What is Hip Replacement Surgery?
The hip is a 'ball and socket' joint that is susceptible to wear
and tear which can be caused by injury or various bone diseases
including osteoarthritis. This can often lead to severe pain
and lack of mobility affecting your daily life, which will worsen
over time. If medication cannot help, then the best option
maybe an operation where your affected hip joint is replaced with
an artificial one.
After the operation, you should be able to walk much better and
carry out more of your normal activities.
What does this involve?
Hip Replacement surgery is done in hospital usually under
general anaesthetic though regional anaesthetic can also be
used. You would normally be admitted the evening before the
operation and normal checks will be carried out. An injection
to thin your blood will be given the same evening.
You will not be able to eat for eight hours prior to surgery
although you will be able to drink small amounts of water up to
four hours before.
Before the operation, your Consultant Anaesthetist will visit
you to discuss which anaesthetic technique is best for you and,
once the anaesthetic is administered, you will be fitted with a
urinary catheter which will need to remain in place for a couple of
days.
The operation itself takes between 60 and 90 minutes and your
Surgeon will make a small cut on the side of your hip and remove
the damaged ball and socket. This will be replaced with an
artificial joint which can be made of metal, plastic, ceramic or a
combination of these materials, an acrylic cement is used to bond
the new joint directly onto your bone.
Once the operation is over you would normally stay in the
Theatre Recovery area for six hours where specially trained
recovery nurses will monitor you
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When will I recover?
You are likely to stay in hospital for four to seven days after
the operation and during this time we will get you mobile as soon
as possible. We will assist you to stand on the same day if
the operation is carried out in the morning, if not then early on
the next day. You will be able to go home once you are
comfortable, walking confidently and are able to go up and down
stairs with the help of a walking stick or crutch. Your
Physiotherapists will advise you on exercises in order to get you
back to normal living and your Nurses will provide you a Discharge
Advice sheet.
You should see your own doctor's practice nurse about two weeks
after the operation who can contact your consultant if there are
any concerns - our Physiotherapists will see you a further two
weeks later. You will have an out patient appointment with
your Consultant after six weeks once an X- ray of your hip has been
taken.
In general the first six weeks after surgery are about
recovering from the operation - the next six weeks are about
getting back to normal. Each patient is different of
course and some people may recover quicker. There will be
some restriction on driving and advice will be provided on when you
can return to work.
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What risks should I know about?
Hip Replacement surgery is one of the most successful operations
but there are some potential complications you should be aware
of. These only affect less than 4% of patients.
- Infection can occur although we routinely prescribe antibiotics
for the first 24 hours and our theatres have ultra-clean air
operating conditions keeping infection rates at 1-2%.
- Blood clots are possible in any major joint replacement surgery
but again are in the 1-4% category and have well established
treatments including aspirin.
- Dislocation of the joint and leg length inequality are possible
but the risk is less than 1%. This is kept to the absolute
minimum through your Consultant using the recommended posterior
approach to the hip joint and excellent discharge advice from your
physiotherapists and nurses with a home visit if needed.
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Circle care
Hip surgery is carried out in our specialist Hip Unit at
CircleBath where England's best Surgeons have created a centre of
excellence. You can be sure of state of the art facilities
and the best possible care to get you back on your feet as soon as
possible.
To read more on a patient's perspective on hip surgery at
CircleBath, click
here.
To read more on the hip unit at CircleBath, click here.
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