It's Hip to be Zsa Zsa, Dahling!

Aug 17, 2010 | Stacy Matson | Celebrity Health
It's Hip to be Zsa Zsa, Dahling!

image by: Public Domain

Total hip replacement is one of the most common orthopedic surgeries for people over 60 and is successful more than 90% of the time. Typically postop recovery is fairly straightforward, unfortunately that doesn’t appear to be the case for Zsa Zsa

Zsa Zsa Gabor, the super glamorous socialite/actress from the 1950’s recently underwent hip replacement surgery after falling out of bed almost a month ago. Zsa Zsa was taken to UCLA Medical Center by ambulance following the accident and underwent a three-and-a-half hour surgery. First reports were very optimistic…however; she’s now reportedly on a breathing tube and has been given her last rites.

In her day Zsa Zsa was the epitome of European glamour and self-indulgence.  She is best known for her many, many marriages, nine in all. Among her husbands are Oscar-winning actor George Sanders and Conrad Hilton – grandfather of Paris Hilton. She’s also had several scandalous relationships: she loved married men, had an affair with the President of Turkey and dabbled a bit with bigamy.  A constant guest on the talk show circuit, Zsa Zsa made a name for herself by joking about her love of men, jewelry and furs.

So, one would think that the feisty 93 year old wouldn’t be slowed by a little thing like a new hip.  But apparently she’s been recovering from her injuries much more slowly than her doctors had originally estimated.  Zsa Zsa’s doctors had announced that she would be able to go home a few days after the surgery, but an infection and subsequent shock changed those plans. She wound up staying in the hospital for nearly a month, was released, readmitted, released, and once again, readmitted to the hospital a few days ago following a “setback.”

Zsa Zsa’s age and the fact that she’s had a pretty rough decade may be why she is recovering so slowly. She’s partially paralyzed from a 2002 car accident, rumors of a mini stroke in 2003, followed by a full-blown stroke in 2005. Her publicist, John Blanchette says she has been “pretty much bedridden and wheelchair-bound for the last eight years. She's fragile, but she's still very bright. Her faculties are intact, but her body's failing her.” So sad.  

Total hip replacement (THP) is one of the most common orthopedic surgeries for people over 60 and is successful more than 90% of the time. THP can benefit those suffering from a variety of hip problems caused by wear and tear, disease, or an injury. THP involves removing a diseased hip joint and replacing it with an artificial joint (prosthesis). The hip prosthesis consists of a ball, made of metal or ceramic, and a socket made of plastic, ceramic or metal. The material used in hip replacements are biocompatible (your body won’t reject it) and they're designed to resist corrosion, degradation and wear.

Symptoms that might lead you to consider a hip replacement include: pain that keeps you awake at night with little or no relief from medications, difficulty walking up or down stairs, trouble rising from a seated position and having to stop activities you enjoy, such as walking, because you're in too much pain.

Side effects and complications are minimal and fairly uncommon. The most likely complication after surgery is hip dislocation. Because a man-made hip is smaller than the original joint the ball can come out of its socket. The surgery can also cause blood clots and infections, both of which Zsa Zsa experienced.  In most cases though, a new hip joint will reduce the pain felt before surgery and can increase the range of motion in the joint. And in time, you may be able to swim, play golf, walk or ride a bike.  That is, if you were already able to do those activities.

We are living longer these days thanks in part to medical advances and our awareness of the things that make us healthy and keep us healthy.


Stacy Matson is a health enthusiast from Southern California and regularly blogs on Celebrity Health for A Healthier World, as well as contributing to the Best of the Best.

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