Lose the Hip Pain With Hip Replacement Surgery.
Hip pain can grow slowly over months, and sometimes years. You try to live with it, but the pain continues to grow, it becomes unbearable, and you struggle to do the activities you once loved. This doesn’t mean you need to accept the pain. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. John R. Moore and his staff offer relief from the hip pain with total hip replacement surgery at their surgical center in Pinehurst, NC. This surgery can help you live an active life without constant pain. If you are interested in a hip replacement to reduce your joint pain or improve its function, call our office in Pinehurst, NC at 910.295.0224.
What Is A Hip Replacement?
A hip replacement is a surgical procedure that replaces the abnormal or worn surfaces of the hip joint. The surgery is typically performed to reduce hip pain from arthritis or to repair a fractured hip. In this procedure, Dr. Moore will create an artificial hip joint using a plastic-in-metal socket made of high-density polyethylene.
Conditions that lead to Hip Replacement Surgery:
Osteoarthritis of the Hip
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative type of arthritis that most often occurs in patients 50 years and older. When the cartilage of the hip begins to wear away gradually, this is Osteoarthritis of the hip joint. As the cartilage wears away by becoming rough, this decreases the joint space between the bones of the hip joint. As this occurs, X-Rays will reveal bone on bone in the joint of the hip with joint space narrowing. Osteoarthritis typically develops at a slow pace with pain increasing over time.
Avascular Necrosis
Avascular Necrosis is a condition that occurs when bone loses blood supply. Blood is required as our bones are living tissues, when the supply of blood is interrupted, the bone begins to die. If the blood loss is not stopped or treated, the bone will collapse.
Post-Traumatic Arthritis
Avascular Necrosis is a condition that occurs when bone loses blood supply. Blood is required as our bones are living tissues, when the supply of blood is interrupted, the bone begins to die. If the blood loss is not stopped or treated, the bone will collapse.
Hip Fractures
A common cause for a total hip replacement is in the case of a fracture of the hip. Many hip fractures are managed by pin or screw fixation. However, some severe circumstances require a hip replacement because the bone itself will not heal.
When is a Hip Replacement Needed?
The decision to have a hip replacement is often one based on the patient’s complaints and pain tolerance. In the early stages of hip disease, the pain and loss of function may be improved by conservative treatment. This option can include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents and intra-articular injections of steroids.
At some point, however, if the arthritic process increases in severity, patients will have increasing pain and decreasing function. At this stage, it is time to consider a total hip replacement seriously. The decision to perform the surgery is usually based entirely on the patient’s complaints.
What Are the Benefits of Total Hip Replacement?
Total hip replacement isn’t something to take lightly, but there are myriad benefits of these amazing procedures. If you’re even considering this procedure odds are you’re infrequent, if not chronic pain. You probably have trouble sleeping, especially if one hip is worse than the other and you roll onto it. You’ve probably found yourself eliminating one activity after another just to avoid the pain.
So, what’s the benefit of being able to walk around the block without pain? How fun is it to be able to take the dog for a walk yourself? What’s the benefit of comfortable nights sleeping instead of waking with a shock of pain when your hip positions the wrong way? What’s the benefit of returning to things such as playing golf or hiking?
Total hip replacement is one of the most successful operations performed in the medical world, even more, the case in the experienced hands of Dr. Moore. Hip replacement can:
- Eliminate or dramatically lessen your pain
- Restore movement
- Allow you to return to activities you love
- Reduce your risks of heart failure, depression, and type 2 diabetes
- Make everyday activities something to look forward to rather than dread
What Should I Expect With a Hip Replacement?
A hip replacement replaces the abnormal or worn surfaces of the hip joint. The specifics of the procedure depend on what type of hip replacement you need.
Total Hip Replacement
A total hip replacement begins with your surgeon removing the head of the femur and replacing it with a metallic head. Next, they will remove the acetabulum and replaced it with a plastic-in-metal socket made of high-density polyethylene. A new capsule or lining forms around the joint to maintain the ball inside the socket. Dr. Moore will typically use a newer type of fixation which involves the patient’s bone growing into the roughened or porous surface of the hip implants. He believes that this kind of fixation is superior in most patients, providing better long term longevity.
How Long Will It Take to Fully Recover From a Hip Replacement?
Total rehabilitation after hip replacement is usually estimated at around six months. But here are some mileposts of your recovery:
- Driving? You won’t be able to drive for at least 4 weeks.
- Walking? You’ll be restricted to the use of a walker or crutches for 2-3 weeks.
- You can then switch to a cane outdoors and no support around the house. It will take around 3 months before you fully walk without assistive devices.
- Showering? You may shower 4 days after your surgery.
- Work? If your job is sedentary, you can probably return to work within 1 month. If your job is active, you may need up to 3 months
- Sex? Most patients can resume sexual activity in 6-8 weeks.
What Sort of Post-operative Care Will I Need?
Your surgery will last from 2 to 3 hours. About two hours afterward you’ll return to your hospital room. Expect to stay 3 to 4 days. Just a day after surgery, hospital staff will help you get out of bed, as it’s time to start moving around using a walker or crutches. Sometime during the first or second day after surgery, you’ll see both your physical therapist and occupational therapist. They’ll help you learn how to move safely with minimal pain. Over this time, you’ll shift from IV pain medication to oral options.
After 3 days, you’ll be walking easier. You’ll be able to walk to the bathroom without help. If you’re deemed ready, you’ll be discharged.
Four days after your surgery you’ll have a list of physical therapy exercises. You’ll likely be visited at home by nurses and your physical therapist to make sure you’re doing OK. Movement is key to prevent blood clots from forming. Somewhere over the next few days, your occupational therapist will come to your home and prepare you for handling everyday activities.
At 10 to 14 days your staples will be removed from your incision. Now you can shower without worrying about keeping your incision covered.
At 3 to 6 weeks, you’ll likely be able to walk without a walker or crutches and you can get behind the wheel. In 10 to 12 weeks, you should be able to return to all of your normal activities.
Will I Need Physical Therapy After Hip Replacement?
Yes. As mentioned above, your physical therapist will help you strengthen the muscles around the hip with various exercises. Another goal will be to return and extend flexibility.
Is Total Hip Replacement Recovery Overly Painful?
Despite the fact that our hip joints bear constant loads except when lying down or sleeping, the pain after hip replacement is less than after knee replacement. After surgery, your pain changes from chronic aches with occasional sharp jolts of pain to the pain that accompanies wound healing, swelling, and inflammation. Hip replacement patients often report little to no pain around the 2-6-week mark.
How Long Will My Hip Replacement Last?
After your replacement surgery with Dr. Moore, you will have a dramatic reduction in pain and a significant improvement in the ability to do things such as climb the stairs. But there are things that you shouldn’t do because they will create impacts that will accelerate the normal wear and tear on the artificial components. High-impact activities such as running, jumping, and high-impact sports such as basketball and tennis will need to be avoided.
Realistic activities following total hip replacement include unlimited walking, swimming, golf, hiking, biking, dancing, and other low-impact sports.
Most artificial hip joints will last up to 20 years or longer, depending on how well the new joint and your bones mend. But keeping at a healthy weight is also important, as every extra pound creates more impact on the joint. If you are older than 60 when you have your hip replaced, the artificial joint will likely last the rest of your life.
What is Revision Hip Replacement?
Another cause for needing total hip replacement is a failed previous hip replacement surgery. The most common is a previous hip replacement that has now failed either through the loosening of the components from the bone or wear of the polyethylene liner. In this procedure, Dr. Moore replaces failed components from the original replacement with more modern implants.
What Are the Risks and Complications of Hip Replacement?
Complications with hip replacement surgery are rare, occurring in less than two percent of patients. These are the typical possible complications:
- Infection — Infection can occur superficially in the wound or deep around the prosthesis. It can even occur years later, as infection from elsewhere in your body can spread to your new hip.
- Blood clots — Blood clots in the leg veins or pelvis are one of the most common complications. If a clot breaks free and travels to your lungs, it can be life-threatening.
- Leg-length inequality — Sometimes after a hip replacement, one leg may be longer than the other. While Dr. Moore makes every effort to keep your leg lengths equal, sometimes it may be necessary to shorten or lengthen the leg slightly in order to maximize the stability and biomechanics of the hip. A shoe lift can rectify this down the road.
- Dislocation — Dislocation of the hip joint is not common, but the greatest risk of it occurring is during the first few weeks after your surgery while the tissues are healing and strengthening.
- Loosening and wear — Over time, the hip prosthesis may wear out or loosen. This can simply be the result of everyday impacts from normal activity, but you can exacerbate the process with high-impact activity. Tissue may also grow between the components and the bone, leading to loosening.
- Metal sensitivity — As you live with your artificial hip, tiny bits of the surface of the new hip joint wear off as the ball and socket pieces rub against each other. Some people are sensitive to this metal.
Hip Replacement Success Rate
Hip replacement surgeries are very successful regarding their primary goal, pain relief. Approximately 90% of patients have complete pain relief. Most patients do not require the need for assistive devices to walk, though some patients do choose to use a single prong cane for safety and balance.
Returning to Activity After Hip Replacement
Most patients improve their activity levels significantly after surgery. Patients are encouraged to walk, hike, ride a bike or exercycle, swim, and even play golf. Unfortunately, we do not support sports that cause significant impact and twisting such as running, singles tennis, or downhill skiing.
Schedule Your Hip Replacement Consult Today!
For more information about Hip Replacement Surgery with Dr. Moore, contact our Pinehurst, NC office, call us at 910.295.0224, or check out our orthopedic surgery blog. You can also fill out the appointment request form on this page or our contact page. Our practice looks forward to serving you!
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