I am an 80 year old male and had a stroke on my sleep in September 24; which I have largely recovered from, then a very minor TIA a few months later.
I have been in need if a new hip due to osteoarthritis, but I read somewhere that having an operation after a stroke increases the chances of another stroke, for some unknown reason. I know we are all different, and everybody’s situations are different, but I wonder what are opinions on this situation.
You will have to balance the benefit of a new hip against the risk. Doctors can advise but only you know how your hip affects you.
I thought the risk was at its highest in the first 6 monhhs and then reduces over time. For me, it woikd be weighing up the risks vs the benefits and I guess would depend a lot on how much pain I was in and whether I could manage it.
Surgeons are unlikely to.operate where the risk is too high.
My mum had a hip replacement a little while back and that was done under epidural rather than a general anaesthetic. That may be a brtter option.
I needed an operation when I broke my ankle earlier this year, They gave me an epidural rather than a general anaesthetic.
I’m 63 I had my left hip replaced a couple of years before my stroke, about 9yrs ago. The pain of the osteoarthritis I was controlling quite well.
It wasn’t until the hip started locking up when sitting that I decided to have it replaced. Because when I stood up my leg would remain bent in the sit position. And that took a bit of rolling around on the floor or kick my leg out to get it to straighten. The next stage would have been a wheelchair if I could no longer straighten it out to walk.
I’ve since broken my ankle on that leg and then had my stroke. If I was in a wheelchair after my stroke, I don’t believe I could have reached the level of good recovery that I have now due to that lack of mobility.
The surgeon won’t operate if they don’t think you are physically up it and will take your age and physical ability, heart condition etc into consideration. In fact, they do have a pre op procedure which includes physical exercises that they put you through to decide whether or not you are a good candidate for the procedure. They won’t waste your time and theirs performing an operation that you won’t reep the benefits of. So why not go ahead and request the hip replacement anyway, because goodness knows when you’ll get that first consultation anyway.
I assume you’re taking all your post stroke medications, so you should be as protected as anyone else. Naturally, there is always going to be some risk, all procedure are, even for the fittest and healthiest of people.
For you, becoming immobile from the arthritis might be more of a risk to your health than having the op. Only you can decide that with the consultant who performs the op.
If it were me, I would go for it if the consultant agreed. The physio after is nothing I’ve already been doing to keep myself mobile after my stroke anyway. But if the consultant doesn’t feel you can put in the months of work to get back to full mobility after, then they won’t grant you the op because of the risk of failure in the replacement. The risk of dislocation is at its highest in the first 3-6 months. As the leg gets stronger the risk reduces…so long as you keep up with all the leg strengthening exercises. And it takes at least a year to regain full strength and stability.
Good luck 
Lorraine
Hypothetically speaking, if I was in your shoes, I would opt for the operation.
Why?
In conclusion, I say yes to hip replacement and would book my appointment 
Wishing you all the best.
:pray
As we all agree, there is always an element of risk to any operation, of anything happening aside from stroke.
I think the real question you are asking is, at the grand old age of 80, is it really worth the risk of having the op. You have full use of your arms and legs to get out and about and stil do things.
So I suppose the question is, how debilitating is the osteoarthritis? How disabling is it?
If you are at the stage I was, then yes it’s worth the risk.
If you are in constant pain, then yes, it’s worth the risk.
If it is preventing you from doing things, then yes, it’s worth the risk.
And another plus is, you won’t be popping as many pain pills once you are over the initial op. That also will reduce some of the risk to your current state of health.
Lorraine