Hip Replacement

Total hip replacement surgery replaces the upper end of the thinghbone (femur) with a metal ball and resurfaces the hip socket in the pelvic bone with a metal shell and plastic liner. Doctor may attach replacement joints to the bones with or without cement.

• Cemented joints are attaches to the existing bone with cement, which acts as a glue and attaches the artificial joint to the bone.
• Uncemented joints are attached using a porous coating that is designed to allow the bone to adhere to the artificial joint. Over the time, new bone grows and fills up the openings in the porous coating, attaching the joint to the bone.

Rehabilitation (rehab) after hip replacement surgery may vary depending on whether the surgeon used cement or cementless methods. It also determines how much weight you can puton your leg. Generally you cannot put any weight on an uncemented hip for about 6 weeks. With a cemented or hybrid hip,you can usually put some weight on your leg right away. But you'll still need a walker, a cane, or crutches for several weeks. In general, most people get out of bed with help on the day after surgery. Over the next few days, you will learn how to walk with a walker or crutches. Most people go home within afew days to a week after surgery.

The complication rate following hip replacement surgery is low. Serious complications, such as joint infection, occur in less than 2% of patients. Major medical complications, such as heart attack or stroke, occur even less frequently.

Most artifical hip joints will last for 10 to 20 years or longer without loosening, depending on such factors as :

• Your lifestyle and how much stress you put on a joint.
• How much you weigh (being very overweight puts extra stress on the joint).
• How well your new joint and bones mend.

You can usually drive again after about six weeks.

This depends on your job, but you can usually return to work between 6 and 12 weeks after your operations.