Hip replacement surgeries have been done since 1960 with great success, allowing patients to resume their working lives, enjoy their hobbies and fully engage in family activities, all without their former hip pain. Hip replacement surgeries are done to relieve conditions of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and traumatic arthritis or injury to the hip. Many people may wonder when it's time to consider hip replacement surgery. Here are few points to keep in mind before talking to your physician about undergoing surgery to replace your bad hip.
Instructions
Know When You Need Hip Replacement Surgery
1. Consider your physical condition. Do you walk with a limp, or do you have other immobility because of your hip pain? Is getting out of chairs or off the toilet difficult for you?
2. Monitor your sleep habits. Is hip pain keeping you from falling asleep at night or waking you up during the night? That may be an indication that it's time to consider hip replacement surgery.
3. Think back over the past year. How many times has hip pain limited your daily activities? If you can think of several occasions when hip pain got in the way of your work life or family activities, it might be time to consider hip replacement surgery.
4. Ask yourself what activities have you curtailed because of pain? If you no longer enjoy walking, shopping or traveling because of pain or immobility from hip, it may be time to consider replacement surgery.
5. Review the history of your medications. Have you been prescribed increasing amounts of pain reliever, or have you had to change pain medication to manage increasing hip pain? It might be time to talk to your physician about hip replacement surgery.
6. List your previous treatments for hip pain. Have you received physical therapy for hip pain, but it no longer helps? Have you received steroid injections, but they don't remove the pain for very long? Have you had previous surgery on the hip, but the pain has returned or worsened? These could be indications that it is time to consider hip replacement surgery.
7. Consider other factors that are important to hip surgery. Are you over age 95? If so, hip replacement surgery may have special risks for you. Are you under 55? Your physician may not consider hip replacement suitable until you reach a certain age. Are you of average weight? Being too heavy will affect your rehabilitation after surgery, and your physician may require you to reduce your weight before undergoing hip replacement. Do you have other health problems such as heart disease or diabetes that might make hip replacement surgery more risky? Your physician can best advise you on how hip replacement surgery risks will affect you and your ability to get back on your feet after surgery.
