All joint replacements eventually need to be replaced (called revision surgery). Hip replacements last at least 15 years for more than 9 in 10 people who have a hip replacement. The younger you are, the more likely you are to need revision surgery.
How long do hip implants last? Generally speaking, a hip replacement prosthesis should remain effective for between 10 and 20 years, and some can last even longer. Results vary according to the type of implant and the age of the patient.
Most people will fully recover from hip replacement surgery within a few months to a year, but recovery times vary for each patient.
On average, the life expectancy in the United States is 80 for women and 74 years for men. The average patient age for a hip or knee replacement surgery is between 66 and 68, which means that it is reasonable to expect a joint replacement to last for the remainder of life in 80 to 90 percent of patients.
The Hip Revision Surgical Procedure
That is what is known as a revision total hip replacement or revision total hip arthroplasty. If your first hip replacement occurs while you are relatively young, it is conceivable that you can require multiple hip replacements over the course of your life.
Procedure. Revision total hip replacement is a more complex procedure and takes longer to perform than primary total hip replacement. In most cases, the surgery takes several hours.
As published in the April 2017 edition of the medical journal The Lancet, researchers found that: Among more than 60,000 people who had a hip replacement, only 4.4% required revision surgery in the first 10 years after surgery, but by the 20-year mark, 15% required revision.
Survival of hip replacements has often been reported in case series, some of which extend to 40 years.
Undergoing joint replacement too early is not ideal as the artificial joints may wear out after 10 to 20 years, thus requiring a second surgery. On the other hand, waiting until end-stage arthritis or until you cannot handle the pain anymore is also less than ideal as the benefits of the surgery may be limited.
Most hip replacement patients are able to walk within the same day or next day of surgery; most can resume normal routine activities within the first 3 to 6 weeks of their total hip replacement recovery. Once light activity becomes possible, it's important to incorporate healthy exercise into your recovery program.
Your leg muscles may feel weak after surgery because you did not use them much with your hip problems. Surgery corrected the hip problem. Your home exercise program will include activities to help reduce swelling and increase your hip strength.
Your artificial hip will never be as stable as a normal healthy hip so you must learn to avoid certain movements. Another difference is that the synovial fluid produced in the natural hip joint, acts as a lubricant. In the artificial joint, smooth gliding action depends on evenly honed surfaces.
Loosening of the joint
Joint loosening can be caused by the shaft of the implant becoming loose in the hollow of the thigh bone (femur), or due to thinning of the bone around the implant. It can happen at any time, but it usually happens 10 to 15 years after the original surgery was done.
Current guidelines do not recommend more than one follow-up visit (including radiographs) within the first year and one follow-up visit (including radiographs) between 2 and 10 years after surgery.
Typical symptoms that you may have failed total hip replacement are pain in the hip, groin, or thigh as well as limited mobility. Some people describe feeling that the hip joint might “give out.”
Some things you can do to maintain your new hip are: Stay Active Playing your favorite sports and exercising can help maintain a healthy hip but avoid repetitive, high-impact activities. Drop excess weight The more a person weighs, the more stress that is placed on the new joint replacement.
Bending after hip replacement surgery
The range of motion is typically limited to 90 degrees of flexion for the first 90 days while tissues are repairing themselves. The maximum potential of the joint and complete healing following a total hip replacement is achieved between one and two years after your operation.
The study put people through a 12-week exercise program. Six years later, they were 44 percent less likely to need hip replacement compared with a control group that did not exercise. Exercise can help strengthen the muscles that support your hips. It also may help you keep range of motion in your hips.
Proper walking is the best way to help your hip recover. At first, you will walk with a walker or crutches. Your surgeon or therapist will tell you how much weight to put on your leg. Early on, walking will help you regain movement in your hip.
In the United States, there are approximately 18 revision hip replacements performed for every 100 hip replacements. 1 The most common reasons for revision are: repetitive (recurrent) dislocation of a hip replacement. mechanical failure (implant wear and tear – loosening or breakage)
Limited mobility: Most people with a hip fracture can't stand or walk. Sometimes, it may be possible to walk, but it's extremely painful to put weight on the leg. Physical changes: You may have a bruise on your hip.
During a simultaneous double hip replacement, both joints are replaced during the same surgery. It's believed that a simultaneous procedure can have the following advantages over a staged procedure, including: decreased cost. less time spent in the hospital.
One of the most common serious medical complications related to joint replacement surgery is blood clots. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) refers to a blood clot in the leg and is called a deep vein thrombosis. A sudden increase in leg swelling along with calf tenderness may be the first sign of a blood clot in the leg.