Just had a PAO + Labral Tear Repair on Monday! Up and moving early, fought low BP, and turns out my pain pump wasn't even working. AMA!
Hey everyone, long time lerker M37
I’m currently on Day 4 (Friday) recovering from a combined Periacetabular Osteotomy (PAO) scope and labral tear repair that I had this past Monday. It’s been a wild few days, but I wanted to share my experience while it’s fresh and answer any questions for those anticipating this surgery!
A few highlights from my journey so far:
Early Mobility: I was actually up and moving my surgical leg by Tuesday (Day 1)!
The Day 2 Faint: PT on Day 2 was a bit of a reality check. My blood pressure absolutely tanked, and I actually passed out during the session. Keep an eye on those vitals when you first get vertical! This was SCARY for me.
The "Accidental" Pain Test: Honestly, the pain has not been that bad overall. In fact, we discovered that my pain pump wasn't even working for the first three days, and I didn't even notice. I guess my baseline tolerance was ready for this, or the nerve blocks did some heavy lifting.
Current Quirks: My thigh is pretty numb right now. The care team tells me this is a fairly common side effect due to nerve stretching/disruption during the procedure, so I'm not sweating it too much. I have well managed health anxiety that was trying to flair after I passed out but was able to get it under control with the help of an amazing OP.
Overall, I am incredibly happy I went through with it. If you are on the fence, anxious about the immediate aftermath, or curious about the hospital timeline, ask me anything - already planning for the 2nd one in December on the other side.