Hip Replacement Surgery – Decision To A New Hip!
Replacing The Hip Joint
Most degenerative problems of the hip will ultimately require replacement of the painful hip joint with an artificial hip joint. Once the decision to proceed with total hip operation is made, there are several things to be done. Your orthopedic surgeon may suggest a complete physical examination by your medical or family doctor. This is to ensure that you are in the best possible condition to undergo the operation.
Deciding On Artificial Hip
An artificial hip is required once the medical treatment is ineffective or the disease has progressed to severity. The indications include severe pain, loss of movements and inability to perform activities of daily life. The contraindications of the surgery also need to be discussed in detail. The hip to be replaced can be viewed by arthroscopy on video for a better view. The analgesia can be administered intrathecally for effective pain management. Hip replacement surgery can be done using general spinal or epidural anesthesia. The patient is anesthetized and positioned for surgery. The surgery can be done using the traditional approach of ten to twelve inches cut or the recent technique of minimally invasive procedure with three to four inches cut. The surgery lasts for approximately one hour. The postoperative care and exercises are very important in the final outcome of the hip replacement.
The Preoperative Preparation
The patient may need to spend time with a physiotherapist who will be managing your rehabilitation after the surgery. The therapist may begin the teaching process before the surgery. You may also be asked to donate some of your blood before the operation. This blood can be donated once a week beginning about three to five weeks before the surgery. If you need to have a blood transfusion at the time of surgery, you will receive your blood that has been stored in the blood bank.
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