During & after surgery
Hip replacement surgery is a major operation and patients, quite understandably, like to know what to expect. Below you’ll find everything you need to know about what happens during hip replacement surgery.
How long does it take?
Hip replacement and hip resurfacing operations usually take about an hour.
What happens during hip replacement surgery?
As with all surgery, any risks will be discussed with you during your consultation.
- Hip replacement
If you are going to have a hip replacement, the hip will be dislocated and the head of the femur removed. A new socket is then placed into the pelvis. This is made of a metal like titanium or chromium cobalt. A polyethylene liner is placed into the new socket.
A hip replacement stem is placed into the femur and this is then used to anchor the new hip bearing to the femur. The stem is made of titanium or stainless steel.
The ball part of the bearing is made of ceramic or metal.
- Hip resurfacing
In this surgery, the hip is dislocated and the bone surfaces are prepared. 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.
What type of anaesthetic is used?
In most cases patients have a spinal or epidural anaesthetic. The anaesthetist will usually use sedation or a general anaesthetic as well.
Talk to our surgeon
If you have any further questions about what happens during hip replacement surgery, please get in touch with Jeremy Latham using the details below.
