after my consultation for December 16th. The surgery itself was done under general anaesthesia which provided me then luxury of not feeling anything and sleeping for approximately three hours (the 1 1/2 hours of surgery and the next 1 1/2 hours recovering before leaving the surgery center). My wife then drove me home (she has been a huge help throughout the recovery) and helped me get situated on our basement pull-out infront of our flat screen tv. I then noticed the pain begin to radiate from my hip to my ankle which lasted throughout the night. I also had a good amount of bleeding through my incisions. Luckily the pain subsided by morning and I went for a Dr. visit to check on my bleeding. The bandage was saturated but surprisingly no bleeding under the bandages. I then was rebandaged and sent home with reassuring words from my Dr. The Dr. also showed me picture of my procedure which he was very proud of, however I was reluctant to see the carnage. He showed me where my right hip had been shaven beneath the femoral head and a portion of the labrum had been removed. I then went home relaxed and laid on my back for mostly the remainder of the day watching gangsta flicks and playing on my laptop. Day 3-6 pretty much the same with light stretches and gimping around with two crutches. We got a 20 inches of snow on Dec 18th so luckily my wife was able to stay home and take care of me thurs and fri. Pain is still evident in the thy and knee more than the hip but there is no popping or clicking inside the joint...good sign. Tomorrow I go to the Doc to have stitches removed from the four small arthroscopic incisions...hoping for more reassurance.
