I'll be starting again next week after seven weeks off after my major hip replacement. My healing is much longer than usual - it was a complex surgery since I was born with arthritis hips.
What can I expect? I have a feeling flip turns are out. Will I be able I use my fins? Do breaststroke and fly?
I plan on cutting the workouts our coach puts up in half and seeing how that goes.
Anything else I should know?
I just received my total hip replacement (left) on 3/21/2018. I was looking for info/conversation germane to hip replacement and swimming, I searched the forum and resurrected this old thread...which coincidently I commented on a year-and-a-half ago. MSK's advice above does seem pretty forthright. Initially, my interest was/is in resuming flip turns. Can any of you who've received hips comment on resuming flip turns? BTW, I'm not permitted to even get in the pool for another couple of weeks (for water exercise...NOT swimming). Resumption of swimming will be permitted around first week of May.
After the surgery, the doc did caution me on certain leg positions, with stress on the leg, that are exactly like breaststroke kick. However, he's confusing me a bit. He'll tell me "You can't put your leg in this position...or in that position...because there's potential of dislocation." But then he'll continue, and then tell me "That hip is in there SOLID! You're not going to dislocate it." So I don't know what to think.
I began outpatient PT yesterday, and when I was initially evaluated by the head therapist, she said she was amazed at the strength that I've already regained, or never lost. She told me they're treating a couple of other guys my age who got new hips about two months ago, and that I'm already beyond where they are in recovery.
I hadn't even really considered that the butterfly kick would/could be problematic. Of course at my next follow-up with the surgeon (and PT) I will ask specific questions about those kicks.
Dan
I just received my total hip replacement (left) on 3/21/2018. I was looking for info/conversation germane to hip replacement and swimming, I searched the forum and resurrected this old thread...which coincidently I commented on a year-and-a-half ago. MSK's advice above does seem pretty forthright. Initially, my interest was/is in resuming flip turns. Can any of you who've received hips comment on resuming flip turns? BTW, I'm not permitted to even get in the pool for another couple of weeks (for water exercise...NOT swimming). Resumption of swimming will be permitted around first week of May.
After the surgery, the doc did caution me on certain leg positions, with stress on the leg, that are exactly like breaststroke kick. However, he's confusing me a bit. He'll tell me "You can't put your leg in this position...or in that position...because there's potential of dislocation." But then he'll continue, and then tell me "That hip is in there SOLID! You're not going to dislocate it." So I don't know what to think.
I began outpatient PT yesterday, and when I was initially evaluated by the head therapist, she said she was amazed at the strength that I've already regained, or never lost. She told me they're treating a couple of other guys my age who got new hips about two months ago, and that I'm already beyond where they are in recovery.
I hadn't even really considered that the butterfly kick would/could be problematic. Of course at my next follow-up with the surgeon (and PT) I will ask specific questions about those kicks.
Dan
