Hip Replacement Surgery

Hip Replacement Surgery also known as arthroplasty is a surgical procedure which involves replacement of the damaged parts of the hip joint with new artificial parts. The artificial part or prosthesis is made of metal which improves mobility of the hip and relieves pain.

The most common cause of damage of the hip joint is osteoarthritis. The other conditions which lead to hip replacement surgery are rheumatoid arthritis, osteonecrosis, injury and bone tumors.

 

Procedure

During a hip replacement surgery a 6-8 inch incision is made over the side of the hip through the muscle and the damaged bone tissue and cartilage are removed. The head of the femur and acetabulum are replaced with new artificial parts.

Now-a-days surgeons perform minimally invasive hip replacement.

Two kinds of artificial parts are available. They are cemented parts and non-cemented parts.


Length

A usual Hip replacement surgery lasts for 1 to 2 hours.

Risks

The possible risks involved are -

• Infection -
• Loosening of prosthesis -
• Dislocation -
• Wear
• - Breakage
• - Impaired nerve function

Side Effects

In certain cases, pain and irritation is a common side effect of hip replacement surgery.