So many questions to ask!
Am indebted to my friend Niki, who has already undergone this procedure. Her knowledge and generosity are boundless. Willingly sharing every aspect of her THR (good, bad and ugly) to benefit others. What a fab person she is.
Anaesthesia can be Spinal or General. Honestly, I prefer the idea of a Spinal. Less grogginess after the op, a chance to listen uninterupted to my favourite music and a stimulating chat with the anaesthesiologist. Sounds fab.
Other choices are the type of implant (some do not get a choice - the wretched Post Code lottery), so you get what your local PCT will fund. There are a range of implants: ceramic, Metal on Polyethylene and Metal on Metal. MoM is now out of favour, given the rate of deterioration and leaking of metals into the flesh - ugh. Many people now suffer awful problems resulting from this.
Other choices are surgeon dependent. Anterior or Posterior approach. There is also a Lateral and Minimally Invasive Approach.
The choice is generally down to the surgeon and how they were trained. Some approaches require more expensive equipment or training and have different outcomes. If you want something specific, you generally have to go a la Carte.
Story of my life: I never, ever wanted to eat off the 'house' menu or dress from the a la mode rail. I always wanted the expensive dish, the designer frock, the red soled shoe.
And why not?
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