Pros & Cons of Hip Replacement Surgery

If you're experiencing severe discomfort in the hip area that's making simple daily activities, such as walking and sitting, difficult or impossible, you might be a candidate for hip replacement surgery. This major surgery is no simple undertaking, however, so you should discuss the pros and cons with your physician and then carefully weigh the two against each other before deciding to undergo hip replacement surgery.

Pro

• If you are in the situation where the cartilage in your hip socket has worn away, leaving bone rubbing against bone every time you move, hip replacement surgery can bring tremendous pain relief almost instantly. While you will have pain from the surgery for the first two to three weeks, once that resides you will be on your way back to walking, sitting and standing without pain.

Con

• An artificial hip ball and socket are smaller than an organic hip, so a replaced hip is more likely to dislocate if a patient moves in certain ways. The result of dislocation can be a second surgery, requiring more painful recovery time, followed by up to nine months of rehabilitation.

Pro

• You can expect a greater quality of life after hip replacement surgery. If you often find yourself confined to limited travel and activities because of the severe pain in your hip, hip replacement surgery can help you get up and moving again. You will be able to do the things you enjoy, such as playing with your grandchildren, walking in the park or even traveling the world.

Con

• Another complication of hip replacement surgery is an inflammatory reaction of the tissues surrounding the hip. This reaction is caused by tiny particles that flake off of the artificial parts during normal wear and tear. As a result, special cells that are meant to attack the particles might inadvertently corrode pieces of the leg bone instead, loosening the artificial hip and requiring additional surgeries.