What Are the Alternatives to Hip Replacement Surgery?
When hip arthritis is terrible, it can hurt and make it hard to walk. People with hip arthritis who have these painful symptoms often choose to have a total hip replacement. But total hip replacement has its risks and worries, so many people wonder if there are other options besides hip replacement alternatives to hip replacement surgery.
Let's get in-depth and learn more about the options to hip replacement surgery.
Why do people think about getting a hip replacement?
The main reason people with hip pain visit their healthcare specialist is to explore hip surgery alternatives. Many of these patients got traditional care for years, like multiple cortisone injections and prescriptions for NSAIDs, which can cause articular cartilage to break down quickly.
When patients hear that they need a hip replacement, they often look for referrals outside of the surgical field.
There are a few reasons why one might think about getting hip replacement surgery. You might think that getting a new hip is the only way to:
-Get rid of the pain that won't go away.
-Get back to doing everyday things like walking, getting in and out of a car, and using the toilet.
-Regain independence and stop "being a burden."
-Help you keep your job or business because you're getting so sick that you can't work anymore.
Alternatives to surgery
You can always choose to avoid surgery. Most of the time, people don't have to have hip replacement surgery. Instead, it's a choice that they can make when the time is right for them.
There are good ways to treat arthritis in the hip that may keep people from getting a total hip replacement. These include physical therapy, walking aids, anti-inflammatory drugs, cortisone shots, and joint supplements.
Hip replacement surgery does not need to be done right away. With a few exceptions, a hip replacement is a surgery that people choose to have.
Hip resurfacing
For people with terrible arthritis, hip resurfacing surgery is one of the well-known hip surgery alternatives. The implant is smaller in this surgery, and less normal bone is taken out. People are becoming more interested in hip resurfacing, especially younger people.
A small amount of bone is taken out of the ball-and-socket hip joint during hip resurfacing, and a metal cap is placed on top of the ball. In the same way, the hip is replaced, and a metal socket is placed in the pelvis. This hip resurfacing keeps more of the natural bone than a regular hip replacement.
Partial hip replacement
A partial hip replacement (hemiarthroplasty) is a common surgery, but it is not often done to treat arthritis in the hip. Only the hip joint ball with a ball and socket gets replaced during this surgery. When only the hip ball is broken, this is an excellent way to treat certain types of hip fractures.
Hip fusion
Since hip replacement has become so successful, hip fusion (arthrodesis) is done less often. The femur and pelvis bones heal together during hip fusion surgery, which stops the hip joint from moving. A big metal plate and screws keep them in this place.
The problem with hip fusion is that the hip won't move, the person will walk with a limp, and they may need more surgery to get a hip replacement in the long run.
Arthroplasty Resection
In a resection arthroplasty, also called a "Girdlestone procedure," the bone around the hip joint is taken out, and the joint space is left to fill up with scar tissue. Most of the time, this procedure is done on people who have a severe infection that cannot be treated or on people whose health is so bad that they have little chance of walking normally.
People who have a Girdlestone resection arthroplasty will probably need crutches or a walker to help them walk.
Hip arthroscopy
The goal of hip osteotomy is to realign the bones of the hip joint. The osteotomy can be done on either the femur (thigh bone) or the pelvis. Osteotomies are usually done on people with arthritis in their hip joint because of another problem.
For example, hip dysplasia and other congenital disabilities can lead to arthritis in the hips at a young age. Hip dysplasia happens in babies and makes the bones around the hip not line upright. The osteotomy helps put the bones back in place and eases the pain of early arthritis
To Conclude:
Those mentioned above are some of the treatment options available to people who have severe arthritis in the hip and are looking for an alternative to having their hip replaced. Suppose you are interested in any of these alternatives to hip replacement surgery, despite the possibility that not all of them are feasible. In that case, you should consult with a surgeon about the possibility of pursuing that option.
