Everything You Need To Know About Hip Replacement Surgery

The hip joint is the body’s largest ball-and-socket joint. It is designed to withstand repeated motion and fits together carefully to allow movement in our body. You may not think about it but our hips deal with serious stress on a daily basis. Even simply walking or running puts a lot of force on our hips. In a healthy situation, a cushion of cartilage prevents friction as the bone moves in the socket. Thankfully, our bones and cartilage are both very durable. However, the hip joint is not indestructible and can wear down or become damaged with age. If you are especially active, the muscles and the tendons in the hip can also get overused. In older individuals who develop osteoarthritis, the hip bone itself can easily be fractured during a fall. Quality of life can significantly decrease after a hip fracture. Big or small, hip pain can impact all aspects of your daily life.

Depending on what is causing your hip pain, you might start to feel discomfort in your lower body: your thigh, inside the hip joint, your groin, outside the hip joint and your buttocks. Sometimes pain from your back or groin can also be related to the hip. If you start to notice that your pain gets worse with activity, it might be caused by arthritis. Along with the pain, you could have a reduced range of motion. Sometimes, people develop a limp because of the persistent hip pain.

If you have persistent pain that is impacting your ability to live your life normally, it might be time for you to get a hip replacement. During this operation, the surgeon removes the damaged sections of your hip joint and replaces them with parts usually constructed of metal and hard plastic. This artificial joint, a prosthesis, helps you reduce your pain and improve function. Hip replacement surgery can be performed traditionally or by using a minimally-invasive technique. The main difference between the two procedures is the size of the incision.

Hip replacement surgery has been performed for over a hundred years. As well as any other surgical techniques, techniques are being improved all the time. Similarly, as any other surgery, there can be risks. Since you will not be able to move around a lot after the surgery, blood clots can be a concern. To prevent this, your doctor will give you blood thinners to help prevent blood clots from occurring.

During the standard hip replacement surgery, the patient is given general anesthesia to relax the muscles and to get the patient to a temporary deep sleep. The anesthesia will prevent the patient from feeling any pain or discomfort during the surgery, as well as preventing any awareness of the procedure. A spinal anesthetic can also be given as an alternative to help prevent pain.

After that, the doctor will make a cut along the side of the hip and move the muscles connected to the top of the thighbone to help expose the hip joint. Next, the ball portion of the joint is removed by cutting the thighbone with a saw. Then an artificial joint is attached to the thighbone using a special material that allows the remaining bone to attach to the new joint. The doctor then prepares the surface of the hip bone to attach the replacement socket part to the hip bone. The new ball part of the thighbone is inserted into the socket part of the hip. The doctor then reattaches the muscles and closes the incision.

After the surgery, you will likely have to stay in the hospital for a couple of days with a pillow between your legs to keep the new hip joint stay in place. A drainage tube will be placed in your bladder to help you go to the bathroom. Physical therapy will begin the day after the surgery and within days you can start to walk with crutches or a cane. The physical therapy will continue for weeks to months following the surgery.

For six to twelve months after hip replacement surgery, twisting the leg involved should be avoided. Also, the leg involved should not cross the midline of your body or turn it inward.  This also includes bending forward at the waist as well as squatting. Your physical therapist will provide you with different techniques and equipment needed to help you follow the guidelines and have precautions while performing your daily activities. 

Coming back home might be hard after hip replacement surgery, but there are a couple things you can do to make life much easier.  For example, you can keep stair climbing to a minimum. Before coming back home, make the necessary arrangements so you will only have to go up or down the stairs once a day. Another thing you can do is sit firm in a straight-back chair. To avoid falls, try and remove all rugs from the floor to keep it clutter free. For daily necessities like going to the bathroom, use an elevated toilet seat. With this, you will prevent bending too far at the hips.

As surgical techniques keep evolving, we now know that about 85% of the hip joint implants will last 20 years. Getting a skilled surgeon can make all the difference. The South Texas Spinal Clinic is an excellent option for anyone in San Antonio, Texas.