r/hipdysplasia

Hi everyone!

I’m looking for any and all experiences because I’m honestly torn on what to do.
I’ve been diagnosed with hip dysplasia, hypermobility, and a labral tear. I also have some mild cam impingement/early wear. My doctor was very straightforward and said surgery would hopefully buy me 10–15 years before needing hip replacements, which is a lot to process.
For context, I’m a mom of two, and my youngest is currently 8 months old, so recovery and daily life with little kids is a huge factor in my decision.
The surgery discussed was hip arthroscopy with labral repair and femoral osteoplasty. I’m trying to understand what real-life recovery looks like, especially for anyone who also has dysplasia and/or hypermobility.
I’d love to hear:
● Did surgery help you?
● How hard was the recovery?
● Did you end up needing more surgery later?
● Did anyone regret doing it or regret waiting?
● How did you manage recovery with small kids?
● If you were told it was to “buy time” before replacement, was it worth it?
I know everyone’s situation is different, but I’d really appreciate honest experiences.. good, bad, and everything in between.

28Y female, I can't believe it. Yesterday I had to go to the ER due to severe pain and instability in my hip that's been happening over the course of a week that got to the point where I couldn't walk, even with crutches. I had been using the crutches for about a week but had not been able to put any weight on my left leg (my left hip is my more problematic hip). The severe pain and instability (rocking and grinding sensation in my left hip joint) was spurred on due to me sitting into my left hip at work while standing at my desk and it proceeded to pop out.

I had my left PAO done in April 2017 when I was 18 and turned 19 while I was in the hospital. I had the right PAO October 2017. Both PAOs were done at a world-renowned hospital, which I thought would be a good thing. At the end of August 2019, I had a left hip arthroscopy at a different hospital which I knew was more of a long shot chance at pain relief but I was desperate and against my better judgment and despite all the research I had done stating that most labral tears are asymptomatic, I proceeded anyway.

Here I am now, 28 years old in the middle of my medical assistant program and I have to use a wheelchair until further notice. I see my former hip arthroscopy surgeon on Monday, but at this point I don't know how much good another hip arthroscopy could do for me despite it being recommended by two doctors I've seen in the last week. At this point I just want to get my hips replaced, starting with the left one. I've done the physical therapy, the corticosteroid shots, the RICEing, I've been wearing my old hip arthroscopy brace for a week including sleeping with it on, I've taken the medications that were supposed to help and had breakthrough pain (MORPHINE barely took the edge off my pain last night at the hospital) I've done the PAOs and a hip arthroscopy, and I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis after the hip arthroscopy. This morning on my x-ray results I see the phrasing

"Mild hip dysplasia"

It's back.

Despite everything, it's back. I feel like I've come full circle in the worst way, and now I'm worse off than before. I'm not sure how bad the osteoarthritis is at this point but I imagine my surgeon will order new imaging soon. Has anyone gone through something similar? What were your experiences with it? Did a total hip replacement/THA help? If anyone has any advice, perhaps questions they suggest I ask my surgeon, PLEASE let me know. I'm normally a lurker but I'm desperate for any wisdom I can get.

I’m 22 years old
PAO isn’t possible in my case - the doctors say it’s up to me to make the decision between osteotomy and hip replacement

What speaks for the triple osteotomy is keeping my own joint longer (I’ll eventually need a hip replacement, but later in life) which is advice but that’s the only thing for me personally which speaks for the operation

Contra side is four medium/large scars (I’ll also need a femoral osteotomy), a long recovery and still having the risk to not be pain free afterwards

And that’s the main point which makes me rather want the total replacement now than to gain a few extra years (10/20/30?) with my natural joint but still be at risk of being in pain - even though I have to switch it probably sooner/more often

I know that there are also negative sides of the replacement but right now I can’t see that the triple osteotomy is the better choice

The condition of left my hip is as followed:
- LCEA: 15°
- Borderline dysplasia on the right (LCEA 24°)
- Mild superolateral femoral head decentering/subluxation
- Degenerative anterosuperior labral tear
- Focal cartilage thinning
- Focal cartilage defects in the weight-bearing zone
- Subchondral bone marrow edema
- Subchondral cysts in the acetabular roof
Joint space: 2 mm
SI joints normal

Now my question is - has anyone been in a similar situation (with a similar hip condition?) and regretted choosing the osteotomy over the hip replacement/the other way around?

Hey Everyone!

Had a left hip arthroscopy performed back in November to fix a significant CAM, large labral tear, and had microfracture due to cartilage damage.

I've always had intermittent right hip pain as well, but it really flared after my left hip surgery so I've been seeing a dysplasia specialist to try and decide if I should get a PAO on my right hip. Currently have a small labral tear, CAM, and LCEA about 16-17.

I met with her yesterday and she was pretty adamant that I needed to get the steroid injection in my right hip for her to be able to use it as a diagnostic test, and I was curious if anybody else has had this experience with a hip surgeon before. She's been patient and realistic in our conversations thus far so my first assumption was that she wanted to exhaust all conservative measures in addition to gaining some insight into my pain symptoms I guess based on how I do with the injection.

Any insight is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Ok I’m gonna try to explain the best I can, sorry if this is just a bunch of word vomit, but pretty much I’m 23(f) and I was born with severe congenital hip dysplasia (ddh I think it’s called?).
I was born without a left hip socket, and my right hip socket was extremely shallow. It wasn’t found until I was 3 years old which of course led to me getting 4 surgeries between the ages of 3-8. My last surgery was just the doctors taking out the plate and pins that held my new socket and bone in place. I was told that I was all fixed and shouldn’t really have any issues. I still had to do check ins with the dr who did the surgeries every 2 years after that but besides that no more hospitals which 8 y.o me was excited about.

Until I turned 9 and started to notice that after a few hours of running around and playing my hips would feel funny. I didn’t think of it much, my parents and drs told me it was just “ghost pains” as they would put it so I wasn’t really worried. By the time I hit my teens my hips would start hurting after maybe an hour or two of just standing/walking, let alone running. I would try to tell my parents but they just said it was all in my head. When I was 16 at one of bi-annual check ups I mentioned everything to my doctor. To say he was dismissive would be an understatement. He pretty much said oh that happens if you have surgery on your hips, you’ll also probably be more susceptible to arthritis in your 30s to 40s. Worse case scenario being ending up in a wheel chair.
Pretty much this is how it’s gone with every dr I try to talk to about my hip issues since. Either I’m told there’s nothing wrong (despite calcification being found in my hips recently), it’s in my head, or that I should just try to work out more.

I turn 23 in 8 days. I can’t stand or walk for more that 5-10 minutes without severe pain. I constantly have this feeling of popping and grating in my left hip. Some days I can’t put any weight on it, others it will pop really loud and I can’t move it at all. I’m just at a loss of what to do because nobody believes me or seems to want to help me. I don’t know what to do or who to even reach out to.
If anyone has any similar experience or advice pls let me know, sorry for the essay lol

Hi! I’ve been diagnosed with hip dysplasia for a few years now and am finally getting surgery after failed PT and years and years of debilitating pain. I have bilateral labral tears, and am getting surgery only on my right hip in hopes that the pain on my left side will subside (if not, another surgery is in question). Does anyone have any advice for post-op?

The past couple nights I've been in so much pain I can barely sleep. It's unbearable to the point where I've resorted to trying to stretch and pop my hip just for a few seconds of relief. I know I shouldn't but it hurts so much, I just want it to stop. Pain meds (tylenol/ibuprofen) don't do anything. I've tried heating pads and pillows. I don't know what else to do and I'm desperate. Is there ANYTHING else I can try?? I just want to sleep.

Hi everyone. I’m new to the sub but so glad I found it. I am 41, moderately active now, but former competitive runner and dancer for many years. I had an initial diagnosis of a labrum tear and cam type hip impingement. Really significant pain rather suddenly after having mild to moderate periodic pain for about five years, which I either ignored or doctors told me I needed to work out more. Insert eye roll here.

When the pain became super intense (right side, no inciting incident though I’d started lifting a bit more recently), I started down the path of a sports medicine doctor, imaging, seeing a physiatrist for injection into my lumbar spine (did nothing), and finally back to the sports medicine doctor and referred to a surgeon. The surgeon I was referred to specializes in the same type of surgery I see many of you having - arthroscopic. I saw her this morning for the first time and we did the usual going over my symptoms and exam and the imaging. She showed me the tear and hip impingement, which were obvious on the MRI. Then, the unfortunate part began. She showed me on the x-ray that I have somewhat significant hip dysplasia in both hips and asked if I knew about that. Nope never came up before. She noted that i have extreme hyper mobility, likely EDS, which i did know.

In light of the dysplasia and hypermobility, she told me that I am not a good candidate for arthroscopic or traditional labrum repair surgery as she didn’t feel confident at all that I’d have a good outcome. I asked her- if I just had the labrum tear and impingement whether she would have recommended that I have the surgery, and she said, absolutely. I was really bummed. I’ve been in pretty extreme pain for about 3 months now and it’s really wearing on me and limiting my ability to work (desk job, but not even the sit stand desk can save me here). She didn’t refer me to another surgeon, but mentioned there are surgeons who specialize in dysplasia, though as usually treated when people are much younger. This is at HSS in NYC, so I feel like they should have options… I get it but on the other hand, I have more issues and thus less clear surgical options?

My GP and ortho are working on potential next steps once I have a CT to further illustrate the dysplasia. My question to this seasoned and knowledgeable community is whether any of you have had this combination of issues, which removed the option of arthroscopic surgery, and the path you ended up taking. I’m feeling pretty discouraged because I had a lot of hope I’d have a surgery booked today and relief on the horizon even if not immediate. And now I have no clue.

Thank you so much. Appreciate any experience or insight anyone can share!

southeast mi. one that currently accepts Medicaid.

looking for a Dr that won’t dismiss the pain and actually go for proper diagnosis and scanning.

also I’m open to traveling to Ohio or anywhere else that accepts Medicaid. thank you

I have severe hip/leg pain. I have dealt with the pain for almost 4 years now and it has only gotten worse. For a while doctors just blamed it on sciatica. I was at work and while at work I had a huge surge of pain in my hip and leg that caused me to collapse onto the ground and almost pass out from just the pain alone. They ended up dragging me onto a wheelchair and then I was taken to the ER by ambulance where they did x-rays, said everything looked good and gave me pain meds I wasn't even supposed to have. I broke down and asked what I should do cause obviously something is wrong. The doctor recommended that I get in contact with an Orthopedic. I do that, go to my first appointment, do an MRI Scan and then go to my appointment for my scan results. The Orthopedics tell me that in the front side area of my hip/leg and the back there are deteriorating nerves and that I have a slight tear in my ligament. They tell me that because I have already done physical therapy and have taken anti-inflammatories that there is nothing they can do. I broke down at the appointment because at this point I am most likely losing my job as it's very physical and requires standing and lifting and everything for 8 hours or more. What do I even do at this point? Is there another kind of specialist? Do I try to see another Ortho? Or am I just screwed.

Just venting because I am so sick of this hip pain. Been on a NHS “urgent” waitlist for 9 months. Just want my PAO.

Someone tell me it gets better! 😂😭

hi! i‘m 32F and found out 2 years ago that i have bilateral hip dysplasia. after trying to manage pain with PT the last 2 years, i finally requested an mri and ct scan to see if im a good candidate for a PAO surgery. just received disappointing news that due to the amount of arthritis, the surgeon does not recommend the surgery. has anyone else received similar news? what are you doing to manage the pain and what is keeping you going? i grew up very active and truly saddened by this. i want to stay active and mobile for as long as possible.

any tips would be greatly appreciated.

36 female. After years of pain that ended up spreading to outer muscles and causing dysfunction to my entire gait and posture, 2 years of pelvic floor PT that at times hurt me and was focused on my symptoms being psychosomatic plus multiple doctors dismissing me, a small spur was seen on X-ray. So I pushed for more imaging and they found impingement and edema. I had to push for more appointments again and one ortho found hip dysplasia. He referred me to a sports surgeon whom downplayed how much pain I should be feeling because my case is mild.

So from my understanding, if I have mild dysplasia then I shouldn't have as much damage or pain. But this has cost me so much as far as quality of life. I cant stand for long periods, cant hike or play with my dog anymore, dance or do anything without becoming exhausted from the long duration of having pain. He explained he wanted to do PT to strengthen the glutes. I am not saying my glutes are very strong but I am a decently fit person so its hard to believe glute strength will significantly reduce my pain. He told me that POA may be too hard on me as far as recovery, and to wait 10-15 years for a full hip replacement. We are supposed to do an injection soon, and a week after he is doing ultrasound. I am assuming for more info on damage.

I just feel more confused than I was before, and I just really don't want to accept living with pain. I have lost work due to combined mental health and issues with this. I hope there is a solution for me.

*Edit* you are all incredibly helpful. sometimes its a relief just to know I am not alone. I will take all the advice and try to keep updating.

I’m 14f and had my left PAO exactly a week ago. In the hospital, I took almost no heavy pain meds (just oxycodone to help me sleep the first night) and passed PT with “flying colors” (as my doctor said). My pain stayed mostly below 5, and if I stayed still long enough I basically couldn’t feel it.

I spent two nights in the hospital and had an uneventful 1-hr drive home (that was definitely uncomfortable). At home, I only took one Tylenol the day after I came back and other than that, I’ve only been on aspirin twice a day. My pain is definitely under control. It spikes whenever I stand up/sit down but only for a few moments. Also, sudden abdominal movements like sneezing, coughing, and laughing hurt like hell, but it would probably be better if I took my Tylenol.

This was really surprising to me, since I’ve heard that PAO can be very painful. Generally I’ve been known to be very sensitive to pain: my period cramps can make it impossible to focus in school, papercuts sting for days, and bruises seem to bother me more than everyone else. I fully expected to be taking oxycodone for weeks.

I guess what I’m trying to say is: if you haven’t had surgery yet and you’re nervous about it, don’t worry! Just because many people find it painful doesn’t mean that everyone does. And if you’ve had surgery, please comment with how your pain has been because I’m honestly curious how bad it’s supposed to be.

Hi all,

I had bilateral intra-articular hip injections under fluoroscopy done on 02/13/2026. Now 4.5 months later, they are wearing off. I have *enjoyed* my new found mobility, but unfortunately they are wearing off and hurting pretty badly, especially my left side which is going down to my knee.

What can I do? Because I’ve been without pain in my hips, my life feels normal and I’m scared to hurt again. Any advice appreciated.

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.