HIP ARTHROPLASTY (REPLACEMENT)

INTRODUCTION

You are not alone in your decision to have hip arthroplasty (replacement) surgery. Approximately 100,00 total hip replacements are done annually in the United States. Chances are that the reason you are having joint surgery is to relieve your severe pain and / or so you may resume normal activities.

YOUR HIP JOINT

A joint is formed where two or more bones meet. The hip joint is considered a ball-and-socket type joint. It is formed where the thighbone (femur) meets the hipbone (pelvis). The thighbone has a ball-shaped knob on the end (head of femur) that fits into a socket formed in the hipbone (acetabulum). A smooth cushion of articular catilage covers the ends of the bones. This cartilage is kept slippery by fluid (synovial fluid) made in the joint lining (synovial membrane). Since the cartilage is smooth and slippery, the bones move against each other easily and without pain. Large ligaments, tendons, and muscles around the hip joint hold the bones in place.

CAUSES OR REASONS FOR HIP ARTHROPLASTY (REPLACEMENT)

ARTHRITIS
Arthritis is a wearing away of the surfaces (articular cartilage) of the joint, which can be caused by aging, or disease. As the cartilage wears away, the raw bones rub together whenever the joint moves. This rubbing causes pain and further roughening of the surfaces of the bone.

AVASCULAR NECROSIS
The blood supply for the ball part (head) of the hip joint comes from a small artery. If the artery is injured or becomes clogged, the bone dies (necrosis) and the joint surfaces become rough, causing pain.

SURGERY

With your decision to have hip surgery, you have taken the first step toward freedom from hip pain and return to the activities you wish to do. Joint arthroplasty (replacement) is an elective procedure and you have a lot of choices of where to have it done. The philosophy of the Cedars-Sinai Institute for Joint Replacement is geared to making your surgical experience as easy and pleasant as possible. A multidisciplinary health care team, whose goal is to give you the best care and to help you regain the ability to care for yourself as soon as possible, will manage your care at Cedars-Sinai. The program is an aggressive one that allows you to be functional in a short time. The mindset is that “I am not really sick, I am here to have my joint replaced.” Don’t forget, we have a staff of trained professionals all working together for your success. We will be with you all the way. We want to educate and assist you and your family or significant other on your way to recovery

PREPARING FOR SURGERY

All hip arthroplasty (replacement) surgery starts with our Multidisciplinary Pre-Operative Training and Education Program, to help prepare you for the surgery and the rehabilitation program required after surgery. You will learn what you should and should not do, what to expect, what is expected of you, and whom you can contact if you have any questions or problems at any time during your course of treatment. Family or significant other participation is encouraged, in order to educate everyone involved with your care. A nurse will be working with the surgeon, operating room services, anesthesiology, and case management (for needs after hospitalization), to make the patient flow a seamless process. To exactly guide your care and treatment, a dedicated specially trained multidisciplinary staff, on a dedicated unit, utilizes clinical care pathways (maps). The unit includes a private room for each patient. You are encouraged to get out of hospital gowns and into comfortable sports cloths as soon as possible. Families or your caregivers are asked to participate in your therapy so they can keep you on track after discharge.
Because of this pre-operative preparation, you will already have some knowledge about your hospital stay and what you will need at home even before you are admitted. So hopefully there should be less anxiety as you