My mother, who is 70, and in pretty good shape, is scheduled to have hip replacement surgery soon. Hip replacement surgery is now a very common procedure. When the hip joint has deteriorated, often because of injury or arthritis, surgeons replace and resurface the worn sections with artificial parts. A metal-plastic cup is inserted into the old socket, and a metal ball on a stem is inserted into the marrow cavity of the thigh bone. The result is a smooth-moving, less painful hip joint.
Family members can help a great deal throughout the process.
Talking ahead of time with the physician or his or her staff, or attending a more formal educational program at the hospital, can help patients understand what the surgery will entail, give them a chance to raise any concerns, and can help families learn what to expect. Other preparation for hip replacement often includes a patient's preoperative visit with a physical therapist, instruction in strengthening exercises, walker or crutch training, and a discussion of the postoperative exercise plan. The day of surgery involves recovery from either regional anesthesia, where the area below the waist is made numb, or general anesthesia, where the patient is completely asleep. Intravenous fluid is given, a catheter may be placed in the bladder, and there may be a drainage tube in the wound for any blood that might accumulate. A wedge-shaped pillow is placed between the patient's legs to prevent dislocation of the hip.