Hip replacement – A brief description of the procedure:
An artificial implant replaces all or part of your hip (prosthesis) during this surgery. It is usually done on adults when other treatments like using a cane or walker, losing weight, taking medicine, or doing physical therapy haven’t helped. A hip replacement may be needed in case of:
- Osteoarthritis.
- Inflammatory arthritis.
- Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome.
- Hip fracture or dislocation from a sudden fall.
- Developmental hip dysplasia.
- A hip injury.
- Osteonecrosis.
- Childhood hip disorders
What is the hip composed of?
Your hip is a joint that connects your thigh bone (femur) to your pelvis. It is a ball-and-socket joint. Your femur has a ball-shaped “head” at the top, which fits into the acetabulum (the socket). Around the joint, ligaments, tendons, and muscles hold it in place. Your hip joint is the most mobile and flexible one in your body. It can move back and forth, to the side, and even twist.
The different types of the hip joint that are involved in the procedure:
Total hip replacement:
During a total hip replacement, a prosthesis is put in place of both the femoral head and the acetabulum.
Partial hip replacement:
In a partial replacement, only the femoral head is changed. This is usually done for people who have broken their hips in specific ways.
The signs that might be an indication to get a hip replacement:
Some of the following signs could be problems that can fix. Among them are:
- Pain in the groin area and the front of the hip.
- Pain in the area of the buttock and trochanter.
- Pain when moving and when at rest.
- When you put weight on the leg, the pain gets worse.
- Stiffness/tightness of the hip.
- Loss of motion.
- Difficulty sleeping.
- Difficulty walking.
- Difficulty putting on shoes and socks.
What is involved before the hip replacement procedure?
The orthopaedic surgeon will check you out before the surgery. The doctor could:
Ask about your health history and the medicines you take now.
Check your hip, paying attention to how far the joint can move and how strong the muscles around it are.
Get an X-ray and blood tests done. Rarely you would need an MRI.
During this appointment, you can ask anything you want to know about the procedure. Find out which medicines you should stop taking or keep taking in the week before your surgery.
Since using tobacco can make it harder to get better, it’s best to stop using it. Talk to your doctor for help if you need it. Choose the best hip replacement surgeons to undergo the procedure.
For whom undergoing a hip replacement may not be an option?
Not everyone needs surgery to put in a new hip. Even if someone is in pain and can’t move their hip as well as they should, they aren’t automatically considered for a hip replacement. You might not be able to undergo the procedure if:
- An active infection.
- An immature skeleton.
- Irreversible or permanent muscle weakness.
- Complicated medical conditions like heart attacks or anemia.
Is it safe to do hip replacement surgery?
As with any invasive treatment, hip replacement is usually the last option, chosen only after other, less invasive methods have been tried and failed. So, if medicines, physical therapy, and other treatments don’t work, the doctor would usually suggest surgery to replace the hip.
Hip replacement surgery has been done for more than 50 years. With the improvement of technology and medicine over the years and decades, a lot has changed. Hip replacement is now seen as one of the safest surgeries that can be done.
Advantages that are associated with the procedure:
Most people who get a hip replacement feel like their overall quality of life and mobility have improved.
Getting rid of pain is often the main reason why people have surgery. At first, you should expect to feel some discomfort from the surgery, but you’ll be given medicine to help. Within the first two weeks after surgery, the pain from the surgery should start to get better. But some people will have pain for a longer time, which may require more treatment in some cases.
You can also expect to be able to move around better, though a hip replacement may not give you as much freedom as a healthy . You may find it easier to move around if you have less pain. But you’ll probably get better faster if you do things to help yourself get better, like doing the exercises your doctor gives you on a regular basis.
After the surgery, some feel like one leg is longer than the other. This could be because you’ve gotten used to walking in a way that makes your painful hip feel better. Physiotherapy should help if this is the case. If there really is a difference in leg length, you might need a shoe insert or insole to fix it. Seek help from the best orthopedic treatment in Coimbatore in case you are looking to undergo hip replacement.
How long does recovery from a hip replacement take?
Your surgery recovery will start 24 hours after your surgery. Most people who have had hip replacement surgery are able to walk with a cane, walker, or crutches within a day or two. As the days go by, you will walk longer distances and more often. Depending on the patient’s general health and other factors, it usually takes anywhere from two to eight weeks for them to get better.
Important takeaway:
A hip replacement is a major surgery for people whose daily lives are severely affected by crippling pain and loss of range of motion. Getting a hip replacement is a big decision that shouldn’t be made on the spur of the moment. There are risks, and it can take months to get better. Speak to your orthopaedic to understand the hip replacement surgery cost before making the decision to undergo the procedure.
