On Monday 7th October I had surgery at The Avenue Hospital on my right hip to remove hardware (the screws that were put in during my PAO last year) and an arthroscope where Jit repaired my labrum and shaved off a CAM lesion.
The preparation for surgery was familiar: fast from early in the morning --> arrive The Avenue --> admission nurse --> admitted to the ward --> shower with special wash --> fashionable gown --> right hip/groin/thigh prepped by nurse with further microbial protection --> taken upstairs to a theatre waiting bay --> speak to nurses / anaesthetists / assistant doctor --> Jit pops in and confirms the surgery and signs my right thigh --> taken through to theatre --> put to sleep.
Even though I have been through it all before I am still amazed when I wake up what feels like only a few seconds later in recovery! Still a bit groggy I was told all went well and I was given the screws that came out of my pelvis. Despite seeing them on X-rays many times, when I held them they looked HUGE and it felt surreal that they were only that morning inside my body!!!
I stayed in overnight and was discharged home the next morning after a reasonable good nights sleep. My post operative orders are to remain partial weight bearing (20% body weight though my right leg) using 2 x forearm crutches for two weeks. I will see Jit's nurse back at Melbourne Orthopaedic Group at the 2 weeks mark for the dressings to be removed and then progress to walking with 1 crutch - hopefully just for 1 more week. I have been taking it easy and watching a lot of TV.
Here are the pictures taken during the arthroscopy for those who are not grossed out:
