Inability to move your hips as well as limitations in their general functionality can affect your mobility and life activities. These limitations make walking, sitting, or even sleeping uncomfortable or sore. When conservative treatment like medication and physiotherapy isn’t effective, hip surgery becomes one of the approaches to relieving pain and restoring movement.

In case you intend to undergo hip surgery or have been recommended by your doctor for one, this page will help you understand the procedure, its types, benefits, and recovery, among others.

What is Hip Surgery? 

Hip surgery is a surgical intervention needed to fix a damaged hip joint or to relieve pain around a hip joint, which may be caused by arthritis, fractures, or other injuries. The most preferred type is hip replacement surgery. In this case, the hip joint is destroyed, and the active HP joint is substituted with a proper joint prosthesis. Some other surgical procedures can deal with hip resurfacing, arthroscopy, or fracture repair.

An orthopaedic surgeon has to make a decision on the most appropriate surgical procedure needed to optimise function and pain in the hip region, as per the severity of the condition.

When Should You Undergo Hip Surgery?

Your doctor may recommend hip surgery if you have:  

•  Chronic hip pain that does not improve with medicines  
•  Problems walking, standing, or using stairs  
•  Stiffness in the hip joint that inhibits movement  
•  Damage to the hip joint as a result of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or injury  
•  Unmanageable hip fractures  
• When physiotherapy and injections no longer help manage pain, surgical intervention is required.  

How Many Types Of Hip Surgeries Are There?  

An orthopaedic surgeon may recommend one or more of the following procedures based on the status of the hip joint:  

1. Total Hip Replacement (THR)

Total hip replacement is the surgical procedure in which the worn-out ball-and-socket joint is substituted with an artificial hip. It is performed for advanced cases of arthritis or degenerative joint disease of the hip. It will improve mobility and reduce pain.

2. Partial Hip Replacement (Hemiarthroplasty)

Partial Hip replacement involves removing the head of the femur (the round part of the hip bone) and replacing it with a prosthesis, while the socket remains unchanged. Most often carried out in elderly patients with hip fractures. 

3. Hip Resurfacing

In hip resurfacing, the full joint is not replaced; rather, only the damaged parts are capped with metal prostheses. It is used for younger patients with good bone structures.

4. Hip Arthroscopy  

This is a minimally invasive procedure that involves inserting a tiny camera to see if there are any issues, such as labral tears or impingement, which can be diagnosed and fixed. Scarring is minimal when compared to Open Surgery, and Recovery is faster.  

5. Hip Fracture Surgery  

Hip fracture surgery is used for fixing fractures for the hip joint using plates, screws, or rods to fix it securely. It helps restore function after a Traumatic Injury.  

Preparing for Hip Surgery: Key Steps

Out of all the things that can be done to improve a surgery’s outcome and reduce complications. Proper preparation is the key to surgery effectiveness. Here’s how to prepare:- 

• Evaluation – Your doctor checks your general health and requests blood work, X-rays, and imaging scans.  
• Review of Medications – Patients containable to blood thinners like Warfarin or pain relieving drugs will have to change some medications to non-steroidal pain medications.  
• Control of weight – Allows decreased stress on the new hip joint.  

Prior to the hip surgery, patients can adjust the recliner to free up access to essential items and provide comfort during recovery.  

Preoperative rehabilitation can improve rehabilitation following surgery and is sometimes performed using Mechanical Resistance Training for the hip muscle group.  

The procedure for hip surgery  

Step 1: Administer the Anesthetic  

Hip surgeries are performed under general anesthesia, with preoperative spinal anesthesia joint in achieve numbing of the body below the waist.  

Step 2: Make an incision to provide access to the joint  

The opening is made or incision is done based on the approach used, which can either be anterior, posterior, or lateral. To get to the damaged hip joint, muscles are moved aside.

Step 3: Repair or Replacement of the Joint

Cartilage and bone that is damaged is scraped out. In replacement surgeries, an artificial implant is inserted to restore the function of the joint. In other surgeries, a repair is done to the damage, and split fractures are fixed. 

Step 4: Closing the Incision

The opening created from the surgery is sealed using stitches or grommets. The area is covered with a bandage to make sure that no infection gets into the body. Complicated procedures take between 1-2 hours, with the average lasting 1 hour.

Recovery From Hip Surgery

After recovering from hip surgery, an individual requires rest, movement therapy, and adjustment in daily life.

• Hospital Stay: Depending on the surgery performed, the patient is expected to stay in the hospital for 2-3 days. 
• Pain Management: Post-surgery pain is controlled with medicines and ice packs placed on swollen areas. 
• Physical Therapy: Free movement therapy is done the day after surgery to encourage and enhance movement as well as reduce stiffness.
• Weight Bearing & Walking: Initially, patients are expected to rely on crutches or a walking frame for assistance for 1-3 weeks before using without support.

Recovery Tips For Long-Term

• All instructions given after the surgery should be followed.
• In the weeks immediately after surgery, it is best to prevent bending down or crossing the legs.
• To make the process easier, use aids such as a raised toilet seat. 
• Attend regular follow-up sessions to evaluate and monitor progress.

With most patients getting back to their daily activities within 6 – 12 weeks, they are expected to be fully recovered within the span of 3 – 6 months. 

Advantages of undergoing Hip surgery

• Pain Relief: Get rid of sore and chronic pain in your hip region.  
• Improved Mobility: Reduced pain enhances your mobility, and you can walk, stand, and move with ease.  
• Better Quality of life: Patients undergo activity level improvement and can move freely, which means better quality of life.  
• Long-term durability: Modern implants can now be expected to last from 15 – 20 years or sometimes even longer.  

Possible Risks & Complications of Hip Surgery

But, hip surgery, like all medical procedures, has its risks, some include but are not limited to:-

• Infection at the site of surgery.  
• Clots within the leg veins.  
• Loosening or wearing of the implant.  
• Some stiffness or weakness in the muscle expected to return.  

All risks will be mitigated from your surgeon’s perspective.  

Talk To Your Surgeon

Dr. Neeraj Yadav is a specialized surgeon known for his skill in hip and knee surgeries in Gurugram, India. With affiliated skills and years of work in treating trauma, spinal problems, and bone disorders, he uses tailored approaches to help patients heal.  

Formerly at Artemis Hospital, now delivering the same trusted care at his own centre, “The Knee Centre”. He provides patients with the ability to regain mobility through advanced surgical techniques, which provide pain-free living.

Book an appointment today to start your journey towards a more active and healthier lifestyle!