What is hip replacement surgery?

Total hip replacement surgery is a successful operation to cure degenerative disorders of the human hip joints such as osteoarthritis or traumatic events that have worn the joint out earlier than expected. It requires an operation and an inpatient stay in hospital.

Essentially the human ball and socket joint is replaced for artificial ones that gets rid of the pain and gets the patient ambulating and having a better quality of life in the long run.

What are hip replacements made of?

Hip replacements are made of a variety of materials. They include ceramics for the femoral head. The femoral head can also be made out of metal, usually cobalt and chrome. The stem is made out of cobalt and chrome or, if it's an uncemented stem, it's usually made out of titanium. The socket is usually uncemented and is made out of titanium.

The implants that are pressed fit into the bone are coated in a material called hydroxyapatite, that your own bone recognizes and grows into the stem. The liner is usually made out of a plastic material or polyethylene.

Is a hip replacement major surgery?

Total hip replacement surgery is considered major surgery. However, it shouldn't be looked upon with fear. It's an operation that brings benefit to a patient's life.

It can be considered like having a tyre change. Essentially, your ball and socket joint is worn out and the operation is designed to replace that with a brand new ball and socket, which reduces pain and brings back your quality of life.

How long does a hip replacement last?

The longevity of a total hip replacement is determined by several factors. But on average with modern orthopaedic kit, I expect a total hip replacement to last at least 20 years, everything being equal.

Can I have a hip replacement if I've already had a knee replacement on the same side?

Hip and knee replacements can be done on the same side. There's not a problem at all with that. The usual path is to have the hip replaced first and then followed by the knee. But in some instances, the knee wears out before the hip. Either way you can have a hip and knee replacement on the same leg.

How long does hip replacement take?

Hip replacement surgery takes approximately one to one and a half hours. However, it can be different depending on the circumstances. Some surgeries take longer, some take slightly less time.

It depends on the surgical technique and different parts of the technique, especially if you're using bone cement, which is used to fix the femoral stem into the top of the thigh bone. You have to wait for some time for the cement to set.

The usual event though away from the ward and then back to the ward is somewhere between one and a half to two and a half hours.

What is normal pain after hip replacement surgery?

A total hip replacement isn't a pain free procedure, but with the modern anaesthetic techniques and the enhanced recovery protocol this hospital uses, the patient's journey from start to finish is a reasonably smooth one.

During the operation, you’ll usually have a spinal anaesthetic with sedation. And then in the recovery suite, quite a few hip replacement patients receive a nerve block in the leg to keep the leg more comfortable for several hours post-operatively as the pain gradually kicks. In the ward, nurses provide you with strong analgesia as required over time. The pain settles quite rapidly.

Certainly, the first couple of weeks are hard and it feels like a deep bruise that's settling. The arthritic pain, however, from the hip that you had before goes almost instantly overnight and a lot of patients get a lot of joy from that.

How long does it take to recover from hip replacement surgery?

Total hip replacement surgery recovery takes anywhere between three months and a year. Certainly, the first six weeks are hard going, and patients need to follow the hip precautions carefully postoperatively. These will be reinforced to them by their surgeon in the pre-op phase, as well as the physiotherapy team in the post-op phase.

Certainly, as the pain settles, the patient becomes much more ambulant, and they progress from two crutches to a crutch by about six weeks. Some aren't even using any aids at six weeks.

But the full recovery, as I say, can take up to a year. In my experience, most people are back to activities of daily living and hobbies such as playing golf, cycling, swimming and things of a similar nature by about three months, post op.

When can I use a regular toilet after hip replacement?

When can one use a regular toilet after a hip replacement? Certainly, you have to wait for the six-week hip precaution period to end. Then you could seek advice from your physiotherapist. But usually after six weeks, you should be able to sit on a normal toilet seat.

When can I legally drive after hip replacement surgery?

When you've had a hip replacement, it is supposed to be the rule that you don't drive for six weeks.

How soon after hip replacement can I walk unaided?

So, walking unaided after a total hip replacement is dependent on several factors. Firstly, how deconditioned you are prior to the operation. And that means how bad the hip arthritis was preoperatively. And secondly, it's down to rehabilitation. How well you've got yourself into a physical state ready to receive major surgery. And thirdly, it's down to how well you recuperate and work hard on your post-operative physiotherapy. I'd like to say you should be able to walk unaided by about two months, postoperatively. Sometimes it can take up to three months, however.

How soon after hip replacement can I tie my shoes?

Total hip replacement and tying your shoelaces. Firstly, you have to wait for the hip precaution period to end, which is usually six weeks. Then you need to try and tie your shoelaces and it will take some time to achieve it. On average, I would say it takes about two months from the moment of your operation. But in some cases, it can be longer.

How long after hip replacement can I fly?

Flying in hip replacement surgery. There's always a theoretical risk of, unfortunately, getting a deep vein thrombosis after major surgery such as a hip replacement. So, flying should probably be held back until about two months. Also, in that two-month period, that's the time when you're recovering from your operation. You don't really want to be abroad or anywhere where you're not close to a medical facility. So, I would recommend that you have eight weeks to recover and then consider going on a flight.

Can I run after hip replacement?

So, running after total hip replacement surgery is quite tricky. Actually, I think it is possible to get back to being able to jog, but actually running in a road race to the level that you once were, potentially, before you had your hip replaced or before it became arthritic, I think is a tall order.

Certainly, though by having your hip replaced, you can return to a quite competitive level of sports and several patients have gone back to playing doubles tennis, squash, playing golf, cycling at a good level, swimming and activities of a similar nature.

Can I overdo walking after a hip replacement?

Can one overdo walking after a hip replacement? You can, you can certainly do that in the early phases of your recovery. But once you've fully recovered, you should be able to enjoy walking to an unlimited extent. With regard to the early period – postoperatively - if you walk too far, your muscles around the hip joint will tire quickly and you'll start to develop discomfort and a limp.

So, you have to get the balance right and build it up in a progressive fashion. And you can always talk to your physiotherapist for guidance about this.