How does a broken hip heal without surgery?

It will not heal without surgery; however this will probably mean that your father will never walk again. It is time to put that phase into play where the caregiving will change tremendously.

The probable reason behind the surgeon saying it is not a good choice for him, is that the surgery is too risky for your father, given his health. The chances of survival is very slim and the anesthesia advances the severity of the disease.

My 83 year-old mother had a hip fracture in early March of this year. She was misdiagnosed for two weeks and, after two separate x-rays, was finally admitted to hospital with a confirmed fracture. She too was told that surgery would not be performed and that the fracture would heal with bed rest.

After six weeks and another x-ray, my Mum was released from hospital. She was pain free and was allowed to finally put weight on her injured hip. She had one good pain free week at home and then was in excruciating pain all over again. We rushed her by ambulance back to the hospital and, sure enough, the original fracture had come apart (she has osteoporosis) and, as a result also damaged the femur on the same same side.

My mother has since had surgery - bipolar arthroplasty - a week and a half ago. The surgery was performed using a spinal anesthetic. She is still in pain and we expect her recovery to be a long process, but we are fortunate that this option was available to her.

Wshing you and your family all the best. ((hugs))