Hip Replacement Intro
Hip replacement is a surgical procedure in which the diseased cartilage and bone of the hip joint are removed and replaced with new, artificial parts. These artificial parts are called the prosthesis. The goals of hip replacement surgery include increasing mobility, improving the function of the hip joint, and relieving pain.
The hip joint supports most of the upper body weight. As a person ages the bones become thinner and more brittle, increasing the risk for injury. Injury and the wear and tear of aging can damage this joint, increasing the risk for a femoral fracture or hip fracture. Hip replacement surgery is done for people having hip joint damage that causes pain and interferes their daily activities. Aging causes wear and tear of the cartilage covering the joint surfaces resulting in great pain and stiffness. This condition is known as Osteoarthritis. Other conditions where hip replacement is needed is like rheumatoid arthritis (causing joint pain, stiffness, and swelling), osteonecrosis (death of bone caused by insufficient blood supply)injury, and bone tumors.
During hip replacement surgery, the hip socket is cleaned of all cartilage and arthritic bone. A plastic cup is placed in the enlarged hip socket. Then, the top of the femur is removed and a metal ball is inserted into the top of the femur. A metal stem is also inserted into the femur to add stability to the prosthesis.
In the past, hip replacement surgery was mainly done for people over the age of 60 years. Older people were typically considered as less active and put less stress on the artificial hip than younger people. In recent years,doctors have found out that hip replacement surgery can be successful in younger people as well. New technology has improved the artificial parts, allowing them to withstand more stress and strain and last longer.
Today, a person’s overall health and activity level are more important than age in predicting a hip replacement’s success. Hip replacement may be problematic for people with some health problems, regardless of their age. For example, people who have chronic disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, or people having severe muscle weakness.
Getting any medical treatment done in the US or the European grid would be really costly. Be it any medical procedure it sure is gonna be costly, even dentalprocedures are that way. Same reason we could find many going to Aisan countries as India, Bankok and Thailand to get expensive medical procedures done cheap.
Good that the technology of the age is much advanced for hip replacement surgeries, making more successful replacements for younger people with replacements that could manage more of stress.
My friend’s grandmother suffered from osteoporosis. The doctors said her bones are very weak and brittle. Once she slipped on the floor and broke her hip bone. She was admitted for three months in the hospital and the hip bones were replaced with steel rods. After hip replacement she was made to undergo physiotherapy for one month.