Healthy Life

Hip replacement surgery is a very common procedure that is performed on patients who have lack of mobility in the hip joint. It is very common for the damage to the hip joint to be caused by arthritis but there are other factors that can bring about the need for hip replacement surgery. The surgery has a success rate of pain relief of 90%.

The hip joint works just like a ball and socket joint with the “ball” at the top of the thigh bone and the “socket” which is the pelvic bone. When the joint wears the cartilage is removed and the two bones rubbing together not only cause pain but also wear away.

Hip replacement is a procedure to remove the damaged joint and replacing it with an artificial joint. Sometimes both hips need to be replaced and this is called bilateral hip replacement. Both hips can be replaced at the same time but this is dependant on the health of the patient. The benefit of one operation for both hips is you will only be in hospital one time.
Like any other surgery there are some risks to hip replacement surgery;

• Some people suffer side effects from the anesthetic
• There is a small risk of infection
• Blood clots can develop in the lungs or legs

After the surgery you will be transferred to the orthopedic unit. The normal duration of a hospital stay for hip replacement surgery is four days. The staff in the unit will encourage you to stand and take small walks using either a walker or crutches. There will of course be some pain following the operation but that will quickly diminish .
A rehabilitation program is very important to your recovery. Sometimes the recovery is painful but it is necessary to get your joint moving normally. The hospital staff wills layout a plan to help you to recover quickly and it will involve certain points:
• Short walks using either a walker or crutches
• Walking up and down the stairs
• Healthy body posture
• Learning how to sit and walk in the correct way
• Exercising regularly to build up strength
It is very important that you only perform the exercises that your therapist has given you as some exercises can actually do damage to your new hip.
Hip replacement surgery, while a common operation it is also major surgery. The rehabilitating time is a slow process. The normal length of time for a patient to be off work can vary between four and six weeks.