What is a hip replacement surgery?Hip replacement surgery is the removal of a damaged hip joint and putting in a new one called prosthesis. It may be ...
What is a hip replacement surgery?
Hip replacement surgery is the removal of a damaged hip joint and putting in a new one called prosthesis. It may be done under a general anesthesia or an epidural one. The operation will usually last for about an hour or two,
during which the surgeon may make a six- to eight-inch incision over the side of the hip through the muscles and takes away the injured bone tissue and cartilage from the hip joint while leaving the healthy parts of the joint unharmed.
Who needs a hip replacement?
The leading cause for an individual to have a hip replacement surgery is osteoarthritis. It is a joint disorder which causes pain and stiffness and is the most common type of arthritis. But other possible causes are rheumatoid arthritis, hip fractures, injuries, bone tumors, and osteonecrosis.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that may cause chronic inflammation of the joints and other areas of the body and is the second most common type of arthritis. On the other hand, osteonecrosis occurs when your bones have poor blood supply to the area. The bones die and eventually collapse, leading to pain and arthritis, and is most common in the hip and shoulder.
When will be the ideal time for a hip replacement surgery?
A hip replacement surgery is always an elective procedure. It depends on the patient if he wants to pursue an operation. However, the surgeon may suggest it, especially if the results of the lab tests show severe osteoarthritis already.
Some seek the surgical procedure when they cannot bear the pain already, or it is hard for them to perform their daily routines, and medications or other less invasive procedures have no effect at all.
What about the recovery period?
Though each patient will recover from hip surgery at a different rate, surgeons anticipate patients to return to work between six and eight weeks for office jobs and three to four months for physically demanding work. Normally, patients may return to their everyday routines between three and six months after the surgery. The typical long-term recovery for hip replacement is around six to 12 months.
What are the possible complications?
After hip replacement surgery, the most common problem that may occur is hip dislocation. The ball of the prosthesis can come out of its socket. Though, the hip may be fixed without surgery. A brace may be worn for a while if a dislocation happens. Other complications are inflammation, pain, loosening of the implant, and metallosis. Metallosis is a condition in which metal ions from all-metal bearing hip prosthesis may leak into a patient’s bloodstream causing injury to other body organs. Because of these complications, some companies pulled out their hip implant devices from the market, for instance, Stryker hip recall.
In addition, hip replacement is not for everyone. Those who are suffering from Parkinson's disease or conditions causing severe muscle weakness are more likely to harm or dislocate a hip implant. People who are in poor shape or at high risk for infection are unlikely to recover well.
If you are considering about having a hip replacement, talk to your doctor about this and weigh the risks and benefits of this surgery to you.
