Total Hip Replacement

Hip replacement surgery is a surgical procedure in which a doctor removes an arthritic hip joint and replaces it with an artificial joint consisting of metal and plastic parts. When all other care options have failed to offer sufficient pain relief, it is normally finished. The treatment can alleviate discomfort in the hip joint, allowing you to walk more easily.

Hip replacement surgery may be done the old-fashioned way or using a minimally invasive procedure. The duration of the incision is the biggest difference between the two procedures.

You will be given general anaesthesia to relax your muscles and send you into a brief deep sleep during regular hip replacement surgery. This will save you from feeling any discomfort or being conscious of the operation during the surgery. As an option, a spinal anaesthetic can be used to help prevent pain.

To show the hip joint, the doctor will make a cut along the side of the hip and pass the muscles attached to the top of the thighbone. Following that, the ball part of the joint is separated by sawing the thighbone. Then, either with cement or a special substance that allows the remaining bone to adhere to the new joint, an artificial joint is applied to the thighbone.

What is the need for hip replacement?

The following are some of the conditions that can damage the hip joint and necessitate hip replacement surgery:

1. An osteoarthritis is a form of arthritis that affects the joints. Osteoarthritis, also known as wear-and-tear arthritis, affects the slick cartilage that protects the ends of bones and allows joints to move freely.
2. Rheumatoid arthritis is a form of arthritis that affects the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is a type of inflammation caused by an overactive immune system that erodes cartilage and, in some cases, underlying bone, resulting in weakened and deformed joints.
3. Osteonecrosis is a condition that affects the bones. The bone may collapse and deform if there isn’t enough blood supply to the ball portion of the hip joint, which could happen as a result of a dislocation or fracture.

Surgery

The surgery takes a few hours to complete. Your surgeon would need to do the following to perform a hip replacement:

1. Makes an incision into the layers of tissue on the front or side of your hip.
2. Removes diseased and weakened bone and cartilage while preserving healthy bone.
3. Replaces the damaged socket with a prosthetic socket that is implanted into your pelvic bone.
4. The prosthetic ball is attached to a stem that blends into your thighbone and replaces the circular ball on the top of your femur.

After the procedure

You’ll be transferred to a treatment area for a few hours after surgery as the anaesthesia wears off. Your blood pressure, pulse, alertness, pain or comfort level, and drug needs will all be monitored by medical personnel.

Few patients are able to return home the next day, but the majority must stay in the hospital for one or two nights. To help keep fluid out of your lungs, you’ll be asked to take deep breaths, cough, or blow into a device.

You’ll probably spend four to six days in the hospital, and you’ll probably have to sleep in a wedge-shaped mattress between your legs to hold the new hip joint in place. To help you go to the toilet, a drainage tube will most likely be inserted in your bladder. Physical therapy normally starts the day after surgery, and you should be able to walk with a walker, crutches, or a cane within a few days. Physical therapy may be needed for several weeks to months after surgery.

Recovery

Patients can increase their recovery time and outcomes by taking these steps both before and after surgery. It’s important to follow the orthopaedic surgeon’s, medical team’s, and recovery therapist’s orders and advice. Preparing for Your Surgery provides guidance on preoperative hip replacement courses and joint replacement patient education resources.

1. Your recovery will begin in the Post-Anaesthesia Care Unit (PACU) immediately following surgery, where your medical team will treat your pain and monitor your vital signs.
2. You will be transferred to an inpatient recovery room to be monitored until the anaesthesiologist is comfortable with your condition.
3. A dressing and tube for drainage will most likely be placed on your thigh, which can be removed the day after surgery.
4. The pain management team will evaluate your prescription and employ a multifaceted strategy to ensure your comfort and mobility during the recovery process.

Risks

The surgery is extremely secure, but all surgeries carry risks, the most severe of which is infection. You should inquire with your surgeon about the surgical infection rate for hip replacements at the hospital or clinic where your operation will be performed.

In comparison to the national average, HSS has one of the lowest rates of infection for hip replacement surgery, as well as a slightly lower rate of readmission.

The New York State Department of Health announced in 2015 that only Hospital for Special Surgery had a hip replacement surgery site infection (SSI) incidence that was significantly lower than the state average for that year out of more than 160 hospitals in New York that performed hip replacements in 2014.

Follow up care

You and your caregivers will receive instructions about how to care for your new hip before you leave the hospital. To ensure a smooth transition, follow these steps:

1. Arrange for certain meals to be prepared for you by a friend or relative.
2. So you don’t have to lean over or reach up, keep daily things at waist level.
3. Consider making any changes to your house, such as installing a raised toilet seat if your toilet is normally low.
4. Place items you’ll need during recovery, such as your phone, tissues, TV remote, medications, and books, near the area where you’ll be spending the majority of your time.
5. You’ll have a follow-up appointment with your surgeon six to 12 weeks after surgery to ensure your hip is healing properly.