Hip replacement surgery is usually done when a person has their hip joints worn out or when someone suffers a hip fracture. This surgery is usually seen as the last option as people would require a long time to recover.
The surgical procedure includes replacing the damaged part of the hip with an artificial modern hip joint. These hip joints are supposed to last for a time period of 15 years. This hip replacement surgery is done in people who are between the age of 60 and 80.
Hip replacement surgery is usually seen as a solution when people stop responding to painkillers, steroid injections, and physiotherapy. The wounds and the swelling that is present in the ball and socket joint is the factor that causes tremendous pain.
As time goes on, people start experiencing pain even when they are not doing anything. People who have arthritis may require hip replacement surgery sooner than others as their condition would not help with the swelling and pain at all.
The Process Of Hip Replacement Surgery
Hip replacement surgery is a complex surgery done within two to three hours. Patients would be under general anesthesia or spinal anesthesia during the procedure. It is not uncommon for patients to receive an epidural during the procedure either.
Patients would require the assistance of a frame or crutches for walking. Then with physiotherapy and exercises, you can rebuild the strength of your limbs.
It is recommended that the patient stays active before the surgery. Forming muscles around the area will result in the speeding up of the healing process and they will also make the procedure easy to do for the doctors. Walking and swimming are usually recommended for the patients. It might be extremely painful to do these exercises. But it would help in taking off the burden in the long run.
Most of the hospitals make the patient stay in the hospital for around five days after the surgery. After that, the patient is discharged. The hospital gives tips and directions on how they can take care of themselves from their homes.
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They will also make sure that you do not require any extra equipment to make the movement smooth. And if you do require any, they would be provided. Usually, patients recover and go back to their initial routine after six weeks of recovery if there are no obstacles such as complications or infections. There are certain risks that could come with hip replacement surgery.
Risks Associated With Hip Replacement Surgery
- Possible dislocation and fracture.
As this procedure is quite complex and requires the grinding and shaping of the bone, there is a chance that a person could suffer from dislocation or fracture.
- A chance of infection at the sight of surgery.
As the area of surgery is being exposed openly and they are vulnerable after the procedure, the possibility of infections in this area increases tenfold. Some infections could even be fatal.
- Possibility of injury and clots in blood vessels.
As the hip area is concentrated with blood vessels, there is a chance that the team might accidentally scrape the area with a scalpel or any other tool during the surgical procedure. People might end up temporarily or permanently losing sensation in the area.
- The difference in the length of the leg after surgery.
During hip replacement surgery, a thorough measurement of the legs is done to choose the adequate modern artificial hip joint. However, there is a chance that the measurements could change or the doctors would have to do more stuff during the surgery for the patient’s benefit. This can lead to a change in the length of the leg.
- Possibility of wearing out of the artificial hip joint earlier than expected.
There are reports of the artificial hip joints wearing out sooner than expected. This wearing out can lead to damage to the bones and tissues that surround the implant. There have been reports that showed traces of the material of the artificial hip joint in the patient’s blood.