You might need hip surgery because of an accident, injury, arthritis, or lifetime wear. If you’re in that position, it’s important to understand the different types of hip surgery.
Types of Hip Surgery
The primary types of hip surgery are arthroscopy, fracture repair, hip reconstruction, and total hip replacement.
Hip arthroscopy is a same-day, minimally invasive surgery to diagnose hip problems and treat problems in the hip joint and surrounding soft tissues. It requires general anesthesia. This surgery is recommended to repair labral tears, fix hip impingement, and remove loose fragments of cartilage.
If you have bruising or swelling in your hip, you may have a fracture. A fracture repair is an orthopedic surgery to stabilize broken bones, typically with hardware such as screws, nails, rods, or plates. It is sometimes called hip pinning.
Partial and Total Hip Replacement Surgeries
If you have unmanageable pain and limited mobility due to wearing of the hip joint or arthritis, you may need a partial or total hip reconstruction or replacement. Your hip is a ball and socket joint which pivots in all directions. In a partial replacement, you don’t get a new hip socket. The top of your thigh bone, which is the ball of the hip joint, is replaced with artificial parts of metal or ceramic.
In a total hip replacement surgery, all the parts of the joint will be replaced with artificial parts made of plastic, metal, or ceramic. This includes part of the femur — your thigh bone, and the head of the femur — the ball of the joint. A smaller artificial ball replaces yours. The surface of your socket in the pelvis is roughened to take the new ball and encourage new bone growth.
Signs You Need Hip Surgery
How do you know if you need hip surgery, reconstruction, or replacement? You may already be working with pain management specialists and still have pain even with medication. It may be so painful you cannot sleep. You may have a documented hip disease or disorder.
Physical signs of limited mobility include not being able to rise from a sitting position without help and difficulty going up or down stairs. Both the pain and the limitations have likely gotten worse over time. It may even be difficult to walk.
See a Hip Specialist in Jacksonville, NC
Hip problems continue to worsen over time. With hip surgery, you will regain your mobility and no longer have a life of pain.
To learn more and take a first step toward getting your life back, please schedule an appointment with the Carolinas Center for Surgery today. We have offices in Jacksonville, NC, and Morehead City, and we’re looking forward to seeing you.