Should hip replacement surgery be done as soon as possible?

When hip disease has caused lameness and limping, and imaging reports show that osteoarthritis is in the late stage, the cartilage is almost worn out, and the bone spurs are getting bigger. When moving the joint, the patient may hear a popping sound accompanied by obvious swelling. If conservative treatment is ineffective, the doctor may recommend artificial hip replacement surgery. It is understandable that some patients are hesitant and don’t know how to make a decision. It is recommend to consider the following points:

Is conservative treatment still effective?

The principle of hip arthritis treatment is to be as conservative as possible and delay the replacement as much as possible. Before surgery, the doctor may also recommend a series of conservative treatments (if you have not done them before), such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , corticosteroid injections and physical therapy. If they are effective, you can wait a little longer. If the symptoms still do not improve after six weeks, surgical replacement is recommend.

Conditions of Hip Pain

If the joints have obviously deteriorated and the bones are rubbing against each other, most of these patients are suitable for replacement surgery. This is because the cartilage on the bones has no nerves. When the cartilage is still there, although there is pain, it may not feel too serious. However, once the cartilage is worn out , the bone under the cartilage is exposed. There are nerves distributed on the bones, and the bones rub against each other. The nerves are directly stimulated, and the pain caused can be imagined, and it will continue or even worsen.

Physical changes

“Bone-on-bone” means that serious physical changes have occure, some key substances in the joint have been lost, conservative treatment is difficult to work, and joint replacement is the most effective solution. However, although they are all osteoarthritis, the causes are also varied. Such patients include general wear and tear, hip trauma, and congenital problems such as hip dysplasia .

In addition, another sign of pain is deep groin pain, the severity of which is also affect by the severity of the hip joint. If there is obvious pain deep in the groin and severe pain in the knee, it is also an indication for joint replacement surgery . The surgery can not only improve hip symptoms, but also relieve knee pain. Otherwise, the patient’s entire lower limbs will be in pain.

The above patients are advise to undergo replacement surgery as soon as possible. There is no point in enduring such pain, as they will not improve naturally.

Some patients can wait and may not need to rush for surgery. For example, some pain comes from the hip, but according to the doctor’s diagnosis, it may also come from the waist. Especially for the elderly, there are many cases of both spine and hip lesions. Which is more serious and which is the main source of pain must be distinguish by experienced doctors. Otherwise, even after hip replacement , the pain may continue. For example, pain concentrated in the back of the thigh or radiating down to the leg may mainly come from spinal problems. Sometimes spinal problems can also cause pain around the hip.

Impact on daily life

Although the severity of the disease is the same in imaging, the impact on daily life varies from person to person. Some patients can still meet basic needs, while others have difficulty doing so. If the following symptoms occur, it means that the hip problem has seriously affected the quality of life and joint replacement is recommend:

Pain at rest: Hip pain occurs when walking or climbing stairs. However, it will generally be relieve by stopping exercise or resting. If the pain develops to the point where it still occurs even at rest, surgery should be consider.

Hip stiffness: If the stiffness progresses to the point where it becomes difficult to move and lift the leg, it is a serious condition.

Serious impact on emotions: Hip pain can make walking, bending, shopping, and climbing stairs difficult. If the pain level has caused obvious depression or anxiety, surgery is recommend as soon as possible to prevent further development of psychosomatic symptoms.

Modern hip replacement has a history of more than 80 years. The prosthesis and surgical techniques are quite mature, the operation is highly safe, and the probability of complications is extremely low. Most patients can get out of bed the day after the operation. After that, they can follow the doctor’s instructions and actively carry out phased rehabilitation exercises, and it is expect that they will be able to resume a healthy life in a few months.