Hip Replacement Surgery

About Hip Replacements

As one of the most successful surgical procedures you can chose to go for, a hip replacement has the ability to vastly improve your quality of life. A straightforward orthopedic surgery that is extremely common, hip replacements can be chosen for a number of reasons. The most common reasons to get a hip replacement include severe joint pain from arthritis or the need to correct a fracture from a previous injury. With diligent attention to physical therapy after surgery, most patients will find themselves up and walking, with far less pain than before, in a matter of days. Regarding more strenuous activity, like jogging or athletics, patients report that they are able to get back out there with the energy of their old selves after a couple of weeks.

For those who feel a little bit nervous about finding themselves on the operating table, there is good news about hip replacements: statistic show that the procedure, which is widely practiced, has a fatality rate of less than one percent. The surgery itself is very straightforward, and was perfected in the 1940s using ivory. Doctors today use titanium to replace the hip itself, with a ceramic head to fit into the hip socket and a polyethylene cup so that movement does not cause friction. Older patients will find themselves with cemented hip replacements more frequently, where the new prosthesis is actually attached to the pelvis, while younger and more active patients are often given hip replacements that are not cemented, allowing for a wider range of movement.

Rip Replacement Candidates

When deciding whether or not you are a good candidate for a hip replacement, it is important to talk with your primary care physician before meeting with a surgeon. Has physical therapy not yielded results or improvement, and are medications not assisting with your ability to be both pain-free and functional? Then you are likely a good candidate for a hip replacement. When meeting with a surgeon, you will be able to discuss the procedure and ask any questions that you might still have after it is explained in detail.

Hip Replacement Risks

There are some risks to keep in mind. While a hip replacement is a very safe procedure and one that has you back on your feet surprisingly quickly, sometimes even when all goes according to plan, patients still experience pain. Additionally, certain people’s bodies react differently to prosthetic parts than others, and there can be some inflammation and pain in the beginning. However, most patients report being able to take on physical activities that were nearly impossible just months before the surgery. Hip replacements have certainly changed the lives of many suffering from oestoarthritis and other medical conditions.

Hip Replacement Costs

While the cost of a hip replacement usually runs very high in countries like Australia, the United States, and in the United Kingdom, other countries with very high medical standards are able to offer the procedure for much less. A number of people in need of hip replacement surgery travel abroad to Thailand and Poland each year to have the surgery at a fraction of the cost.