Who is a Candidate

You might be an ideal candidate for hip replacement surgery if prescription drugs, adjustments to your daily routine, and using walking support are insufficient to relieve your pain. Surgery to replace your hip can help you get rid of pain, increase your range of motion, and let you resume your regular activities.
Surgery recommendations are based on a patient’s pain and disability levels, not age. If you are above 50 years of age, you can opt to undergo a complete hip replacement. However, orthopedic surgeons evaluate each patient individually. Even if you are young, or an elderly, you can undergo total hip replacements to feel the comfort you deserve.

Preparation

Before your hip surgery, you must undergo a medical evaluation comprising blood samples, electrocardiogram, stress test, chest X-ray, and urine sample. The tests will let you know whether your body is ready for the surgery or if any issues may require additional care before proceeding.
Before total hip replacement surgery, you may be advised to consider several considerations. Preoperative preparations often fall into two categories to maximize the likelihood of a successful procedure and speedy recovery:

• Medical measures, such as temporarily stopping the use of some maintenance drugs or beginning new preoperative drugs
• Exercises to strengthen the hips and lose weight before surgery

Surgery Details

Both general anesthesia (where you are unconscious throughout the procedure) and spinal anesthesia (where you are awake but feel numb below the waist) are commonly used for hip replacement surgery. An epidural, which functions similarly to a spinal anesthetic, is occasionally possible. Following anesthesia, the surgeon creates an approximately 30-cm-long cut (incision) over the side of your hip. Your femur’s upper portion is removed, and the natural socket for the femur’s head is hollowed out. You have a socket put into the pelvic cavity, while the space left open due to the femur’s removal receives a short, angled metal shaft (the stem) with a smooth ball on top (to fit into the socket). It is possible to push the cup and stem into position or use bone “cement” to secure them. The procedure can last up to two hours.

After Surgery

In the initial weeks following hip replacement surgery, you will need to take special care to avoid falling because doing so can hurt your hip and necessitate more surgery. As instructed by your surgeon, use any walking device, including crutches, a cane, or a walker. Be cautious when using the stairs and in the kitchen and bathroom, as these are all areas where accidents happen.
Although everyone recovers at their own pace, it is frequently possible to resume your routine activities and light office work within six weeks. The healing can take a few extra weeks if your task requires heavy lifting.
Avoid intense activities or dangerous sports like skiing or riding when there is a chance of falling. You can get more information about resuming your regular activities from your doctor or a physiotherapist.

Home Recovery

A triangle-shaped pillow between the patient’s legs keeps the legs slightly apart. The purpose of this pillow is to support the hips. In the days following hip replacement surgery, a doctor can advise a patient to utilize the pillow while dozing off and relaxing in bed. Your hip replacement may last for a long time with proper maintenance. During the recovery, you must:

• Don’t stretch your hip beyond 90 degrees (a right angle)
• Avoid rotating your hips while performing any activity
• Avoid turning around on the ball of your foot, and take modest steps
• Avoid applying pressure on the wound (try to avoid lying on your side)