If you have hip pain and stiffness from arthritis, nonsurgical treatments like physical therapy and pain-relieving medications may help you reclaim your quality of life. Sometimes, though, those therapies don’t offer enough relief. At Summit Orthopedics, our orthopedic specialists help people from throughout the Minneapolis/St. Paul area control or eliminate hip arthritis symptoms with award-winning total hip replacement surgery.
Our experts take a conservative approach to treating hip joint pain. In most cases, we don’t recommend surgery unless you have severe arthritis symptoms or nonsurgical treatments haven’t worked for you. If you need total hip replacement, we offer a minimally invasive approach that’s less disruptive to the muscles and uses smaller incisions.
Rest assured, you’ll be in good hands. Blue Cross Blue Shield named Summit Orthopedics a Blue Distinction Center+® for excellence in knee and hip replacement. In addition, our Vadnais Heights Surgery Center received The Joint Commission’s Advanced Certification for Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement. We’re ready to help you move past hip pain and into a more active future.
What Is Total Hip Replacement?
A ball-and-socket joint, your hip features two main bones. The femoral head (the ball), which is the top of the thigh bone, sits within part of the pelvis called the acetabulum (socket). Cartilage covering the ball and socket helps the hip move smoothly, but arthritis can wear this cushion away. A total hip replacement removes the damaged bone and cartilage and replaces them with artificial parts.
You may read or hear your orthopedic specialist use several terms for total hip replacement, including total hip arthroplasty or, simply, hip replacement. All refer to the same surgery.
Rarely, some patients are candidates for partial hip replacement surgery. During this procedure, the surgeon only replaces the damaged portion of the hip and leaves the healthy parts of the joint in place. Surgeons usually only perform partial hip replacements for situations such as broken hips.
How the Surgery Works
During a total hip replacement, the surgeon:
- Removes the femoral head and replaces it with a metal stem set into the femur’s hollow interior
- Positions a metal or ceramic ball on the stem to recreate the femoral head
- Removes the surface of the acetabulum and replaces it with a metal covering
- Places a metal, plastic or ceramic spacer between the artificial ball and socket so they’ll move easily against each other
In the past, surgeons performed hip replacement through a large incision on the side or back of the hip. Now, however, many offer minimally invasive approaches using one or two small incisions. One of these approaches, the direct anterior approach, involves making a small incision on the front of the hip and moving muscles aside instead of cutting through them to reach the joint. This method reduces the number of muscles the surgeon has to split to reach the joint. Avoiding cutting the muscles can lead to less pain and a quicker recovery.
Preparing for Total Hip Replacement
You will need to take several steps leading up to your surgery to ensure you’re healthy enough to have the operation, reduce the risk of complications and make your home a safe place to recover.
Weeks Before Surgery
In the weeks prior to your total hip replacement, plan to:
- Attend a joint education class: Joint replacement staff will tell you what to expect before, during and after surgery.
- Get a checkup at least 30 days before surgery: Your primary care provider will take your medical history and perform a physical exam to assess your overall health prior to surgery. Ensure your PCP’s office sends the results to the surgery center and bring a copy with you on the day of surgery.
- Notify your surgical team of recent illness. If you’re sick the week before your surgery, it may need to be rescheduled.
- Prepare your home for recovery. Clear walkways of clutter. Install a raised toilet in the bathroom and handrails and a seat in the shower. Install handrails along stairways. Purchase an armchair with a firm cushion and back. Create a living space on the ground floor, if possible, to avoid climbing stairs.
- Stop taking vitamin E three weeks before surgery. This supplement may increase your risk of bleeding during surgery.
- Take care of dental procedures one month in advance. Having these procedures well before your surgery minimizes the risk of bacteria from dental work infecting the surgical site.
- Tell your orthopedic specialist about the medications you take. They may advise you to stop taking certain medicines before your surgery.
Days Before Surgery
As your total hip replacement gets close, be sure to:
- Keep an eye on your phone. A nurse will call you 24 hours before surgery to answer questions and tell you what time your surgery is scheduled.
- Stop drinking alcohol 24 hours before surgery. Alcohol can increase the risk of surgical complications, such as bleeding.
- Stop taking pain medications at midnight prior to surgery. These medicines can interfere with the procedure.
- Tell the patient care coordinator if you take blood thinners. You will need to stop these medicines before your surgery to reduce the risk of bleeding, but not until your physician gives permission to do so.
What to Expect on the Day of Your Surgery
Your hip replacement surgery will take place at a hospital or Summit Orthopedics’ Vadnais Heights Surgery Center or Eagan Surgery Center.
Before Surgery
Arrive at the surgery center one to two hours early so nurses can check your blood pressure and other vital signs, and the anesthesiologist can talk with you about the anesthesia you’ll receive. You may have general anesthesia or a nerve block to numb your body from the waist down.
Before your total hip replacement, you’ll receive antibiotics to protect against potential infections. A member of the surgical team will meet with you to answer last-minute questions. Your family may stay with you until the team takes you to the operating room for surgery.
After Surgery
After the surgical procedure, you’ll go to a recovery room until the anesthesia wears off, and then you’ll move to a hospital room or Care Suites room. Your family can join you there.
You will likely go home the same day if you had your procedure at a surgery center, although you may choose to stay in a Care Suite overnight. If your surgery took place at a hospital, you may be admitted for one to two nights. Wherever you have your surgery, you will work with a physical therapist several times per day before discharge to start building strength and range of motion after the operation.
What to Expect From Total Hip Replacement Recovery
The hip replacement recovery timeline varies from person to person. A full recovery from total hip replacement may take up to 12 weeks. You can take steps to help the process go as smoothly as possible.
- Commit to physical therapy. You may receive physical therapy at home initially followed by twice-weekly outpatient therapy at Summit Orthopedics.
- Follow your orthopedic specialist’s instructions for resuming activities. They will let you know when it’s safe to resume certain activities. You may be able to return to most light daily activities as soon as three weeks after surgery.
- Fuel your recovery. Stay hydrated and eat a healthy, balanced diet to support healing.
- Keep your follow-up appointments. You will have multiple follow-up visits with your surgeon throughout your recovery. Be sure to attend all appointments, especially the first one, where the surgeon may remove staples and order an imaging test to check your new hip.
- Learn the signs of infection. Tell your physician if you experience chills, a persistent fever, or increasing pain, redness or tenderness at the surgery site.
- Manage pain. Your orthopedic specialist may recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, or other pain-relieving medication to help you stay comfortable.
- Protect your new hip. To help your hip heal, the surgeon may tell you certain things you should never do after your total hip replacement, at least for six to eight weeks. These may include sitting with your legs crossed at the knees, bringing your knee higher than your hip and bending more than 90 degrees at the waist.
- Reduce your risk of falls. Protect your new hip by avoiding stairs and using an assistive device, such as a walker, during the first few weeks after surgery.
- Watch out for signs of blood clots. Blood clots may develop in your legs and travel to your lungs, where they can be life-threatening. Look for pain, swelling or tenderness in your leg, shortness of breath, or chest pain.
Find your Summit Orthopedics hip surgery expert, request an appointment or call us at (651) 968-5201 to schedule a consultation.
