Complications of Hip Replacement in a Patient With Hip Dysplasia

The most common treatment for hip dysplasia in adults is complete hip replacement. This procedure, also called total hip arthroplasty, calls for the whole hip joint being removed and replaced with a prosthetic ball and socket. According to the Mayo Clinic, this is a very low-risk procedure; however, as with any surgery there are risks. Some risks are common to all surgeries, while others are more specifically related to the hip replacement itself.

Heart Attack and Stroke

• Major medical complications are typically those that are associated with any medical procedure requiring anesthesia. These include heart attack or stroke, and death. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, these complications occur in very few surgical patients who undergo hip replacement. However, risks for these complications are greatly increased in those whose health is already compromised by chronic illness.

Blood Clots

• Decreased activity in the days after your surgery, in combination with damage the veins may have suffered, can greatly increase your susceptibility to blood clots in the legs. Most doctors will prescribe a blood thinner during your recovery period to counteract this side effect, and some doctors may also prescribe compression garments. You can lower your own risks of blood clots developing by returning to lower-impact physical activity, like swimming, as soon as possible.

Infection

• Infection can occur both at the surface level, at site of your incision, or deeper, inside the new hip. These infections, if promptly discovered, pose very little risk and can be effectively treated with antibiotics. If a major infection is allowed to go untreated, the prosthetic joint may have to be removed.

Fracture

• The pressure put on the skeletal structure when attaching prosthetic parts can sometimes cause fractures in otherwise healthy bones. Small fractures will heal on their own during the recovery period and require no treatment, but larger fractures may need intervention such as wiring or bone grafting to correct. These are generally treated during the surgical procedure and do not require patients to undergo additional medical procedures.

Change in Leg Length

• Though surgeons do all they can to avoid a noticeable change in leg length, the insertion of a new hip joint can sometimes change the length of the surgically altered leg. In some cases, this can be corrected by physical therapy affecting the muscles surrounding the new joint. Other patients find that using a shoe lift after surgery is the best way to handle this change.