Hip Replacement Surgery

If you’ve exhausted all non-surgical options to restore mobility, and reduce pain in the hip, then you might be a suitable candidate for hip replacement surgery.

Following an examination and consultation with your surgeon, it will be decided if surgery will be the best option for hip restoration in the long term.

As it is generally a final treatment option, as not every sufferer of a chronic hip condition (such as injury or arthritis) will be recommended for a hip replacement.

However, in patients for whom other treatments have proven unsuccessful, a hip replacement can be a life-changing procedure that restores lost function and allows you to live a full and active life.

There are three major surgical procedures, and three surgical approaches available to your orthopaedic surgeon.  You might be a suitable candidate for a total hip replacement (the most common), a partial hip replacement, or hip resurfacing.

Once the surgeon is clear on what type of hip replacement you will get, the surgeon will determine which approach will be best. This is normally based on the impact of your injury, and the expertise of the surgeon.

The three common surgical approaches available are: anterior, posterior and lateral hip replacement surgery.

Anterior hip replacement is a surgical approach where the surgeon accesses the hip joint from the front, with less invasive cutting of muscles and tendons.

Posterior hip replacement is the traditional approach to perform hip replacement surgery, and requires the resection of muscles and tendons to access the hip joint. Muscles and tendons are repaired and reattached at the completion of the surgery.

Lateral hip replacement surgery is a surgical approach where the surgeon makes an incision on the side of the hip, lifting muscles and tendons out of the way.

Choosing the most appropriate and safest approach to surgery depends upon a number of factors such as your physical condition, body shape and the anatomy of your hip joint.

Medical advances in hip surgery has come a long way, and a successful hip replacement could last a lifetime, making it unlikely that further surgery will be required.

Patients may get 15-20 years from their hip implant, but a combination of improved surgical equipment, and techniques, has reduced the recovery time and extended the lifespan of the new hip.