Everything You Need To Know About Hip Replacement Surgery

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Everything You Need To Know About Hip Replacement
Surgery
Source -http//healthfirstmagazine.blogspot.com/20
16/08/everything-you-need-to-know-about-hip.html
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• The hip joint is the bodys largest
  ball-and-socket joint.
• It is designed to withstand repeated motion and
  fits together carefully to allow movement in our
  body.
• You may not think about it but our hips deal with
  serious stress on a daily basis.
• Even simply walking or running puts a lot of
  force on our hips.
• In a healthy situation, a cushion of cartilage
  prevents friction as the bone moves in the
  socket.
• Thankfully, our bones and cartilage are both very
  durable.
• However, the hip joint is not indestructible and
  can wear down or become damaged with age.
• If you are especially active, the muscles and
  the tendons in the hip can also get overused.
• In older individuals who develop osteoarthritis,
  the hip bone itself can easily be fractured
  during a fall. Quality of life can significantly
  decrease after a hip fracture.
• Big or small, hip pain can impact all aspects of
  your daily life.

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• Depending on what is causing your hip pain, you
  might start to feel discomfort in your lower
  body your thigh, inside the hip joint, your
  groin, outside the hip joint and your buttocks.
• Sometimes pain from your back or groin can also
  be related to the hip.
• If you start to notice that your pain gets worse
  with activity, it might be caused by arthritis.
• Along with the pain, you could have a reduced
  range of motion. Sometimes, people develop a limp
  because of the persistent hip pain.
• If you have persistent pain that is impacting
  your ability to live your life normally, it might
  be time for you to get a hip replacement.
• During this operation, the surgeon removes the
  damaged sections of your hip joint and replaces
  them with parts usually constructed of metal and
  hard plastic.
• This artificial joint, a prosthesis, helps you
  reduce your pain and improve function.
• Hip replacement surgery can be performed
  traditionally or by using a minimally-invasive
  technique.
• The main difference between the two procedures
  is the size of the incision.

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• Hip replacement surgery has been performed for
  over a hundred years.
• As well as any other surgical techniques,
  techniques are being improved all the time.
  Similarly, as any other surgery, there can be
  risks.
• Since you will not be able to move around a lot
  after the surgery, blood clots can be a concern.
• To prevent this, your doctor will give you blood
  thinners to help prevent blood clots from
  occurring.
• During the standard hip replacement surgery, the
  patient is given general anesthesia to relax the
  muscles and to get the patient to a temporary
  deep sleep.
• The anesthesia will prevent the patient from
  feeling any pain or discomfort during the
  surgery, as well as preventing any awareness of
  the procedure.
• A spinal anesthetic can also be given as an
  alternative to help prevent pain.

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• After that, the doctor will make a cut along the
  side of the hip and move the muscles connected to
  the top of the thighbone to help expose the hip
  joint.
• Next, the ball portion of the joint is removed
  by cutting the thighbone with a saw.
• Then an artificial joint is attached to the
  thighbone using a special material that allows
  the remaining bone to attach to the new joint.
• The doctor then prepares the surface of the hip
  bone to attach the replacement socket part to the
  hip bone.
• The new ball part of the thighbone is inserted
  into the socket part of the hip.
• The doctor then reattaches the muscles and closes
  the incision.
• After the surgery, you will likely have to stay
  in the hospital for a couple of days with a
  pillow between your legs to keep the new hip
  joint stay in place.
• A drainage tube will be placed in your bladder to
  help you go to the bathroom. Physical therapy
  will begin the day after the surgery and within
  days you can start to walk with crutches or a
  cane. The physical therapy will continue for
  weeks to months following the surgery.

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• For six to twelve months after hip replacement
  surgery, twisting the leg involved should be
  avoided. Also, the leg involved should not cross
  the midline of your body or turn it inward.
• This also includes bending forward at the waist
  as well as squatting.
• Your physical therapist will provide you with
  different techniques and equipment needed to help
  you follow the guidelines and have precautions
  while performing your daily activities.
• Coming back home might be hard after hip
  replacement surgery, but there are a couple
  things you can do to make life much easier.
• For example, you can keep stair climbing to a
  minimum. Before coming back home, make the
  necessary arrangements so you will only have to
  go up or down the stairs once a day.
• Another thing you can do is sit firm in a
  straight-back chair.
• To avoid falls, try and remove all rugs from the
  floor to keep it clutter free.
• For daily necessities like going to the bathroom,
  use an elevated toilet seat.
• With this, you will prevent bending too far at
  the hips.

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