Hips

HIPS

The main benefit and hence the main indication for joint replacement surgery is relief of PAIN both while mobilizing and at rest/night. If this is not your main reason for having surgery, do have a chat with me or a member of my team again. There may as a result of pain relief be an increase in your function and mobility. 

If you limp on account of the joint pain, then it may get better following surgery, however if there are other causes/ factors that make you limp or walk slower than you like than a single joint replacement is unlikely to change it. 

If you use a walking stick or crutches, whether this particular joint replacement will let you use less number of walking aids or none at all is dependent on how good your other lower limb joints and back are and how much muscle strength and gait coordination you learn in the months after surgery. 

Hip replacements may occasionally help with knee pain originating from the hip but they don’t cure backache or pain that’s originating from the knee itself. They may inadvertently help due to the overall improvement in gait and mobility. 

The Risks are as follows : Infection risk is approximately 1% (but may lead to further procedures including revision in stages); Clots in legs (risk is about 5%) and lungs (risk is much less than 0.5 % but can be fatal); instability and dislocation (risk highest in the first year but can be recurrent and hence there are significant dos and don’ts in terms of leg position and activities after hip replacements); leg length inequality; Sciatic nerve injury (or sometimes femoral nerve) leading to weakness, foot drop, neuropathic pain, sensory problems; Vascular injury (amputation / bleeding / death); Stiffness (heterotopic ossification); Persistent pain (CRPS / chronic pain / impingement of psoas, greater trochanter); dissatisfaction; early failure due to wear, loosening, periprosthetic fracture, wound problems; further surgery with the risk that revision surgery fails to improve the situation; permanent excision of hip joint (girdle-stone/pseudo hip); death (very small risk but increases with age)

Overall the percentage of patients satisfied following a hip replacement is around 85-90%. You may have circumstances around your hip or general health that may affect those numbers and I am happy to have further chats to discuss it if necessary.