Hip Replacement Surgery

What is Hip Replacement Surgery?

Hip replacement surgery, also called hip arthroplasty, replaces the parts of the hip joint that have been damaged or worn out with an artificial implant (prosthesis).

Hip replacement surgery may be recommended if you have had a hip fracture or are experiencing severe hip pain caused by osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Hip joint degeneration may also be caused by infections or hip deformities.

Hip replacement surgery can help improve range of motion, lessen pain, increase strength and improve your quality of life, so you can get back to work and doing the things you love.

Hip Replacement Options

When medications and other treatments cannot keep hip pain at a manageable level, surgery to reposition or replace the hip joint may be appropriate.

Total Hip Replacement Surgery

A total hip replacement involves replacing your entire hip joint, the ball (femoral head) and socket, with artificial material such as metal, polyethylene or ceramics. A total hip replacement is typically the better option for patients with advanced arthritis or a disease that involves the ball and socket of the hip. The vast majority of total hip replacements function for more than 10 years and over 80 percent last more than 20 years. More than 90 percent of these patient will not require further treatment in the following decade.

Partial Hip Replacement Surgery

Some hip replacement candidates may qualify for a partial hip replacement. In a partial hip replacement surgery, your orthopaedic surgeon will replace the ball of the hip joint without replacing the socket. A partial replacement may be the best option if you have suffered a hip fracture, experience isolated arthritis, or the proximal (end) of your femur has become diseased.

Minimally Invasive Partial and Total Hip Replacement

Minimally invasive is a term used for any type of surgery that is less invasive than traditional or open surgery. Minimally invasive partial or total hip replacement surgeries are innovative procedures that are as effective as traditional surgery.

Minimally invasive hip replacements use fewer and smaller incisions around the hip joint, and have been proven to reduce postoperative pain, minimize trauma to tissue and quicken recovery time.

The most appropriate candidates for minimally invasive hip replacements typically have minimal or moderate deformity, maintain a healthy weight, have few pre-existing health conditions and are motivated to participate in the rehabilitation process.

Are You a Candidate for Hip Replacement?

To determine the most appropriate hip replacement surgery for you, our hip surgeons consider a wide range of factors, including severity of symptoms, overall health and response to previous treatment.

If you are experiencing the following, surgery may be advised.

• Severe pain that prevents you from participating in everyday activities
• Have weakness in your hip or cannot move it fully
• If your symptoms don’t improve with non-surgical treatments

For those who may have been diagnosed with advanced osteoarthritis, the condition of your hip joints will determine your surgical options. Hip replacement surgery is common for severe osteoarthritis with a high success rate.

Optimizing Health Before Surgery

At Brigham and Women’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, we address each patient’s health before surgery. Clinical research has shown that better control of a patient’s medical and physical condition prior to surgery results in far better outcomes.

This includes management of preexisting conditions, including diabetes or high blood pressure, drug or alcohol abuse, malnutrition, muscle deconditioning, obesity, balance and fall risk. With all these elements optimized, recovery and rehabilitation can advance smoothly.

Outpatient Hip Replacement Surgery

Your hip surgeon will help you determine if you are a candidate for same day discharge total hip replacement or partial hip replacement. In either case, our clinical staff provides an innovative approach to pain management, and prehabilitation guidelines that allow some patients to return home the day of their procedure, known as outpatient hip replacement surgery.

What to Expect After Hip Replacement Surgery

After hip replacement surgery, you may be out of work for two-to-four weeks (potentially up to 10-to-12 weeks). Most people will experience pain in the first one-to-two days after surgery, but this pain should lessen quickly.

Following hip replacement surgery, it’s critical that patients move their new joint, and work with a physical therapist to create an exercise program to build strength and improve range of motion.

Advances in pain control have enabled physical therapy to begin a few hours after surgery. Most patients return home within one-to-three days. The average length for taking pain-relieving medications following surgery is about one-to-four weeks.

Most patients who undergo hip replacement experience a reduction in joint pain and an improvement in range of motion within days after surgery. More than 90 percent of patients will not require further treatment in the 10 years following hip replacement.

Personalized, Expert Hip Replacement at Brigham and Women’s Hospital

The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery is a leading provider of partial and total hip joint replacement services. Our orthopaedic programs have been consistently recognized by US News & World Report as one of the top-ranking programs in the country. Each year, our expert orthopaedic surgeons help improve the quality of life of thousands of patients suffering from hip damage.

Our Hip Replacement Surgeons

Each of our expert hip surgeons offers individualized treatment to each patient. You can trust our orthopaedic surgeons to provide expert, compassionate patient care.

• Richard Iorio, MD , Chief, Adult Reconstruction and Total Joint Arthroplasty Service
• Gregory William Brick, MBCHB
• Antonia F. Chen, MD, MBA
• Daniel M. Estok, II, MD
• Wolfgang Fitz, MD
• Jeffrey Lange, MD
• Vivek Shah, MD
• John E. Ready, MD

Schedule an Appointment

To schedule an appointment with one of our expert joint replacement surgeons, please call 800-294-9999, or fill out an online appointment request form.

Refer a Patient

We are dedicated to working with our referring physicians. If you would like to refer a patient for a hip replacement procedure, please call 1-800-MD-TO-BWH (1-800-638-6294) or see our list of referral options.