Hip replacement surgery is a major procedure that shouldn’t be taken lightly. While there are many potential benefits, there are also several risks and a sizable rehab. As in the past, the easiest way to decide whether you are ready or not is when the pain takes away activities and lifestyles that were once readily accessible to you. You and you alone will know when you have reached that point.
General Signs
Today, the general sign that you need a hip replacement is when problems lead to a significant reduction in quality of life, and that you no longer have the ability to perform the everyday tasks that most people your age are capable of. Common situations include limited ability to get up from a chair or into a car, limitations in or elimination of activities you enjoy, inability to sleep due to pain, or the lack of success with other treatments/strategies.
While all these issues are potential signs, you still need to look at other elements. For example, you and your orthopedic specialist in Appleton, Green Bay or Oshkosh would also need to determine things like how well you would tolerate surgery. This includes things like your age, bone density, and general health. Some conditions may make surgery not possible.
It’s important to make sure you’re not basing the decision to get the operation done on something simple like the occasional flare up. Instead, the combination of significant disability for activities, persistent pain, and the ineffectiveness of conservative treatment options will drive the conversation regarding new next steps, which may be total joint replacement.
The first step will be working with your doctor or orthopedist to put together a surgery plan. This includes a full explanation of what will go on during the surgery and care post-operation. Some of the topics likely to come up here include choosing from the different implants for the best option for you, fully understanding the risks of surgery, as well as being walked through all the different steps required the day before surgery.
Considerations Before Replacement
One thing that can play a surprising role in whether or not you should get this surgery is your age. In some cases, if you are too young and get a replacement done, this increases the likelihood of having to get another one done later in life. This can be a difficult commitment to make, financially and in terms of the time investment involved. At the same time, though, if you’re too old, it may exclude you from getting this surgery done.
Hopefully, while deciding on getting the operation done, you’ve also looked through some of the other options on the table. Patients who have occasional pain or still have some type of motion or athletic ability, may be better served with a lower-impact solution of lifestyle changes and other options rather than the heavy commitment of a full replacement. Some of these options include losing weight, joint supplements, or taking anti-inflammatory medication.
Take Action
Request a consultation with one of the hip specialists at the Orthopedic & Sports Institute. Call (920) 560-1000 or request an appointment online. OSI offers anterior, posterior, and robotic surgical options for the treatment of hip pain. Do your homework, talk to friends and family members, neighbors and colleagues, and – most importantly – an orthopedic specialist to identify the right course of treatment for you.
OSI has convenient locations: the campus in Appleton includes clinics, a surgery center, MRI, physical therapy, and a skilled nursing facility, as well as a walk-in clinic that provides care for new orthopedic injuries. OSI has outreach clinics in Green Bay, New London, Ripon, Shawano, Waupaca, and the newest location at 600 N. Koeller Street in Oshkosh.
OSI is a proud member of NOVO Health.