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Hip Replacement: All You Need To Know About it
- Written by dr_vipul_vijay
- Published October 6, 2022
Hip replacement or hip arthroplasty is becoming increasingly popular these days due to the rise in the number of people suffering from arthritis.
What is hip replacement?
Hip replacement is a surgical procedure of removing a hip joint affected by arthritis and then replacing it with an artificial hip joint. The artificial joint is usually made of plastic and metal components.
Types of hip replacement
There are three types of hip replacement and the type of replacement to be done depends on your condition.
- Total hip replacement :
For many years, this has been one of the most successful surgeries performed on patients who require a hip replacement. People suffering from end-stage degenerative diseases are treated with this procedure to restore joint function.
- Partial hip replacement :
Partial hip replacement is done for patients suffering from fractures in the femur.
- Hip resurfacing :
In this procedure instead of removing the entire bone, the surgeon trims only the damaged cartilage bone.
Conditions requiring hip replacement surgery
Hip replacement surgery is required for conditions causing damage to the hip joint. Some of those conditions are
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteonecrosis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
Signs that you may require hip replacement surgery :
- Hip pain that does not respond to medications.
- Hip pain that worsens on walking
- Pain that disturbs your sleep
- Severe pain that makes you dependent on others for everyday activities
Procedure of hip replacement surgery
The surgery is done under general anaesthesia or spinal anaesthesia. An incision is made along the side of the hip and the muscles are slightly moved to expose the hip joint. The damaged portion of the joint is cut and removed, followed by the attachment of the thigh bone to the artificial joint with the help of biocompatible joining material.
The new part of the thighbone is inserted into the ball socket of the hip, followed by drainage of fluid, if any. The muscles are attached again and the incision is closed.
Since hip replacement surgery is major surgery and is done only when your hip does heal even after doing physiotherapy, and steroid injections.
Types of incision
Two types of incision are made, in the standard technique usually an 8 to 10-inch cut is made, whereas, in the minimally invasive technique that is used nowadays, a small incision of about 2 to 5 inches is made.
Advantages:
- minimal blood loss
- short duration of hospital stay
- small scar
- rapid healing.
But, only a highly skilled professional can perform the latter technique, otherwise, it may lead to a poor outcome.
Contraindications of hip replacement surgery:
- Infection
- Vascular dysfunction
- A chronic disorder like Parkinson’s disease.
- Nicotine and tobacco users
- Dementia
For how long does the hip replacement last?? Well, hip replacement once done, can last for around 10 – 15 years, and you might need another hip replacement depending upon your improvement and age factor.
Can you get a double hip replacement at a time?? Yes, of course, when there is a severe degenerative disease that affects both sides of the hip joint, you can undergo double hip replacement, which can be either staged or simultaneous.
Post-surgical care:
There are some post-surgical care steps that you need to follow to achieve a complete outcome.
- Prevention of blood clots by using blood-thinning medications
- Physiotherapy
- Making use of raised toilet seats.
- Avoid bending down and overstretching
Recovery period:
Generally, it takes three to four months to recover from the surgery but the improvement continues to progress even for one year and it depends upon your age, the severity of the disease, the duration of the disease, and your co-morbidities.
We can help you lead a pain-free life !!!
dr_vipul_vijay
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