How Do I Know if I Need Total Hip Replacement Surgery?

If you are suffering from severe pain in your hip joints, this may be a result of one or more possible conditions: osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease, rheumatoid arthritis, osteonecrosis, tumors, fractures, or various other injuries. Many of these problems develop as an inevitable part of the aging process, while others result from accidents, sports injuries, dietary deficiencies, and numerous other disorders. All of these issues can be debilitating for a person at any age or stage of life, and no matter what precautions might be taken to avoid joint deterioration or damage, sometimes surgery is an inevitable solution.

You may be wondering, “How do I know if I need total hip replacement?” Among the primary indicators that a surgical procedure may be necessary, constant pain that limits your ability to move around freely should be considered a good reason to talk to your doctor about the possibility of hip surgery. Thousands of patients around the United States receive hip replacement surgery every year, and the success rate for this type of procedure is increasingly high, especially among patients with no additional serious health complications. While you may be determined by your physician to be in good enough shape to undergo surgery and recover quickly, it may be the case that you only need a more minor surgery, rather than a total hip replacement. A thorough evaluation by the hip specialists at Rothman Orthopaedic Institute will help you figure out the most appropriate treatment plan for you.

“How Do I Know If I Need Total Hip Replacement?”

Not every fracture, deterioration, or case of arthritis is due cause for a doctor to recommend hip replacement surgery for a patient. In many cases, a minimally invasive procedure will succeed in reducing or eliminating the pain and difficulties experienced by someone with a relatively minor condition. Some patients tend to benefit from canes, walkers, and wheelchairs, at least for a long enough period of time to delay surgery until it becomes absolutely necessary. For patients with constant pain and difficulty with everyday movement, however, total hip replacement surgery is inevitable.

While there is not always a clear cut case of a patient that needs prosthetic hip replacements, there are some factors and conditions that may disqualify someone as a candidate for surgery. Some of these considerations are:

• Parkinson’s disease, among other chronic conditions, which may increase the patient’s chances for a recurring dislocation of the replacement joint
• A high risk of infection, especially due to an immunodeficiency, which may compromise the patient’s road to recovery
• Muscle weakness or lack of coordination, which can make the patient more susceptible to slips, falls, and other accidents that could dislocate the hip joint

Maybe you are wondering, “How do I know if I need total hip replacement surgery?”, and maybe you are additionally concerned about the risks and pain associated with any surgical operation. Your doctor can help you understand the specific risks pertaining to your current physical condition; however, the hip specialists at Rothman Orthopaedic Institute can assure you that hip replacement surgery is among the safest and most effective operations in orthopedic medicine. While pain is an inevitable aspect of any surgery, managing your recovery is just one of the specialties of our highly experienced physicians. In the long run, the pain you feel for a short time after surgery will be well worth the relief your total hip replacement will bring.

Contact us at Rothman Orthopaedic Institute with any questions or matters you wish to discuss with our experienced hip specialists. We look forward to helping you discover your ideal road to recovery and a more comfortable, fulfilling life.