During & After Hip Surgery :

During Hip Surgery

Hip replacement and hip resurfacing operations take about one and a half hours and are usually done using a spinal or epidural anaesthetic. (The anaesthetist normally uses sedation or a general anaesthetic as well.)

If you are going to have a hip replacement, the hip is dislocated and the head of the femur is removed. A new socket is placed into the pelvis. Some sockets are made of metal into which your bone grows; others are made of plastic, and are fixed into place using bone cement. A hip replacement stem is cemented into the femur, and the soft tissues are then repaired.

If you are going to have a hip resurfacing, the hip is dislocated and the bone surfaces are prepared using special instruments. The socket has a special coating into which your bone will grow. The femoral component is fixed into place using bone cement. If your bone is found not to be suitable for hip resurfacing during the operation, a conventional hip replacement will be used instead. The risk of this happening will be discussed with you during your consultation.