What hip procedure do you recommend? What hip procedure do you recommend?
At the age of 56 hip joints of my brother have deteriorated and the replacement seems to be the last option to relieve the pain.
Do you have experience and can advise you?
I had both my hips replaced at age 59. It is a major surgery that restores function and relieves pain in people who otherwise would be headed for life in a wheelchair. I'm not sure what you mean by "procedure to replace the hip. Hip replacement involves cutting off the femoral head, reaming the femur [thigh bone] and acetabulum [basin], replacing the femoral head with a ball attached to a rod and insertion of a cup ( and usually a line) in the reamed out the acetabulum. Variations on this theme involving materials are used (metal, polyethylene, ceramic), surgical approach (anterior, posterior, posterolateral), and size of the incision.
There is also a surgical procedure that is technically not a total replacement. It is called hip resurfacing. It is similar to the total replacement in the treatment of the acetabulum. It is different from total replacement in that the femoral head is not cut, but it is reshaped to accept metal lids (or resurfacing). Among young people who would be eligible for this procedure (sometimes controversial), it is supposed to keep the bones and see the total replacement later in life.
For the record I had my hips replaced 7 years ago and they are doing well. I have a metal-bearing poly (metal ball, coating Cup poly). The surgical approach was posterolateral and had large (11 ") scars. They have almost completely disappeared. I am very happy with my new hips false and I would had done it sooner. As it was I could not take a step without a cane for the last 6 months before surgery.
For more information on fixing bad hips, take a look at this website which has been developed by an ortho surgeon as a service to patients. It appears (somewhat fractured) translation in English and contains no commercial content.
http://totaljoints.info/
The site covers a total hips and total knees. Scroll down to the sections dealing with the hips.
Posted on April 1, 2010.
