I’m having hip surgery. Specifically, a periacetabular osteotomy. I’ve debated if this is really a journey I want to go through publicly and if committing to sharing this would really be beneficial (for me or anyone else). And in the end, I’ve decided to try sharing. I think it will help me process the many emotions I’m having as I approach my surgery date; I also found a lot of comfort reading others’ blog posts about their similar surgeries – so I hope my posts can do the same for someone else down the line. So here we go! I’m starting with a little background on me as well as the journey from “a pulled hip muscle” to now (6-weeks out from a PAO surgery). Buckle up, it’s a long journey, and we’re only getting started! I’m Ashlyn, a 28-year-old dancer, choreographer, and Pilates/dance teacher. Fall 2020In 2020 I was in the middle of a 5-month Reformer Teacher Training (part of my comprehensive Pilates certification). I was feeling really strong despite dancing less frequently in my day-to-day. One day during my self-practice I was working on a challenging move, Teaser on the Reformer (iykyk), and afterwards I felt like I had overworked or maybe pulled a hip flexor. No big deal, I took a few days off to rest, and thought I’d be good to go. But then each time I’d practice Pilates or teach dance it felt like I would reaggravate my hip. Since these activities were part of my profession, it was challenging to truly rest. So, I started focusing on addressing imbalances in my hips – working on hip extension, abduction, and core strength – to see if that would calm the hip flexor down. Spring 2021
Fall + Winter 2021
Two things to note before I move on – Right around this time, I also returned to teaching dance in-person. In addition to feeling pain a few hours after movement, I started getting sharp pain in my pelvic floor when I would do large sweeping movements or quick changes in direction. The assessments the doctors did often included deep hip flexion (hugging your knee into your chest), at the time these didn’t cause immediate pain, I would just be in extreme pain a few hours after the assessment was done. Anyways, I started PT right away and returned to see Dr. Sullivan a week later for a steroid injection and a few additional X-rays, which confirmed that I have hip dysplasia (shallow hip sockets). The steroid injection process was interesting – he injected the corticosteroid into the hip and then left me in the exam room to do various movements while the medicine kicked in (squats, leg lifts, etc...) – when he came back, he re-assessed the hip and we found that I was in less pain and had increased range of motion. This pointed towards the impingement and labral tear being the source of most of my pain. So, he suggested continuing with PT for a few weeks while the steroid shot was fresh, and if pain persisted to see yet another hip specialist and discuss surgical options. At this point he explained that repairing the tear in the labrum may not be adequate because of the instability/hip dysplasia. After a few weeks of feeling like PT was helping me gain strength, I began to plateau and my pain started to increase once again. Around this time walking began to bother my hip – I could usually last about a mile before I would feel a pinching sensation through the inner hip/groin area. I saw the hip specialist (Dr. Sullivan) one more time to discuss the progress (or lack of) that had occurred after the hip injection. He explained that a hip arthroscopy (repairing the tear) would likely not be sufficient because of the hip dysplasia – the tear would most likely reoccur over time due to instability. He recommended seeing another hip surgeon (Dr. Schoenecker) to discuss a PAO (periacetabular osteotomy). He also ordered a CT as a pre-op scan; because at this point, I was pretty confident that I would be pursuing the surgical route – meeting with Dr. Schoenecker was mostly a way to get questions answered and meet the person who would be operating. A little over a month later I met with Dr. Schoenecker. He spent a lot of time with my partner and I – explaining that hip dysplasia often happens in adolescence when the soft tissues of the hip should finish forming into bone, but for some reason occasionally miss that step. He also went over the procedure in detail and answered our questions about recovery and what I can expect after I’ve fully recovered. Even though this process has been overwhelming at times, the doctors I’ve met with have been exceptional in the care they’ve shown and the ways they break everything down so I can understand what’s happening. Spring 2022That brings us to today. My pain has been steadily increasing, despite decreasing movements that aggravate the hip. Most days I take a nerve blocker before bed to help ease the pain, though I still don't get restful sleep because it's hard to find a comfortable position. I limit walking distances, I'm no longer dancing much (teaching one 30-minute class each week), and I practice Pilates only sparingly. My pain has gone from discomfort after movement (back in 2020) to being in varying degrees of pain most of the time. I'm not sharing this for sympathy, but so that others in my position can know they're not alone! I’m about six weeks away from surgery and although it feels scarier the closer it gets, I know I can’t keep living in this much pain, or without the option to move my body.
The plan for surgery is for Dr. Sullivan to repair the small labral tear through an arthroscopic procedure. Then, Dr. Schoenecker will come in for the PAO – essentially cutting the hip socket from the pelvis and reorienting it in a way that allows the socket to cover the femur head more fully. I'm planning to take 7 weeks completely off of work to focus on recovery. I'm expecting to be on crutches (two, eventually weaning to one) for about 3-4 months post-op. The way Dr. Schoenecker explained the recovery process is that after about 12-13 months I should feel "as if I never had surgery at all," with the 6-7 month mark allowing me to do most things, with occasional reminders of the surgery. He also said I can expect to return to about 90% of my previous flexibility - a price I am more than willing to pay! I know this was a long post - covering 18 months of this journey so far - so thank you if you made it this far!
1 Comment
5/3/2022 10:11:09 am
Ashlyn, way to be proactive about your journey and health. Thanks for the willingness to share, and I will be thinking of you and your recovery. <3
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AuthorAshlyn is a movement educator based in Nashville, TN. Archives
June 2022
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