Your hip is one of the largest joints in your body. You use your hip joints for standing, walking and running, as well as bending and stretching. If you damage your hip joint, you may be offered a hip replacement, which is a surgical procedure to replace the damaged joint with an artificial one.
Why might I need a hip replacement?
A hip replacement may be offered if you are experiencing severe pain due to hip damage. This may be caused by an ongoing degenerative condition like osteoarthritis, which leads to the cartilage inside the joint wearing away, resulting in the bones rubbing against each other. Less common is rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune condition that causes the body’s own immune system to mistakenly attack healthy tissue, including the joint linings. A serious hip fracture can be another reason for needing a hip replacement.
Although it is now a routine procedure, nevertheless a hip replacement is major surgery and you will only be offered it is you have pain that is interfering with your day-to-day life. There are a number of reasons for this. All surgery carries a small risk of complications and your doctor will want to explore other, less invasive treatments first (such as painkilling injections and physiotherapy) to minimise the risks to you. Secondly, while artificial hip joints (prostheses) are becoming increasingly sophisticated, they do have a limited lifespan – normally around 15-20 years – after which time they will need to be replaced. Surgery to replace a worn-out prosthesis is called revision joint replacement. As orthopaedic surgeons we are keen to delay primary surgery for as long as possible to try and avoid the need for a revision hip replacement in the future because the outcomes of this type of surgery are generally poorer and the risk of complications higher.
How effective is hip replacement surgery?
Hip replacement surgery is a highly effective procedure for relieving pain, improving mobility and enhancing quality of life. Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) in England for hip and knee replacement procedures, from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023, found that 95.8% of hip replacement patients reported an improvement in their health (according to the Oxford Hip Score). This is based on 73,540 hip replacement procedures, with 30,175 pre-operative questionnaires returned (a participation rate of 41%).
What to expect prior to surgery
Prior to your scheduled hip replacement surgery, you will meet with your surgical team to discuss the procedure and to undergo a range of routine tests and checks. There are several things you can do to enhance the outcomes of surgery, including losing any excess weight, quitting smoking and carrying out exercises to improve your muscle strength. This is called prehabilitation. Your orthopaedic surgeon will discuss this with you before your surgery as well as advising on the steps you need to take to prepare for the post-surgical recovery period, including making any short-term adaptations to your home and arranging for additional help and support.
What happens on the day
Hip replacement surgery is normally carried out under general anaesthetic, which means you will be asleep throughout the procedure or alternatively you might be given an epidural which numbs your entire lower body. The orthopaedic surgeon will make an incision above the hip and remove the damaged joint. It is replaced with an artificial joint, made from high grade metal alloy, ceramic or hard plastic. The whole procedure takes between an hour and an hour and a half.
Immediately after surgery you will be moved to the recovery room where the surgical team will monitor you closely as you come round from the anaesthetic. You will be encouraged to get up out of bed as quickly as possible after surgery, normally on the same day, and you may be given an injection to prevent blood clots or a short course of antibiotics as a precaution against infection. A physiotherapist will visit you to explain the exercises you can do to support your new hip joint and avoid damaging it. You will normally stay in hospital between one and five days, depending on how well you recover from surgery and your general state of health.
What to expect after surgery
Immediately after you go home you may feel very tired. This is quite normal as you have had a major surgical procedure and your body will need time to heal. You may need specialist equipment to help you at home, including a raised toilet seat or aids to help you dress. You will need to move around with the aid of crutches or a walker. When you are discharged from the hospital you will be given medication to help you manage your pain and the surgical team will tell you any signs to look out for that could indicate a possible infection. You will have a follow-up appointment after 6-12 weeks to check on your progress and you will normally be able to walk without crutches within four to six weeks. Your surgeon will tell you when it is OK to start driving again or return to work but, depending on the nature of your work, you should be able to return within six to 12 weeks.
How common is hip replacement surgery
The Lancet reports that 109.6 thousand hip replacements were carried out in England and Wales in 2019 of which 85% were funded by the NHS.
What patients say…
A private patient, commenting recently on their hip replacement carried out by York Orthopaedics’ Ed Britton at Nuffield Hospital, wrote:
“An amazing experience with little pain (2/3). I had the utmost confidence in this surgeon, and his excellent team. I will be seeing Mr Britton in 5 weeks’ time. The spinal block was the right anaesthetic for me together with sedative it worked very well. I honestly could not think of anything that would improve a well-practised procedure.”
For more information about hip replacement surgery, contact us.
A Leading Team of Orthopaedic Specialists – North Yorkshire
We are a team of specialist orthopaedic surgeons each of whom has a particular area of expertise. Not only are we the largest orthopaedic practice in North Yorkshire but we have been established the longest and have many satisfied patients. Take a look at our Testimonials page to see what they say.
Telephone: 01904 373032
Email: info@yorkorthopaedics.co.uk
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Clifton Park Hospital – Main Hospital Shipton Rd, Rawcliffe, York YO30 5RA – Directions
Clifton Park Hospital – Outpatients Department, Equinox House, Clifton Park Ave, York YO30 5PA – Directions
Nuffield York Hospital – Haxby Rd, Clifton, York YO31 8TA – Directions
