Question: In January I fractured my hip and consequently had a replacement. Now four months later I still have a lot of pain in the groin and femur. Apparently the cause of this is because the cement surrounding the femur is loose. I am 79 years old and have been advised by my doctor that I should not risk having a second hip replacement. At the moment I am taking Pontallsic 37.5 mg/325 mg to relieve the pain, but my doctor has suggested if these tablets are not sufficient I should have morphine patches. Would you advise this and could you please tell me of any side effects I should expect? Thank you.

I explained in my last question that I fractured my hip in January and consequently had a replacement. I should point out that this operation was carried out in a general hospital which was not at all satisfactory. I was there for twelve days with little treatment and never helped to walk. My husband then decided that I should be taken to a private clinic where I was told that I had an irregular heart beat and that I was suffering from anaemia which consequently required seven blood transfusions. I was in this clinic for two weeks. As part of my treatment I was put on sintrom and received ECG's twice a day for the heart condition so that by the time I left the clinic my heart beat was normal. After leaving the clinic I received three physiotherapy sessions each week, but unfortunately, I was in considerable pain. My new Orthopaedic surgeon advised that I should have a Gammagrafia Osea plus a subsequent scan to try to find out what was causing the pain. The scans reported nothing unusual and that, on the surface, the operation was a success. I then told my surgeon that I only receive pain in the femur and groin when I walk. When I lie down or am sitting in a chair I receive no pain at all. He came to the conclusion that the cement is attached to the spike of the artificial hip, but not to the interior of the femur, and , therefore, advised that I should have a second replacement. Following his advice I had a meeting with the XXXXXXX doctor of the clinic and who advises me otherwise. He says because of my age (I will be 80 years old in November), a second operation is a dangerous risk. Removing the replacement hip with another could be very lengthy and at this stage it is not known what will be found inside. He says that he is assessing everything from my point of view following the stress I received after the first operation and strongly advises against it. Whereas I can put up with the pain with the Pontallsic tablets, I would be grateful for your opinion as to whether I should have the operation or not? Thank you.