Hip Replacement Surgery

A hip replacement surgery is generally a necessary step once arthritis in the joint becomes too painful to engage in everyday activities like walking and moving around the house.

During this procedure, the arthritic hip joint is replaced with artificial metal or plastic components. Surgery is generally that last resort after non-surgical options, such as medications and injections, have been found unsuccessful.

CAUSES FOR HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERY

Hip replacement surgery is intended to replace damaged or diseased parts of the joint with new, artificial parts. Some causes of this damage include:

• Arthritis
• Trauma (fractures)
• Disease or infections
• Bone tumors
• Obesity
• Family history

WHAT HAPPENS TO AN ARTHRITIC HIP?

Osteoarthritis (arthritis of the joints), develops slowly and worsens over time, causing the following to occur:

• Cartilage wears away
• Joint space between the bones decreases
• Bones spurs can occur

Symptoms of this condition include:

• Pain with vigorous activity
• Pain in hips, thigh, and groin
• Stiffness of hip joints, causing difficulty walking or bending
• Decreased range of motion

Many common first steps before surgery is suggested are some non-surgical treatment options to help the hips, including:

• Walking aids, like a cane.
• Physical therapy.
• Exercise program - to manage weight.
• Medications or injections.

When these options don’t seem to help, that is when hip replacement surgery is recommended. Dr. Altenburg can work with you to decide if a hip replacement surgery is the best choice for your condition.

BENEFITS OF HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERY

The biggest benefit of hip replacement surgery, and any joint replacement surgery, is the relief from the symptoms of stiffness and pain. After the recommended recovery period from this surgery, you’ll likely find that you can do many activities that were painful to do before, such as walking up stairs or going to the grocery store. Replacing the damaged joint will improve quality of life by allowing you to restore much of your independence that the pain limited.