Experiences with bone grafting

[needadvancement]

I'm trying to look for info on long term risks of hip bone grafting in particular but I'm having some trouble finding it. It seems autografts are said to be the most stable for jaw surgery procedures, though some say the long term risks to the hip could be substantial. Any experiences or studies to share here please? Thanks.

[needadvancement]

I've been searching up old posts here where people talk about their grafting. Most of the complaints seem to be about the scars, not so much about the hip's overall recovery.

Anybody who had it done willing to share how your hip has healed short and long term? Thanks in advance I'd appriciate it.

[Gadwins]

So if you talk in this forum about grafts from the hip, I will assume you mean only graft with bone marrow from the hip like for chin wing for example. So I had such hip bone grafting and I can say, that compared with the aesthetical result of the procedure, it wasn't worth it. Everything healed, but it took several months and you have alot of pain at the beginning, especially if you are coughing it feels like something is tearing apart inside at the procedure side and you have to hold your hand over the hip scar and push it down while you are coughing. That is also what surgeons recommend to do.

Also for several months you just limp.
The scar is also a bit nasty, because it is a spot where you stretch alot when you are moving, so the scar does not heal nicely, especially if you are younger. Remember, scars heal aesthetical better the older you get.

So if it is not medical necessary, but only for aesthetical reasons, it is not worth it.

[needadvancement]

So if you talk in this forum about grafts from the hip, I will assume you mean only graft with bone marrow from the hip like for chin wing for example. So I had such hip bone grafting and I can say, that compared with the aesthetical result of the procedure, it wasn't worth it. Everything healed, but it took several months and you have alot of pain at the beginning, especially if you are coughing it feels like something is tearing apart inside at the procedure side and you have to hold your hand over the hip scar and push it down while you are coughing. That is also what surgeons recommend to do.

Also for several months you just limp.
The scar is also a bit nasty, because it is a spot where you stretch alot when you are moving, so the scar does not heal nicely, especially if you are younger. Remember, scars heal aesthetical better the older you get.

So if it is not medical necessary, but only for aesthetical reasons, it is not worth it.

Thanks for being candid. Not knowing how long it's been since your surgery, how do you feel about the recovery now not counting the scar? Does the hip feel and function the same as before?

And just speculating here, but is it possible yours was tougher because chin wing requires a larges piece of bone to get cut out(I'm assuming).

I guess some surgeons tend to understate things like this because limping for months was not even implied when I discussed it with them.

[Gadwins]

Now it is good, i think. Although I have the feeling not to sprint like before, but I think it is not related due the surgery.
No it has nothing to do how much was harvested from the hip.

Remember the bone marrow gets cuts out, not the outer bone. You won't have any step off, but there is a nerve, which goes down to your harmstring and can be damaged. Surgeon told me this only 12hours before the surgery.

[needadvancement]

Now it is good, i think. Although I have the feeling not to sprint like before, but I think it is not related due the surgery.
No it has nothing to do how much was harvested from the hip.

Remember the bone marrow gets cuts out, not the outer bone. You won't have any step off, but there is a nerve, which goes down to your harmstring and can be damaged. Surgeon told me this only 12hours before the surgery.

If you say you regret it and despite your honesty you feel that it doesn't have any long term adverse effects, I don't find it discouraging to go through with it by the sounds of it. Scars I can live with(I already got some) but this chinless face I cannot. Lol.

Btw did you need a drain(how long) and stay at the hospital? And I'm gonna be taking about 6 weeks off from work to rest and rehabilitate. My job is pretty physical work, I do wonder how I'm gonna handle all the kneeling and climbing stuff I'll have to do. If it's just a limp though I can.

[Gadwins]

My surgeon even discouraged me to any walking longer than 30min, even after 6 weeks of surgery. This surgery is no joke, but the surgeons just try to make it seems harmless. Recovery was no joke and can be really discouraged. I don't have a physical work, but I do really a lot of sport with heavy weights and mountaineering. It was not easy to come back at my performance and even to get better than before.

I am just telling it, because I also thought, that all the casuals who do just their low intense gym training are not comparable to me. And I thought, if a surgeon perform this kind of surgery maybe even at some obese people, why shouldn't I be suited for this?

The truth is, that the surgeon only care if you can come back to your "average" daily routine. If you can't do your high intense sport, they just don't care.

Consult with a doctor who is specialized on athletes, before you decide to undergo such a surgery. All the other doctors already think, that 50kg is heavy weight. Many doctors are just caught off guard, if you ask them something about sport. And even then, they think maybe about some light cardio.


What was really absurd, that the surgeon also told me before, that I can go back to sport after 6 weeks. But even after 6 weeks he just kept me telling, that I should only do low volume. So I was really discouraged to go all out, even if I could.

[needadvancement]

Well they did talk about 'weeks of rehabilitation' although reassuring that the recovery wouldn't take very very long.

I don't do sports but for my job there's almost daily use of some minor ladder climbing, and sometimes intensive scaffold climbing. I can avoid the latter if I still have trouble after my 5/6 weeks off to recover. I am gonna be taking supplements for the bone healing and do physical therapy, hopefully this speeds everything up.

I definitely don't underestimate this surgery, my only main concern is that I have no issues long term in the future.