64 year old wife (career cosmetologist) needs hip replacement on one of them.

Recently verified with x-Ray showing cartilage degeneration.

She is still able to be mobile and work, but lots of limping and some pain.

She becomes Medicare eligibilite this upcoming February.

She is on my retiree medical now (United Health Care). I guess in February,… Medicare becomes primary, and UHC secondary.

I guess it’s safe to say waiting in surgery until Medicare eligible is best?

Anyone else been in “close to Medicare” situation?

Situation may be moot, as Fenruary is fast approaching.

But thought I’d ask..,

Just had one done Sep 12th; being 71 & retired, I have Medicare and a Plan G from Mutual of Omaha.
I've hardly paid a dime, except the initial visit to the Surgeon's office.
MUCH better than feeling like I'm being stabbed time after time; right now I'm doing well, with the range of motion improving.
First week was kinda hellish from the restrictions, discomfort, leg swelling - but my deal was more invasive (semi-posterior) than the usual anterior surgery.
I quit the pain meds after a couple weeks; they create intestinal blockage, so ya need a diuretic.
Couple weeks using a walker, then a cane for a bit, and gotta watch pelvis/femur angle so it doesn't exceed 90 degrees (toilet seat riser, watch bed/sofa/chair heights).
She'll likely have to be cleared by her Dentist before surgery - oral bacteria apparently attacks the hip implants.
There was a wait for mine, about 2 months.
Post-surgery, the usual deal is in-home PT for a month, then outpatient PT for 1-3 months depending on muscle atrophy, balance, and mobility.

I had mine done the end of September and with united health care and medicare I got away for $250. Anterior install and I was on home therapy for 2 weeks and then off the walker and back bowling in a total of 6 weeks. That 90* thing is a pain to not do. I kept exceeding it a little. They had me up and walking with a walker the same day as the surgery and out of the hospital the second day. I'm back to doing everything pain free and I love it. They are doing fantastic things in the operating room now.

Thanks guys!

Will relay to her!

Had a hip replacement last year, all went fine leg feels great as the good side.
Most critical time is the 1st 60 days having multiple x-rays to make sure the muscle bonds properly to the joint.
MediCare covered everything...
Do plenty of exercise like walking, helps the healing.

Just my $0.02...

had mine done april 7th, and was done with all the pt by july the 7th.
i waited way longer than i should have, and needed a little more replacement stuff on the leg bone than most.
went in at 5 in the morning, and was home by 3 or 4 in the afternoon.
i had my mind made up i wasn't going to stay over. when i woke up, they said as soon as i could master the walker, i could go home.
it was actually pretty easy, as most of the pain i had lived with 24/7 for the last couple of years was gone !
as has been said, no 90 degree bends, no lifting, and in my particular case, i was told to do nothing "stupid".
last week i was back for the 6 month checkup. after a bunch of x-rays, the doc said it had healed up very well. he still told me to not do anything "stupid".
but the best thing of all, i don't have the pain that was there 24/7 ! if i was smart, i wouldn't have waited as long as i did to get it done.
as a side note, i worked with his great grandpa, two great uncles, and his uncle, when i started my machinist career back in 1973. sure is a small world..............

I feel there are multiple hip replacement technologies these days, some much better than others.

My brother-in-law just had a hip replaced. I believe the surgeon used a robot. He had the surgery in the morning and went home that afternoon.

He was walking before he left the hospital that day.

Fortunately my hips are still in good shape but if I needed surgery I would be asking a lot of questions and doing a lot of research.

There are basically two surgery types..today, yesterday, 20 years ago
Anterior method, and posterior method. That’s it.
I had the posterior method, much more invasive, much bigger cut, more nerves cut.
The anterior method will result in quicker healing, much smaller incision.
Many of the old wives tales regards what you can and can’t do, post surgery, I have found aren’t true. Like crossing legs, etc, etc, etc.
My issue is I waited way too long. I actually had part of my hip fused to my back with scar tissue. My advice, get it done as soon as possible. And ask for the anterior method, if you are a candidate for it.

The reason for the 90* rule and no crossing your legs is that it puts strain on the joint that may pop it out of the socket until the tendons, muscles etc have a chance to hold it all together. If it pops loose then you have to go through the surgery all over again. Not fun.

A buddy of mine that turned 60 this year had a hip replaced last year. He had all sorts of scar tissue and as a result, he is still messed up. He walks about the same....gimped out and slow but he is in less pain.

I had the posterior method done about 2002. At the time they had a new procedure that claimed to have you mowing your lawn in a week.
The surgeon said the procedure was unproven, too new and he would not do it. OK. That was a good thing as those replacements began failing in about 3 years. He was anal about using a walker for 6 WEEKS which I learned to HATE. HOWEVER 20 years later all is well . I don't jog or do the things that I was told would shorten the life of the replacement. From what I've read, the Anterior method has been around quite a wile but does require a surgeon experienced with the procedure.

I had a bunch of pain in my hip(s). Made walking and side sleeping difficult. Went to ortho. After xrays he said I had the hips of a teenager. YAY! But he said I have Sciatica. BOO. I found a bunch of good physical therepy YouTube videos. The one I found that works is a ton of leg/glute exercises (I do religously every night) to make the small inner muscle (Piriformis) that rubs on my nerve atrophy. Works great and I can actually sleep through the night without eating a handful of Iburophen and tossing from one side to the other 50 times.

HAVE YOU GUYS WATCHED THE HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERY VIDEOS. IF I ever need one done I want Norm Abrahms from This Old House to do it. Not the doctors who never use hand tools.

We have a veterinarian that does them after hours. Have to go in the back door though The horse tranquilizers are awesome. I keep having to have my feet shaved on the bottoms though

A tip…

Don’t look around if you aren’t already completely out when they wheel you into surgery.
It looks medieval…..
And they literally throw your leg over your shoulder….

Had both of mine done this year , one in april and the other 4 weeks ago. the one done in april doesn't even feel like I had anything done but with no pain now, the new one is still tender by the scar but the pain is gone, have to get used to walking again.