How Long Does It Take To Recover After A Hip Replacement
On average, hip replacement recovery can take around two to four weeks, but everyone is different, says Thakkar. It depends on a few factors, including how active you were before your surgery, your age, nutrition, preexisting conditions, and other health and lifestyle factors.
Achieving a certain level of activity before you have the surgery can help you bounce back more quickly, shares Thakkar. We use a regimen called prerehabilitation, or prehab, to help patients get in a physical shape that will set them up for a successful recovery.
Preparing for Hip Replacement Surgery | Q& A with Savya Thakkar, M.D.
Savya Thakkar, a hip and knee replacement specialist, talks about which conditions may require a hip replacement and what to expect before and after the surgery.
Looking After Your New Hip Joint
You need to take care, especially during the first eight to 12 weeks after the operation, to avoid dislocating the hip. You may not be able to bend your leg towards your body as far as youd like to. Your therapist will advise you about any movements that you need to take special care with. Dont be tempted to test your new joint to see how far it will go.
However, its important to continue with the programme of muscle-strengthening exercises recommended by your physiotherapist.
What Does The Recovery Timeframe Look Like
Although recovery after a total hip replacement varies by individual, there are some common milestones. This is based on data thats been compiled from many patients whove undergone this surgery.
You will probably be discharged to your home or a rehabilitation center several days after surgery. You will need someone to help you for several days to several weeks.The AAOS reports that most people will be able to resume most light activities of daily living independently within 3 to 6 weeks.
Lets take a closer look at the general timeline for recovery after hip replacement surgery.
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Durability Of Hip Implants: How Long Do Hip Replacements Last
The short answer is hip implants generally last between 15 and 20 years but often much longer. There are many still active patients whose hip prostheses were put in as long as 30-40 years ago. The important factors to consider are the condition of the patient , general physical health and ability to exercise, be active and maintain a good weight.
In any artificial hip the implant materials will rub against one another. Because of the ball in socket structure of the hip joint, the wear of the ball against the cup results in a degree of friction and this can cause wear. In a metal or ceramic cup this is less of an issue but with a plastic cup, for example, over time this wear can require the cup to be replaced. However, the greatest problem in joint replacement is loosening, which can be encouraged to occur if the patient is very active, especially with weights or high impact activities like running, basketball, and racquetball.
After a hip replacement patient has achieved long-term recovery, he or she is advised to avoid such activities. Swimming, walking and cycling are often recommended ways to integrate physical exercise into the everyday life of a hip replacement patient.
When problems to occur resulting in a loose or painful implant, your surgeon can consider a second implant surgery, or revision. This is certainly possible and not uncommon.
What Should I Look For In A Hip Replacement Surgeon
When looking for an orthopedic surgeon to perform your hip replacement surgeon, its important to do your research and check the surgeons credentials, experience and reputation. It is also important to research the hospital or facility where you will have your operation, as well as its supporting staff, such as the anesthesiologists.
The success rate for hip replacement surgery at HSS is very high. In a study, HSS interviewed patients to learn about their progress. Two years after their surgeries, 99.4% of patients said they had relief from pain, 98.8% said their ability to move was improved, and 97.8% said their quality of life was better because of their surgery.
Below, explore detailed articles and other content on this topic, or find a hip replacement surgeon at HSS to suit your specific condition, location and insurance.
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When Can I Go Home After A Hip Replacement
Most patients can start walking and can go home the day of the surgery, says Thakkar. Most people dont need bed rest. In fact, moving your new joint keeps it from becoming stiff.
If you have a preexisting condition , or if no one can give you a ride and help around the house right after the surgery, you might need to spend the night at the hospital. People who had complex surgeries or lack support at home may benefit from starting their recovery in an inpatient rehabilitation unit.
How Do I Safely Get Dressed After A Hip Replacement
For dressing, to prevent lifting your knee higher than your hip on the surgery side, you may need a long shoehorn and a dressing stick which will help you with your shoes, socks and pants. Remember to always put your operative leg in your pants first. If you wear shoes with shoe ties, try switching to elastic shoelaces.
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Insurance Coverage As A Factor For Hip Replacement Time Of Year
If you are of Medicare age and are using Medicare as your primary coverage, most likely you will have little to no deductible or out of pocket cost. When this is the case and cost of surgery is not a factor, this opens up more options for you in terms of timing.
If you are not of Medicare age and using commercial insurance, timing your surgery later in the calendar year may help ease your out of pocket cost. Again this depends on the plan you have and whether timing the surgery for late in the year makes much of a financial difference.
You might want to ask your insurance provider what they would recommend in terms of time of year to get the surgery performed. There may be other factors such as authorization or requirements from your doctors to get fully okd for surgery which may be easier in certain times of the year.
Hip Replacement Vs Hip Resurfacing
In hip resurfacing, a surgeon trims and caps the femoral head, or joint of the hip, with a smooth metal cover instead of removing it. However, they will remove the damaged cartilage and bone inside the socket and replace it with a metal shell.
In most cases, people can go home days after hip resurfacing surgery. Sometimes, they can begin putting weight on their leg immediately afterward.
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Traditional And Minimally Invasive Hip Replacement: How Large Will The Incision Be
Minimally Invasive Hip Replacement
Minimally invasive hip replacement aims to minimize the impact of surgery on healthy tissues, such as muscles and blood vessels. While anterior hip replacement has been marketed as a minimally invasive approach, orthopaedic surgeons nowadays use minimally invasive techniques with all surgical approaches to access the hip. Your surgeon will discuss which approach might offer the best result.
When the surgery is minimally invasive, the surgeon accesses the hip joint though one or two small incisions by moving the muscles aside. This approach may have advantages, such as:
- Lower risk of muscle damage
- Shorter hospital stay
- Lower chance of hip dislocation
Minimally invasive hip replacement is not appropriate for all patients. Your age, weight, fitness level and other factors will help the surgeon decide if you are a good candidate.
Traditional Hip Replacement
A traditional hip replacement includes a single, large incision that helps the surgeon gain access to the hip, usually through the side or from the back .
Recovery from a traditional hip replacement can take time, because the surgeon needs to cut through or detach some muscles and tendons to get to the joint. You may be at risk for a dislocation until all of your new hips supportive structures are healed.
Talk with your orthopaedic hip surgeon to discuss which surgical approach may be best for you.
Abstract Screening And Data Extraction
We screened the abstracts of journal articles using Rayyan,10 by three reviewers and in cases of disagreement, were included for review. Either JTE or JPE and RWW together extracted data using a standardised proforma. We recorded, when available, data for publication date, implant, fixation, number of total hip replacements, age, sex, indication, loss to follow-up, and summary survivorship estimates at all timepoints reported, as well as data for quality assessment. We did not abstract data from figures to prevent potential inaccuracy. Any discrepancy of data extraction was rectified by review of the full text by all three reviewers. There were no cases of disagreement after this.
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The Next Three Months
As you get stronger and are able to put more weight on your leg, youll have an easier time keeping up with your daily activities. Youll likely need less help than before with doing some basic chores and self-care.
It usually takes about 4 to 6 weeks to start feeling stronger and to be able to get around with less pain.
Youll still need to continue with physical therapy by going to regular appointments.
Walking at this point is especially important for your recovery. Youll want to walk regularly and avoid sitting for too long.
Your physical therapist will guide you on the appropriate protocol for your body, including how often to do specific exercises and stretching. However, a typical rule of thumb for rehab is that itll be more work upfront.
Keep in mind that after surgery, youll experience pain and stiffness. Working to stay as mobile as possible will help with managing your pain and stiffness.
Therefore, completing your physical therapy home exercise program multiple times throughout the day will be important.
How Long Is Hip Replacement Surgery
Typically, hip replacement surgery takes two hours. However, your operations timeframe depends on the severity of your condition and any complications that may arise during the operation. It also depends on whether youre receiving a full or partial hip replacement.
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What Is A Hip Replacement
A hip replacement is a type of surgery to replace damaged parts of the hip with man-made parts. The operation can relieve hip pain and improve movement. It is commonly recommended if you have severe hip damage that interferes with your life, when other treatments have not helped.
During hip replacement surgery, damaged bone and cartilage are removed from the hip joint. These are replaced with metal or plastic parts.
Hip replacement surgery usually takes 1 to 2 hours. You will be given a general anaesthetic, which makes you fully unconscious, or a spinal anaesthetic, which numbs the lower half of your body.
A hip replacement is also known as hip arthroplasty or a total hip replacement.
During hip replacement surgery, the damaged bone and cartilage are removed from the hip joint. These are replaced with metal or plastic parts.
There are different types of hip replacement partial and total.
A partial hip replacement only replaces the ball on the end of the thigh bone. A ceramic or metal ball attached to a stem is attached to the bone.
Total hip replacement means the ball of the hip and the socket of the hip joint are both replaced. Sometimes just the surface of head of the hip is replaced, rather than the whole ball.
Study Design And Data Sources
We did a systematic review and meta-analysis of case series and cohort studies reporting survival outcomes of total hip replacements. We did a second meta-analysis of national joint replacement registries with more than 15 years of follow-up.
To collect data for the analysis of case series, we systematically searched for case series and cohort studies in English reporting survival outcomes of total hip replacements in MEDLINE and Embase from commencement to Sept 12, 2017. The search of MEDLINE used keywords relating to total hip replacement, survival, and MeSH terms . The search strategy for Embase was the same. We manually screened the bibliographies of all full-text articles matching our criteria, as well as review articles, for additional citations.
For the analysis of data from national joint replacement registries, we assessed the six registries that had greater than 15 years of follow-up for total hip replacement at the time of data collection in December, 2017: Australia, Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Norway, and Sweden. We reviewed the websites and most recent annual reports of these registries for data on conventional, stemmed, total hip replacement constructs. These national registries collect data on all patients undergoing total hip replacement from both public and private hospitals and their aim is to include all total hip replacements in their cohort.
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A New Study Provides New Estimates
In February 2019, two large analyses were published in the medical journal Lancet regarding the longevity of replaced hips and knees, that included nearly 300,000 total knee replacements and more than 200,000 total hip replacements. They found encouraging results:
- Nearly 60% of hip replacements lasted 25 years, 70% lasted 20 years, and almost 90% lasted 15 years.
- Total knee replacements lasted even longer: 82% lasted 25 years, 90% lasted 20 years, and 93% lasted 15 years.
These estimates are quite a bit higher than prior ones and may reflect improvements in surgical technique and materials, general medical care around the time of surgery, or more aggressive mobilization and physical therapy that starts right after surgery. The study authors also suggest that these numbers reflect real life patients , rather than a small number from a single medical center.
Some caveats are worth noting:
- These surgeries were performed in New Zealand, Australia, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. The results might be different in the US or other countries.
- Detailed information was not available regarding which patients were considered eligible for total joint replacement and which were denied surgery because they were considered at high risk for failure or complications. These factors can affect the success of joint replacement surgery.
What Is Arthritis Of The Hips
Hip arthritis refers to damage of the hip joints. While there are many different types of arthritis, osteoarthritis is the most common. It can damage any joint, but is most often found in the hands, knees, hips, and spine. Osteoarthritis of the hips occurs when the joint surface cartilage is worn away, resulting in a rough joint surface and a grating sensation inside the joint. The main culprits of osteoarthritis are genetics, age, weight, and lifestyle . Hip arthritis causes pain and stiffness in the hips and decreases range of motion, making it difficult to walk, exercise, or participate in the activities of daily living.
There are a number of non-surgical options for minimizing the symptoms of hip arthritis. These include lifestyle modifications, weight loss, physical therapy, walking supports, and medications. But in severe cases, a hip replacement is often a more effective and longer-lasting solution.
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What Did This Study Do
This systematic review and meta-analysis included 44 case series that reported long-term outcomes of 13,212 hip replacement procedures. The authors also carried out a meta-analysis of data taken from the national joint replacement registries of Australia and Finland. These provided 215,676 procedures, with outcomes at 15, 20 and 25 years.
It isnt clear how generalisable the results of this study are. Only the Finnish registry had follow-up data at 20 and 25 years, and the quality of the case series was generally low. Also, the study draws on historical data. The metal, ceramic and plastic components used in the underlying case series and registries are not all used in the UK currently.
How Long Is A Hip Replacement Good For
Hip replacement devices typically have a lifespan of 10 to 20 years, and some may even last longer. The results of an implant procedure vary depending on the type and the age of the patient.
How long does a hip replacement last? Hip replacement patients have a long lifespan, according to some studies. Your hipâs longevity is directly related to the wear and tear it receives from your body. Keeping your hip replacement in good condition can help you keep it healthy. If your hip replacement wears out, you may need to have it replaced again. Hip revision surgery is usually necessary if your hip has been dislocated, fracture has occurred, metal allergies have developed, infections have occurred, or you have been involved in an accident. During the five years after the initial hip replacement, only 2% of the patients required a second operation.
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Maintaining Your Hip Replacement
Some things you can do to maintain your new hip are:
Stay Active Playing your favorite sports and exercising can help maintain a healthy hip but avoid repetitive, high-impact activities.
Drop excess weight The more a person weighs, the more stress that is placed on the new joint replacement.
Steer clear of certain positions Avoid crossing your legs or sitting too low in chairs to prevent dislocation. Understand and respect the limitations of your artificial joint.
Take antibiotics as prescribed Even if you are prescribed antibiotics for another illness or area of the body, make sure you take all of your antibiotics as prescribed to prevent the spread of any infection to your hip.
Check-in Every few years, schedule a follow up visit with your orthopedic provider and follow their instructions and advice for resuming sporting activities and other activities that could place stress on your hip.