\t<\/p>\n

\tI’m not a fan of this topic but I’ll
\ngo for it anyway: hip replacement surgery. I am unashamed to admit
\nI’m squeamish and can’t stand things like needles or blood. In fact
\nI’m pretty sure the sight of these things makes my blood pressure
\ndrop. If you’d like to watch an actual hip replacement you can look
\nit up on youtube but I am choosing not to watch the video in fear I
\nmight experience my lunch again. So, if you want all the gory
\ndetails, have at it. Me, I’m sticking to the books.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\tFirst of all, the hip is the joint
\nbetween the femur and the pelvis. We need it to support our weight
\nwhen we walk, stand and do yoga postures (among other things).
\nWithout a hip, you’d have a hard time maintaining any balance.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\tThe hip is a ball-and-socket joint.
\nThe socket is the acetabulum (part of the pelvis) and the ball is the
\nfemoral head (the upper part of the thigh). The two are held together
\nby ligaments and there is layer of cartilage between the bones that
\nacts as a cushion. When the cartilage is worn down, the two bones rub
\nagainst each other which causes pain and stiffness. The most common
\ncause of the loss of cartilage is arthritis (an inflammation of the
\njoint). <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\tHip replacement surgery is usually a
\nlast resort since there are some alternatives that pose less of a risk to the patient.
\nThese alternatives include: anti-inflammatory drugs, cortisone
\ninjections, physical therapy, losing weight if applicable and using a
\ncane. A less invasive surgery is hip resurfacing. Only a small amount
\nof the bone must be removed and a metal cap is placed on the ball and
\na metal piece is used for the socket. Hip fusion surgery isn’t used
\nas much any more but is still an option. The bones are held together
\nwith a metal plate and some screws. While effective, it eliminates
\nthe ability to move the joint so the patient will be plagued by a
\nlimp for the rest of their life. Another option, Resection
\nArthroplasty, removes the bone around the hip joint and let’s scar
\ntissue take it’s place. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\tIf a person is at high risk of
\ndeveloping arthritis due to being born with a misalignment of the hip
\nbone preventative measures may be taken. For example, a hip osteology
\ncan be performed to realign the bones in hopes of avoiding foreseen
\nproblems. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\tAlright, enough about that. On to the
\nsurgery! The first step is selecting the proper prosthetic hip. So,
\nbefore surgery X-Rays of the patient are taken to aid in the
\ndetermination. Once this is done, the patient sets up the surgery
\ndate. On the day of the surgery, an anaesthesiologist will use general anaesthesia for the procedure. While the patient is unconscious, a surgeon and
\nhis\/her team goes to work. He\/she will remove the damaged cartilage
\nand bone. This typical means removing the femoral head (the ball) and
\nusing a ramer to sand down the damaged area of the socket. Then the
\nacetabular component is inserted (looks a lot like a cup) into the
\nsocket area. Over time, the bone actually will grow into the surface
\nof the new socket. Next, a femoral stem which is basically a pole, is inserted
\ninto the hollow center of the femur bone. Depending on the type of
\nsurgery, the stem may be held in with cement. If cement is not used
\nthe stem must be an exact fit for the bone so that new bone will grow
\naround it and it won’t move. Cement allows some space in between the bone and stem
\nsince it will harden to hold the stem in place. The ball is then
\nattached to the tip of the stem and the then it is attached to the
\nsocket. This is called reducing the hip.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The surgeon will ensure that the
\nimplant is stable, otherwise there can be problems with dislocation
\nand other serious complications. Finally, he will sew up the patient and send him\/her off to recovery! After a few days in the hospital the patient is sent home with a prescription for physical therapy and the appropriate medications which varies depending
\non the patient.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\tSo, there you have it. How hip
\nreplacement surgery is performed. Hopefully this isn’t something
\nyou’ll ever have to experience but if you do, this quick overview may be helpful. Now I’m going to go and try and erase all the
\nimages I had to look at to get this information from my mind…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’m not a fan of this topic but I’ll go for it anyway: hip replacement surgery. I am unashamed to admit I’m squeamish and can’t stand things like needles or blood. In fact I’m pretty sure the sight of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[76,112,141],"class_list":["post-11075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-hip","tag-replacement","tag-surgery"],"yoast_head":"\r\n