Is Hip Replacement Surgery Really Effective

Many people want to stay active regardless of age, but certain age-related medical conditions can interfere with their active lives. Many older adults develop joint problems, especially in the hip. But you need not worry, as you can get back to your daily activities with hip replacement surgery.

After performing a physical examination and other diagnostic tests, your doctor may suggest whether you should undergo the surgery or not. It may be a major decision to have surgery, but if you have persistent pain which affects your quality of life, then you are advised to undergo hip replacement surgery. Hip replacement has become quite common and has shown around a 90% success rate. There has been a considerable improvement in pain relief and disability of the patient, and this has become the most successful innovations in modern medicine.

Before undergoing the surgery, you may wish to know the facts and success rates of the surgery. So let’s discuss them in detail.

What is a Hip Replacement?

Hip replacement is the surgical procedure where your surgeon replaces the damaged joint of your hip with artificial parts, usually metal or very hard plastic. This artificial part improves mobility and reduces pain. Women undergo total hip replacement surgeries more when compared to men. Your doctor often recommends you undergo surgery once you have progressed to the point of excruciating and decreased mobility, pain, and impaired quality of life.

Benefits of hip replacement surgery:

• Relieves pain.

• Improves the function of your hip.

• Improve the quality of life.

• Improves the ability to move around.

Who are the Right Candidates for the Surgery?

About 90% of people who undergo surgery have hip osteoarthritis. Your doctor may also suggest the surgery if you have

• Osteonecrosis (bone death)

• Rheumatoid arthritis (an inflammatory disorder of multiple joints)

• Femoroacetabular impingement (abnormally shaped bones of the hip joint)

People between the ages of 50 and 80 are most likely to have hip replacement surgery. It is also common in young people who have frequent injuries because of sports or trauma to the joints.

In general, hip replacement surgery is recommended for patients who have tried all the other treatments and are still left with significant pain during their normal activities.

Success rates of hip replacement

Do you know that hip replacement is the most successful and cost-effective intervention in medicine? For ten years the success rate was 90-95% and for 20 years it was 80-85%. [1]

Rehabilitation as a factor of success

Usually, hip replacement surgery is very successful, but the success of the procedure is partly due to the rehabilitation period that follows the surgery. After the surgery, you may expect good results but for that, you must be an active rehab participant. Immediately after the surgery, your rehabilitation begins. You will be working with your physical therapist. The early stage of rehab is to maintain the motion of the hip replacement and to ensure that you can walk safely.

Risks of the surgery

Many new artificial joints are designed to last 15 years, but there is always a small risk with the surgery. It means that further surgery is required to repair or replace the implant if there is damage. Replacing a replacement or implant is known as revision surgery. The procedure is long and complicated. But one thing you need to remember is that the artificial joint becomes less effective every time it is replaced.

Before undergoing the surgery, your surgeon may discuss the risks of the surgery which are given below.

• Loosening of the joint – can be caused by thinning of the bone around the implant

• Hip dislocation – most likely to happen in the first few months

• Joint stiffening – happens when your body’s tissue hardens around the replacement

• General wear and tear – a common complication, leading to particles wearing off the point surfaces and being absorbed by the surrounding tissue

• Blood clotting – in the first few weeks after the surgery is possible

• Infection of the wound

• Differences in the length of the leg

It is interesting to hear that the replacement procedures will be increasing to 5, 72,000 annually by 2030 [2]. Hip replacement has changed the lives of thousands of people with arthritis.