You don’t need to live with joint pain anymore. You can replace your troublesome joint whether it is Ankle joint, Knee joint, Hip joint, Elbow, Shoulder Joint partially or completely. Once joint replacement surgery used to be called a high-tech procedure, but now with the advancement of the medical field, it has become a common operation.

If your hip joint is painful and limiting your movement, you may have joint replacement surgery when the conventional treatments are ineffective. Every year millions of people are having hip joint world wide. However, with any surgical procedure, there will be both pros and cons before considering the surgery.

What Is Hip Replacement Surgery?

Hip replacement surgery also called total hip arthroplasty is a surgical procedure that replaces a worn-out or damaged hip joint with an artificial joint (prosthesis). This surgery might be a good choice if you have a hip fracture or for severe arthritis. The goal of hip replacement is to replace the damaged hip joint parts or total hip joint which is called as Partial Hip Replacement or Total Hip Replacement. It can also help to relieve chronic hip pain that can’t be controlled with conventional treatments.

Why Do I Need Hip Replacement Surgery?

A hip replacement surgeon initially suggests non-surgical treatments in case of mild hip problems. If they don’t show any improvement then a hip replacement surgery is performed. However, in case of severe hip damage due to fracture or hip pain due to inflammation caused by various conditions or worn out of the hip joint that limits your mobility a hip surgery is necessary.
The common conditions that might lead to hip replacement surgery include:

• Pain and stiffness of unknown cause and making it hard to walk, climb stairs, or restricting other activities.
• Osteoarthritis is the condition that damages the cartilage in the hip that covers the ends of bones which provides smooth movement for the joint.
• Rheumatoid arthritis is caused due to improper immune system. It is an inflammatory disease that can erode cartilage lining bone in the joint and results in damaged and deformed joints.
• In case of bone degeneration as part of the natural ageing
• In the case of joint dislocation or fracture

Pros Of Hip Replacement

On the whole, hip replacement seems to be of the most successful joint replacement surgeries. For an ideal patient, it is efficient, safe, and durable surgery that treats many problems associated with severe arthritis.

Reduced Pain: Hip replacement might be a painful process. However, it is done under general anaesthesia and after replacement hip heals, the pain due to arthritis and damage completely goes away. Also, the replaced hip increases mobility like before.

Long-lasting: An artificial hip can last for around 15-25 years based on your health conditions and lifestyle. Compared to your damaged hip, the prosthetic hip joint will last longer and provides relief from pain while moving around.

High Success Rate: Hip replacement is one of the most successful joint replacement operations with high success rate. For the right patient, it works as effectively as a natural hip joint under an experienced hip replacement surgeon.

Restores Your Quality Of Life: It improves your ability to move and walk again here and there. It is a great advantage as it can help you to do your daily activities in ease, without depending on anyone.

Why Do I Need Hip Replacement Surgery?

Less Damage To Adjacent Muscles: In this modern era, the techniques used in case of hip replacement surgery causes no harm to adjacent muscles. To attach the prosthetic hip joint the surgeon works between muscles near the hip.

Less Postoperative Pain: Patients typically experience mild pain after surgery, however, it can be managed by pain medication.

Faster recovery: The recovery process is also faster. Initially, you are suggested to walk on crutches or a walker after surgery, within a few weeks to months, a patient can bend at their hip and bear some comfortable weight.

A major post-surgical myth patient thinks of after hip replacement is dislocation chances. However, the chances of dislocation after surgery is very rare unless you met with an accident or severe fracture to the.

Cons Of Hip Replacement 

However, it is considered to be a safe procedure, there are some potential risks associated with the surgery which patients need to be made aware of.

Infection: Around 1% of patients might get an infection around the hip after replacement. It is one of the rare and most debilitating complications linked with hip replacements.

Blood Clots: After hip replacement surgery, there is a risk of developing blood clots in the veins of legs and pelvis. They are vulnerable because when the clot breaks off, the pieces may travel to the lungs. Of course, they are rare and can be treated through blood thinners and some other measures can help to reduce the risk.

Blood Loss: Significant blood loss may occur during total hip replacement surgery. In such cases, a blood transfusion might be required.

Dislocation: Dislocation is rare and occurs in less than 2% of patients after surgery. In most cases, the ball of the hip dislocated from the socket. It is replaced back into the socket when the patient is under sedation. If the hip is dislocating a number of times, further surgery is required to stabilise the hip. Patients are instructed on certain positions to avoid the risk of dislocation.

Change in leg length: In some cases, the patient may feel one leg longer or shorter than the other after surgery. The surgeon will make every effort to fix the length, the differences may occur while trying to increase the stability of the hip.

Loosening and wear: Over time, after hip replacement, the prosthetic joint might become loose or wear. This is the most common problem seen in total hip replacements, and in severe situations, it causes hip pain. In such cases, a revision hip replacement surgery is performed. However, the problem doesn’t occur for all and also occurs many years after surgery.

Some other complications during the surgery include damage of nerves and blood vessels and trauma either to the femur or the pelvis bone. Nerve injuries might result in weakness and numbness, which is temporary. These are just risk factors and may not occur compulsory. For more information or considering a hip surgery consult Dr. Vasudev Juvvadi one of the best hip replacement surgeons in Hyderabad.