Are you ready for a hip replacement?
Do you feel piercing pains in your hips? Are these pains lasting for months? If this is the case for you, there is a chance you might need hip replacement surgery. This is one of the most common surgeries seniors in the United States get performed, and it is mandatory to be informed because things are not as scary as they seem.
If you suffer from any persisting pains, you should check it immediately with your doctor. This is the only way you can find out if there is something serious or not. Some describe hip pain as an initially acute pain that feels like it’s piercing your leg up and down. After a while, it starts to linger, and you will start to feel incapacitated.
Also, if you have a family history of osteoarthritis or you had problems with your knees, the chances of needing hip replacement surgery are higher. Based on the Cleveland Clinic, surgeons undertake over 350,000 hip replacements in the United States each year, compared with 138,700 in 2000, judging by federal data, with more than 90% performed on individuals aged 50 and above.
So, here are some of the best tips you should know about this type of surgery. Get ready to find out more.
Not anyone with joint damage will need a hip replacement
Osteoarthritis, also known as “wear and tear” arthritis, causes a lot of pain and inflammation in your hips and is one of the most common reasons people get hip replacements. The second condition that leads to surgery is rheumatoid arthritis, which is a chronic autoimmune disease followed by various accidents that can damage the hips and cause post-traumatic issues such as falling.
Considering that osteoarthritis affects almost 33 million U.S. adults, it’s essential to know that there are two components that lead to hip problems. One is genetic, and the other is tied to how long and how hard you’ve used the bone. For example, the cartilage of some people is less durable, and as a result, they will wear out faster.
Also, there are folks who are harder on their hips, and this can lead to various injuries over time. Maybe they are caused by accidents, or maybe they are the result of being overweight.
What you have to do before deciding it’s time for a hip replacement is to discuss it with your doctor because even if your hips are affected, you might not need surgery. It all depends on the level of pain and how much it affects your life. If let’s say, your pain is not letting you sleep, it might be a sign that you are the perfect candidate for surgery.
Full recovery can take a while
When you are scheduling your surgery, you have to make sure that you have at least two months free that you can use for recovery. Walking right away is not possible in most cases because, let’s be real, your body has been through a lot, and you need to give it time to recover.
This surgery means that you will have hardware your bones will need to adjust during the healing process. According to doctors, the soft tissue around your joints needs three months to heal 80% and get adjusted.
Try to follow the instructions your physician gives you about what you can do and what you can’t do after the surgery. You want to avoid early complications because they might lead to bigger problems that might need other surgeries and make things worse altogether.
To make things easier, there is a list of things you can buy before surgery. These are the essentials you will need, and getting them earlier is the best preparation you can do. You will need a cane or a walking stick, a foldable walker, sock pullers, a long-handled shoehorn, a transfer bench you can use to move in and out of the shower, cold packs to reduce inflammation, and a metal clip dressing aid.
You will get the hip joint replaced, not your pelvis
This is a common misconception about hip replacement surgery. Many people imagine that you will get the large, plate-like bones replaced, but this is not how things work in reality. That area is indeed part of your hip, but that is the pelvis.
What you get replaced through surgery is the ball-and-socket joint where the head of the thigh bone, your femur, gets fixed into the pelvis. That is the joint that will get replaced. There is a cartilage in the hip joint that is also found on the head of the femur, and it has the role of acting as a cushion to protect the bones from friction.
So, what happens during a hip replacement surgery? Well, the doctor will install this metal socket in the acetabulum (the space that holds your hip joint) and also another metal stem that was previously inserted in the tube of the femur. These two will get a conceded tough ceramic ball, and this is how you get a new hip joint.
What about the partial and total hip replacements? The only difference is that for a partial hip replacement, the socket stays the same and doesn’t get replaced. Generally, this type of surgery is performed when someone suffers trauma after a fall.
Recovery is almost guaranteed, and there are not a lot of risks
According to specialists, a real breakthrough was the way the loss of blood is managed nowadays during surgery. This was a big risk back in the day, but right now this is no longer an obstacle. A drug known as tranexamic acid helped mitigate this risk.
This is an advanced medication that helps with clot stabilization, and as a result, the blood loss will not be a significant one. What is incredible is that in the last decade, the percentage of blood transfusions needed for hip replacement surgery dropped by 60% in the United States.
It is important to mention that the nerve blockers used during the surgery and the pain medication you receive post-surgery also improved, so your recovery will be much easier than it used to be decades ago. This surgery is very common, and the whole process has evolved so much that almost anyone can have it done to themselves and recover in a decent amount of time with no risks.
There is a chance you will go home the same day as the surgery
We know that this sounds unbelievable, but depending on the type of surgery, this is a very possible scenario. The surgeon can get to the hip in four simple ways. Posterior (when they enter through the back area of the hip bone), anterior (when they go through the upper thigh), lateral (when they enter from the side), and anterolateral (when they go through the side and also around the front).
The method the surgeon will use is the one that suits your medical needs the best. There is no better option than the other, and this is why you should not worry about this. Generally, there are many patients who go home on the same day of the surgery. The ones who remain in the hospital are the ones with preexisting conditions.
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You should also read: These 5 Medications Can Affect Your Driving!
