5X more hip replacements in Michigan
Your chance of having hip replacement surgery is 5 times greater in some Michigan cities than elsewhere in the U.S.
Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care
Smart health facts: Hip replacement surgery
Having extreme pain in your hip? Your likelihood of surgery may depend on your age. Usually, hip replacement surgery is done only after all other options have been tried. If these options don't help enough, talk with your doctor about more treatment options before deciding on surgery.
In hip replacement surgery, the doctor removes the head of your thigh bone, cleans out the hip socket and replaces it with an artificial socket. A liner and a ball that fit your body are placed in the artificial joint. Surgery usually lasts 1 to 3 hours.
Why you might need hip replacement surgery
- Hip pain keeps you from sleeping
- You can’t bathe, walk or do daily chores due to hip pain
- Bone fractures
- Hip joint tumors
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis, causing joint pain, stiffness and swelling
Understand the risks of hip replacement surgery
- Bleeding, blood clots in the legs that may travel to your lungs
- Infections, including in the lungs, urinary tract and chest
- Allergic reaction, dislocation or loosening of the artificial joint
- Extra bone growth that may cause stiffness
- Injury to nerves or blood vessels
People who have an artificial joint (prosthesis) must carefully guard against infections. It is also a good idea to:
- Carry a medical identification card saying you have a prosthesis
- Take antibiotics before any dental work or invasive medical procedures
Ask your doctor about other options
Most people find that alternatives can take care of the pain.
- Physical therapy
- Pain medicines
- Regular exercise and weight loss
- Walking aids
Learn more
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