Chronic hip pain, hip arthritis, limping, or weakness in the lower extremities can indicate that you may need hip replacement surgery. Typically hip replacement surgery is recommended when the hip joint is damaged because of degenerative disease or trauma.
Hip replacement is a surgical procedure in which the orthopedic surgeon replaces the damaged hip joint with artificial implants to restore joint mobility and function. It is usually performed for patients with severe hip joint arthritis or necrosis, who’ve become bedridden due to pain and joint instability. During the surgery, only the affected parts of the joint are removed, whether it is a small portion or the entire joint.
At Max Health, we perform advanced and minimally invasive hip replacement surgery. We treat patients with compassion to understand and resolve their problems. Our doctors have an average experience of 10-13 years and offer comprehensive care for the most effective treatment. Book your appointment today to get an optimal surgical experience for hip replacement.
You will be given general or spinal anesthesia so that you will not have any pain during the surgery and a doctor or nurse will carefully monitor your vitals, like your blood pressure and heart rate throughout the surgery. Once the anesthesia has been administered, the surgeon will make an incision over the side of the hip to insert the arthroscope and remove the damaged hip joint and replace it with a hip implant. Before closing the incision, the surgeon will check if the implant has been positioned properly.
On an average, hip replacement surgery costs can range from Rs. 2,80,000 for one hip joint to 5,50,000 for both hip joints. However, the cost is not constant and varies on a case-to-case basis. Some of the factors that commonly affect the cost of hip replacement surgery in India are:
Consult the best orthopedic doctors near you at Max Health and get the average cost of hip replacement.
Most common form of hip replacement and is done to replace the entire hip joint with artificial implants in patients with severe joint degeneration.
Also known as a hemiarthroplasty, replaces only one side of the hip joint. Partial hip replacement is usually done in patients who have fractured their hip or have degeneration on only one side of the joint.
Procedure in which only the part of the socket and the femoral head are replaced. Hip Resurfacing procedure is preferred for younger, more active patients with minor hip degeneration.
The orthopedic surgeon will provide guidelines to prepare for hip replacement surgery. S/he may also suggest you prepare your home before so that once you return after hip replacement surgery, the things are easily accessible and you have reduced discomfort during the recovery period. It’s always a better option to arrange for someone to stay with you during recovery to make the process easier and smooth.
Your hip surgeon will explain the procedure, risks, and benefits of hip replacement surgery to you, and all your doubts about the same will be addressed so that you can make a fully informed decision. After you have decided to undergo the surgery, your surgeon will analyze your entire medical history and carry out a few diagnostic tests and scans to ensure that you are in good health and are eligible to undergo the surgery.
You will be recommended not to eat anything for 8-12 hours prior to the surgery and will be given anesthesia before the surgery, which will put you to sleep during the surgery. Apart from this, the orthopedic surgeon may request some other specific precautions based on your case.
Hip replacement recovery takes about 2-4 weeks normally, but this is dependent on a lot of factors such as the patient’s age, health, pre-existing medical conditions, nutrition, lifestyle, etc. Recovery may take longer in patients who are diabetic or habitual smokers, etc. Patients can walk the same day after minimally invasive hip replacement. However, the recovery is gradual and most patients need to wait at least 6 weeks after surgery to resume their day-to-day activities without any support. For sports and high impact activities such as running, jumping, they should wait at least 3 to 6 months.
Hip replacement surgery is performed in patients with the following conditions:
Physiotherapy after hip replacement procedures helps the patients recover faster. It helps their bodies adjust to using the implant for maximum strength, function, and range of movement possible. It also minimizes the risks of post-surgical hip replacement complications such as infection, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, or hip dislocation.
After a hip replacement, the patient is advised to not put full weight on his knees and hips to ensure proper recovery. Risk of an injury or dislocation is also higher as the new hip might not be prepared to take the full weight of the body. A walker can be used by patients after the hip replacement to help provide stability to the new hip while moving while keeping it within the weight-bearing restrictions.
Yes. Patients under 75 years of age without a history of pre-existing medical conditions such as cardiopulmonary diseases can easily receive a hip replacement for both hips at the same time. However, it is best to stage the surgery to ensure better recovery in most cases.
The hip replacement procedure is performed under general anesthesia. So the surgery itself is not painful at all. However, the patient may experience some pain and discomfort after the procedure as their body adjusts to the prosthesis, which is not entirely uncommon and entirely manageable.
If your job involves a regular office setting, you might be able to return to work within 2 to 3 weeks after your hip replacement. However, if your job requires strenuous work, bending over, walking, a lot of exertion, use of heavy machinery, or heavy manual labor, you will be advised to take a long time off work.
The following are a few tips that will help you recover smoothly post hip replacement surgery-
Recovery after hip replacement surgery can take a little longer. However, the recovery timeline may differ from one patient to another depending on the type of hip replacement surgery they have undergone. Generally, the recovery timeline after hip replacement surgery may look like the following-
-You will need assistance to get out of bed and use a walker for moving slowly from one place to another.
-The doctor prescribes medication for the first week that includes pain killers and muscle relaxants.
-Starts walking easily with the help of a walker or crutches.
-You will get discharged from the hospital if you dont show any abnormal indiction after hip replacement surgery.
-Follow all the after guidelines by your orthopedic doctor to eliminate any chances of complications after surgery.
-Attend all the physiotherapy sessions to restore the mobility of the replacement hip joint.
-The medication that is prescribed by the orthopedic surgeon will reduce by this time.
-Move slowly but as much as possible to maintain blood circulation in order to prevent blood clots from occurring in the legs.
-You will be able to resume regular activities without any problems. However, it is advised to avoid strenuous activities and pick heavy objects.
-You may drive easily without any assistance. But it is always a better option to consult your surgeon before resuming driving.
-You will be able to resume normal activities with restored mobility.
