Did You Know That Your Painful Hip Joint Can Be Replaced?

Posted on Author John Vorhaus

In one way or another, you can develop hip joint complications. Studies suggest that arthritis is the primary cause of hip joint infections. Arthritis can damage your hip joint very severely, resulting in pain and difficulties in walking. After a hip joint diagnosis, your doctor can suggest hip replacement surgery. Hip replacement surgery involves the removal of a painful hip joint with arthritis and replacing it with an artificial one made from metal or plastic. If you are suffering from hip pain, consult Chevy Chase hip replacement specialists since they are the best. Below is the procedure followed during the hip surgery.

Procedures followed during hip replacement surgery

Before the surgery, your doctor will perform an overall body examination to check the presence of health conditions that may hinder the surgery. The examination can be done through blood screening, laboratory tests, and physical therapy.

After examination, your doctor will choose between traditional surgery or minimally invasive surgery. The difference between the two surgeries is the size of the incisions. General anesthesia is done to relax your muscles and put you in a deep sleep. A cut is then made around the area of treatment. Tissues binding the thigh bone are clamped to expose the hip joint. The infected ball portion of your hip joint is removed by cutting it with a saw. An artificial hip joint is then connected to the thigh bone using cement. Any other damaged cartilage is removed, and the socket is attached to the hipbone. After the hip joint replacement, the muscles and tissues are then closed using stitches. In the minimally invasive approach, one or two cuts are made with a length of 2 to 5 inches. The above procedure is repeated. The surgery can take about 1 to 2 hours to complete.

After surgery, your doctor may prescribe you some medications to relieve pain and catalyze healing. Below are some tips for a successful hip replacement recovery.

Tips for hip replacement recovery

There are several tips you can follow for you to have a better recovery. They include:

  1. Have an exercise routine. After surgery, try to exercise your hip. Daily exercise may help your hip to get strong, thus facilitating movement.
  2. Pay attention to diet. Since you are not doing hard work, your diet should be balanced. When you start adding weight, you can add pressure to your hip, resulting in dislocation. According to research, it is good to maintain your weight during recovery. Eat food with high content of calcium for bone strengthening.
  3. Don’t work. Avoid working before your hip bone has completely healed. When you start working too soon your hip joint can be dislocated, making you pay extra cost for treatment.

Artificial hip joints work efficiently like natural ones. After surgery, there is a need to normalize the original movement since failure to do so, you can start limping. For successful hip joint replacement, book an appointment with Dr. Gautam Siram MD.