Your Artificial Hip Joint: When Should You Consider Revision Surgery?
Some years ago, you had a hip replacement. After your hip joint surgery, your artificial hip did what it was intended to do. You regained motion and strength, and most, if not all, of your pain went away. You were back to living an enjoyable and functional life. But over recent months, maybe even a couple of years, you have started to experience hip replacement pain. If this has happened to you, you may want to consider the signs of hip replacement wearing out. If your hip replacement is wearing down, you may need hip revision surgery.
What is Revision Surgery?
Hip revision surgery is needed when the artificial hip joint wears down from dislocation, usual wear and tear, or an infection. Typically, a hip revision is needed after a total hip replacement repair and part or all of the prosthesis that was originally inserted gets damaged.
Hip revisions are not too common. For every 100 hip replacements, there will be approximately 18 hip revisions. Typically, an artificial hip joint will last 15 to 20 years, and patients ages 60 to 80 get most hip replacements. However, there are some instances where people get a hip replacement at a young age because of sports injuries, an accident, or a genetic condition. These people are more likely to get hip revision surgery in the future.
How to Tell When Hip Revision Surgery is Needed
As with a typical hip replacement, there will be common signs that you may need hip revision surgery. Usually, pain in the hip joint with the replacement is the most common sign. Other signs include:
Popping or clicking sound
Feeling like your hip joint is moving in and out of its socket
Partial or full dislocation
Inability to walk
Weakness in the leg
Stiffness in the hip joint
Redness
Swelling
What is the Procedure Like?
Depending on the reason for your hip revision surgery, the procedure may require a different process. As mentioned, the most common reasons for revision surgery are dislocation, wear and tear, or infection.
Dislocation Procedure
Before surgery, you may be advised to get an MRI to find the exact location that needs to be repaired. When the surgeon determines the best course of action, you will schedule surgery. The procedure is similar to the original hip replacement surgery where the surgeon will clean out the damaged area and replace the old prosthesis with a new one.
After surgery, the surgeon may advise you to wear a brace for a few weeks. Regardless, the healing time will not be lengthy as long as you follow the proper recovery procedures such as taking medication properly and doing physical therapy.
Wear and Tear Procedure
If you received a hip replacement younger than the anticipated age and continued to live a highly active life, there is a chance your hip joint replacement wore down the prosthesis. As a result, you may need to have the worn-out section replaced by having the implants removed and replaced with new ones.
Infection Procedure
Infections are not all that common in a hip replacement, but they can still occur. Generally, if you make it the first six weeks after surgery without an infection, the chances of your replacement getting infected are little to none. There is also a chance that an infection somewhere else in the body can travel to the replacement. If the area does get infected, and your doctor advises you to have surgery, depending on the severity of the infection will determine the type of surgery you will have:
Debridement: A deep infection caught in an early stage. If the infection is not that severe, the surgeon will simply remove the affected tissue and thoroughly wash the implant. For six weeks, you will be given IV antibiotics.
Staged Surgery: This is a two-part procedure. When an infection has been present for a while, you will need staged surgery. A surgeon will take out the implant, clean the joint, place an antibiotic spacer, and put you on IV antibiotics for six weeks. After six weeks, or when the infection is cured, you will then receive new replacement implants.
Single-Stage surgery: The surgeon removes the implant and affected areas, sanitizes everything, and places new implants all in one sitting.
Be sure to follow all post-surgery instructions. Failure to do so can lead to prolonged recovery or even another surgery.
How EmergeOrtho Can Help
If you have hip replacement pain and you think you may be a candidate for hip revision surgery, EmergeOrtho—Blue Ridge Region will provide you with the care you need. Our board-certified, fellowship-trained surgeons have years of experience to give you a safe and successful surgery. Click here to schedule your appointment.
