Total Hip Replacement

Total Hip Replacement in India

Whether you have just begun exploring treatment options or have already decided with your orthopaedic surgeon to undergo hip replacement surgery, this information will help you understand the benefits and limitations of total hip replacement...

Anatomy

The hip is one of the body's largest weight-bearing joints. It consists of two main parts: a ball (femoral head) at the top of your thighbone (femur) that fits into a rounded socket (acetabulum) in your pelvis. Bands of tissue called ligaments (hip capsule) connect the ball to the socket and provide stability to the joint....

Common Causes of Hip Pain and Loss of Hip Mobility

• Osteoarthritis usually occurs in people 50 years of age and older and often individuals with a family history of arthritis. It may be caused or accelerated by subtle irregularities in how the hip developed....

• Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the synovial membrane becomes inflamed, produces too much synovial fluid, and damages the articular cartilage, leading to pain and stiffness...

• Traumatic arthritis can follow a serious hip injury or fracture. A hip fracture can cause a condition known as osteonecrosis. The articular cartilage becomes damaged and, over time, causes hip pain and stiffness...

Is Hip Replacement Surgery for You ?

You may benefit from hip replacement surgery if : -

• Hip pain limits your everyday activities such as walking or bending.
• Hip pain continues while resting, either day or night.
• Stiffness in a hip limits your ability to move or lift your leg.
• You have little pain relief from anti-inflammatory drugs or glucosamine sulfate.
• You have harmful or unpleasant side effects from your hip medications.
• Other treatments such as physical therapy or the use of a gait aid such as a cane do not relieve hip pain.

The Orthopaedic Evaluation

The orthopaedic evaluation will typically include : -

A medical history, in which your orthopaedic surgeon gathers information about your general health and asks questions about the extent of your hip pain and how it affects your ability to perform every day activities.
A physical examination to assess hip mobility, strength, and alignment.
X-rays (radiographs) to determine the extent of damage or deformity in your hip.
Occasionally, blood tests or other tests such as MRI (magnetic resonance imaging or bone scanning may be needed to determine the condition of the bone and soft tissues of your hip...

What to Expect From Hip Replacement Surgery

An important factor in deciding whether to have hip replacement surgery is understanding what the procedure can and cannot do. Most people who undergo hip replacement surgery experience a dramatic reduction of hip pain and a significant improvement in their ability to perform the common activities of daily living. However, hip replacement surgery will not enable you to do more than you could before your hip problem developed...

Preparing for Surgery

Medical Evaluation : -

If you decide to have hip replacement surgery, you may be asked to have a complete physical examination by your primary care doctor before your surgical procedure...

Tests : -

Several tests may be needed to help plan your surgery: blood and urine samples may be tested and a cardiogram and chest x-rays (radiographs) may be obtained...

Preparing Your Skin : -

Your skin should not have any infections or irritations before surgery. If either is present, contact your orthopaedic surgeon for a program to improve your skin before surgery...

Blood Donations : -

You may be advised to donate your own blood prior to surgery. It will be stored in the event you need blood after surgery...

Medications : -

Tell your orthopaedic surgeon about the medications you are taking. Your orthopaedist or your primary care doctor will advise you which medications you should stop or can continue taking before surgery...

Weight Loss : -

If you are overweight, your doctor may ask you to lose some weight before surgery to minimize the stress on your new hip and possibly decrease the risks of surgery....

Dental Evaluation : -

Although infections after hip replacement are not common, an infection can occur if bacteria enter your bloodstream. Because bacteria can enter the bloodstream during dental procedures, you should consider getting treatment for significant dental diseases (including tooth extractions and periodontal work) before your hip replacement surgery. Routine cleaning of your teeth should be delayed for several weeks after surgery....

Urinary Evaluation : -

Individuals with a history of recent or frequent urinary infections and older men with prostate disease should consider a urological evaluation before surgery....

Social Planning : -

Although you will be able to walk with crutches or a walker soon after surgery, you will need some help for several weeks with such tasks as cooking, shopping, bathing, and laundry....

Your Surgery

You will most likely be admitted to the hospital on the day of your surgery or a day prior. After admission, a member of the anesthesia team will evaluate you. The most common types of anesthesia for hip replacement surgery are general anesthesia (which puts you to sleep throughout the procedure and uses a machine to help you breath) or spinal anesthesia (which allows you to breath on your own but anesthetizes your body from the waist down)...

Minimally Invasive Total Hip Replacement

Over the past several years, orthopaedic surgeons have been developing new minimally invasive surgical techniques for inserting total hip replacement implants through smaller incisions.

It is hoped, but not yet proven, that this may allow for quicker, less painful recovery and more rapid return to normal activities. Minimally invasive and small incision total hip replacement surgery is a rapidly evolving area. Although certain techniques have proven to be safe, others may be associated with an increased risk of complications, such as nerve and artery injuries, wound healing problems, infection, fracture of the femur, and malposition of the implants, which can contribute to premature wear, dislocation, and loosening of your hip replacement....

Complications

The complication rate following hip replacement surgery is low. Serious complications, such as joint infection, occur in fewer than 2% of patients. Major medical complications, such as heart attack or stroke, occur even less frequently. However, chronic illnesses may increase the potential for complications. Although uncommon, when these complications occur they can prolong or limit full recovery...

Recovery

The success of your surgery will depend in large measure on how well you follow your orthopaedic surgeon's instructions regarding home care during the first few weeks after surgery....

Wound Care

You will have stitches or staples running along your wound or a suture beneath your skin. The stitches or staples will be removed approximately 2 weeks after surgery....

Diet

Some loss of appetite is common for several weeks after surgery. A balanced diet, often with an iron supplement, is important to promote proper tissue healing and restore muscle strength. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids....

Avoiding Problems After Surgery

Blood Clot Prevention : -

Follow your orthopaedic surgeon's instructions carefully to minimize the potential risk of blood clots, which can occur during the first several weeks of your recovery.

Warning Signs : -

Warning signs of possible blood clots include : -

• Pain in your calf and leg that is unrelated to your incision
• Tenderness or redness of your calf
• Swelling of your thigh, calf, ankle, or foot

                                                                                              And many more.............

Warning signs that a blood clot has traveled to your lung include : -

• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain, particularly with breathing

                                                                                               And many more.............

Preventing Infection : -

The most common causes of infection following hip replacement surgery are from bacteria that enter the bloodstream during dental procedures

Warning signs of a possible hip replacement infection are : -

• Persistent fever (higher than 100°F orally)
• Shaking chills
• Increasing redness, tenderness, or swelling of the hip wound

                                                                                                And many more.............

 

Avoiding Falls : -

A fall during the first few weeks after surgery can damage your new hip and may result in a need for more surgery. Stairs are a particular hazard until your hip is strong and mobile...

How Your New Hip Is Different

You may feel some numbness in the skin around your incision. You also may feel some stiffness, particularly with excessive bending. These differences often diminish with time, and most patients find these are minor compared with the pain and limited function they experienced prior to surgery...

Your orthopaedic surgeon is a medical doctor with extensive training in the diagnosis and nonsurgical and surgical treatment of the musculoskeletal system, including bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves...

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