Hip replacement

Hip replacement is a surgery where the hip joint is replaced by a prosthetic implant. This joint replacement is usually done to relieve arthritis pain or fix very bad joint damage.

Types of Hip Replacement Surgeries

There are three types of hip replacement surgeries.

• Total hip replacement
• Partial hip replacement
• Hip surfacing

• 
  Hip prosthesis - anteroposterior (AP) view
• 
  Hip prosthesis - lateral view

Above are X-ray scans taken after surgery. Top image is person facing the machine with the front of their body. Bottom/second image is side view.

People who might benefit from a hip replacement

A doctor may recommend a hip replacement if there is significant pain, swelling, and damage to the hip joint, for example because of the following conditions:

• Osteoarthritis (most common)
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Osteonecrosis (avascular necrosis)
• Injury such as hip fracture
• Tumor in the hip joint

Recovery Time

Typically, after 6 to 12 weeks, the patient will make a full recovery from hip replacement surgery. They will still need follow-up appointments to make sure the hip is healing.

Most people can resume their daily activities after six weeks. A patient may be discharged from the hospital after 2 to 4 days. There are some ways that help someone speed up the recovery after surgery.