Fresno, Modesto

Double hip replacement restores an active life

Helen Martin is 85 years old, goes to exercise classes three times a week, and has titanium hips that will never break.

“Both her hips were so worn out that we couldn’t decide which one to replace first,” says orthopedic surgeon Vic Ayers, MD. “Since she was in very good health for her age, I told her we could replace both at the same time.”

“I never would have dreamed it was possible to do both at once,” says Martin, who was 81 at the time of her surgery. “I was really dreading going through surgery twice.”

Dr. Ayers explained the benefit of doing both replacements at once. Martin wouldn’t have to endure the pain of putting extra weight on a bad hip to protect the new one during rehabilitation. Instead, she would rehabilitate them together.

Following her surgery, Martin was in the hospital for five days, and then went to a rehabilitation facility. “Three weeks later,” she says, “I went to a St. Patrick’s Day party, and everyone was amazed that I could walk from my chair to the buffet table.”

Mother of five children, Martin worked hard on her recovery and continued her special exercises every day for three years.

“Total hip or knee replacements usually require a year for full recovery,” says Dr. Ayers. “I always say, ‘motion is the potion’ for success. You have to learn how to use the new joint, strengthen the muscles, and regain balance. Most do pretty well within six weeks to three months.”

For more on the topic, go to our health encyclopedia and search for “joint replacement.”

 

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