Related Media: Hip Replacement

Definition

A total hip replacement is surgery to replace a diseased or injured hip joint. An artificial ball-and-socket joint is inserted to make a new hip.

Left Total Hip Replacement Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.

Reasons for Procedure

Hip bones support a lot of weight and are surrounded by powerful muscles. Disease or injury to these bones can be very painful and impair movement. A hip replacement can return someone to normal movement. It may be done because of a broken hip, bone tumors, or loss of blood flow to the hip. It may also be done for severe arthritis that is no longer responding to other treatment.

Possible Complications

Problems are rare, but all procedures have some risk. The doctor will go over some problems that could happen, such as:

• Excess bleeding
• Problems from anesthesia, such as wheezing or sore throat
• Infection
• Blood clots
• Hip dislocation—happens when the ball portion of the artificial joint comes out of its normal position in the hip
• Injury to nearby nerves or blood vessels
• Noisy or squeaky hip after surgery

Things that may raise the risk of problems are:

• Smoking
• Chronic diseases, such as obesity

What to Expect

Call Your Doctor

Call your doctor if you are not getting better or you have:

• Cough, shortness of breath, chest pain
• Redness, swelling, more pain, a lot of bleeding, or leaking from the incision
• Signs of infection, such as fever and chills
• Severe nausea or vomiting
• Pain or swelling in the feet, calves, or legs
• Pain that you cannot control with medicine
• Numbness, tingling, or loss of feeling in your leg, knee, or foot

If you think you have an emergency, call for medical help right away.