Hip Replacement Surgery – A Boon For Painful Hips!
Rescuing A Painful Hip
A painful hip can severely affect your ability to lead a full active life. Over the last twenty five years, major advancements in hip replacement have improved the outcome of the surgery greatly. Total hip replacement is becoming more and more common as the population of the world begins to age. Total hip replacement relieves pain from most kinds of hip arthritis, improving the quality of life for the large majority of patients who undergo the operation. This troublesome hip can be surgically removed and replaced with an artificial one. Osteoarthritis which causes the wearing down of hip, is the most common cause of painful hips. There are other conditions which can also join hands to make a hip joint painful and dysfunctional. Some of these are rheumatoid arthritis, avascular necrosis, injury, and bone tumors.
Basics Of Hip Replacement
The hip is basically a ball and socket joint, linking the ball at the head of the thigh bone called as femur with the cup-shaped socket in the pelvic bone. A total hip prosthesis is surgically implanted to replace the damaged bone within the hip joint. Hip replacement is not always the first choice. Non-invasive methods like medications and physiotherapy are definitely given a try before resorting to surgery. However, medications and physiotherapy may do little to relieve a severely damaged hip joint. Therefore if pain and loss of function interfere with daily activities, a surgical replacement of hip is considered. The complete surgery takes one to two hours and carries minimal anesthetic risks. The procedure of replacing the hip involves removing the arthritic parts of the joint replacing the ball and socket part of the joint through a surgical incision. The latest approach called the minimal invasive approach utilizes a very small incision for the procedure. The artificial components are made from metal alloys, and places high-performance bearing surface between the metal parts. Most commonly, the bearing surface is made from a very durable polyethylene plastic, but other materials including ceramics, newer plastics, or metals; have been used. Patients typically spend a few days in the hospital after the procedure, and some patients benefit from a short inpatient stay in a rehabilitation facility after that to help transition back to living independently at home.
Post Surgery Activities
Physical therapy typically starts the day after surgery. A physical therapist will teach you exercises, such as contracting and relaxing certain muscles that can strengthen the artificial hip. Because the new hip has a limited range of movement, the physical therapist also will teach you proper techniques for simple activities of daily living, such as bending and sitting, to prevent injury to the new hip. Most patients will walk with a walker or crutches for 4 to 6 weeks, most will use a cane for another 4 to 6 weeks after that; after that, the large majority of patients are able to walk freely. The full recovery takes about three to six months. Hip joint replacement is primarily done in people age 60 and older. The operation is usually not recommended for younger people because of the strain they can put on the artificial hip, causing it to fail prematurely. For many older patients the hip replacement will last for their remaining lifetime; for younger patients revision surgery may be necessary. Compared to primary hip replacement, revision hip surgery or correction surgery is more complex, more expensive, and has higher failure rates.
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Providence Gets Bonus In Quality Program
July 02, 2006
Providence Medical Center has been recognized for quality as part of a national pay-for-performance project, the hospital said Thursday.
Hospital pay-for-performance programs are based on the premise that rewarding providers for superior care will improve health care delivery and ultimately lower costs by shortening hospital stays and reducing readmissions.
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