Upcoming EventsThe decision about whether hip pain is severe enough to warrant surgery is a very individual one, says Jordan Simon, MD, Director of the Joint Replacement Center at Montefiore Nyack Hospital. Candidates for hip replacement surgery experience chronic joint pain, most often from osteoarthritis.
“When a person starts having hip pain from arthritis, we first recommend conservative treatments such as medication, physical therapy and modifying your activities. If after trying these treatments you still have pain, difficulty walking, sleeping, climbing stars or getting in and out of a chair, then hip replacement may be an option for you,” Dr. Simon said. “When a person feels they have reached their limit and is tired of living with the pain, and an X-ray shows significant deterioration of the hip joint, it’s time to talk about surgery.”
What Is Hip Replacement Surgery?
The surgery itself takes about 90 minutes. Most patients receive a spinal anesthetic, which numbs them from the waist down. The patient is able to breathe on their own without feeling any pain. During the surgery, the worn-out or damaged sections of the hip are replaced with artificial implants. The surgeon opens up the hip joint and replaces the ends of the thigh bone and hip socket with new, artificial parts made from plastic and metal that generally last between 15 and 20 years.
“Patients get out of bed the same afternoon,” Dr. Simon said. They spend a night or two in the hospital before going home, where they will start rehabilitation. Many patients are able to manage their pain with over-the-counter medications, such as Tylenol (acetaminophen). If these medications don’t provide enough relief, your doctor will determine if a prescription painkiller is appropriate and will provide a schedule of how much you should take and how often.
Recovering From Surgery
Most patients spend a week or two using a walker or cane, depending on how debilitated they were before they had the surgery. Patients generally have two weeks of physical therapy at home, and then switch over to outpatient PT.
One of the most frequent questions patients ask is when they can resume driving. “When you can get in and out of the car comfortably without assistance, you can drive—usually around two weeks after surgery,” Dr. Simon said.
Patients generally can:
- Go for a walk within a week
- Stationary bike in 2-3 weeks
- Take a gentle hike in 3-4 weeks
- Swim in 3-4 weeks
- Golf in 4-6 weeks
“Two weeks after surgery, most patients say they feel much better than they did before surgery. Almost all patients say they are happy with their hip replacement,” Dr. Simon said. “Often, by six months to a year, many patients can’t even remember which side they had the surgery on.”
Earlier this year, the Joint Replacement Center at Montefiore Nyack Hospital earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Hip and Knee Joint Replacement by demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for healthcare quality and safety in disease-specific care. “It’s fairly rare for a community hospital to receive this honor,” Dr. Simon said. “Our experience and our results are comparable with top academic medical centers around the country.”
