Hip replacements

1. You will be fully assessed to check you are physically well enough for surgery.

This starts with the consultation with your surgeon in clinic, you will then attend a pre-assessment clinic where you are assessed by a specialist nurse and sometimes an anaesthetist if you have other medical problems. You may require some additional blood tests and investigations before your surgery. You will have a chance to ask questions about your anaesthetic and what happens before and after surgery.

2. A spinal anaesthetic and occasionally a general anaesthetic are used so you do not feel the surgery.

For the majority of patients a spinal anaesthetic is used for the surgery with medicine to make you sleepy. This is the preferred method to ensure you do not feel any pain during the surgery but still breathe for yourself which helps you to recover more quickly after the surgery. You will have a chance to discuss the anaesthetic before the surgery.

3. The old worn out hip joint is removed and a new artificial hip is inserted (speak to your surgeon about the implants).

The surgeon and their team will meticulously prepare the hip prior to surgery and apply sterile drapes over the hip. A careful incision is made in the skin and the hip joint is exposed. The old worn out head is removed and the socket is cleared of arthritis. A new socket and stem are inserted with a new head.

4. The joint is checked thoroughly for movement and stability. The muscles and tendons around the hip joint are repaired.

Once the new hip joint is inserted the surgeon very carefully assesses the movement and stability of the new hip to check that it will function well for you before they fully insert the final hip. Once the final hip is inserted everything is cleaned and the muscles and tendons around the hip are repaired. Local anaesthetic is inserted in the deep tissues to give you good pain relief on the ward.

5. You return to the ward and are helped on to your feet by the physios often on the same day of surgery.

You will spend some time in recovery after the operation. As soon as you are well enough you will be transferred to the ward. On the ward you will be seen by physios and nurses and as soon as possible you are encouraged to walk. You will have a check xray on the day of the surgery or the day after to confirm the position of the new hip and will return home after 1-3 nights stay when it is safe for you to do so.