Can You Have Both Hip Joints Replaced During The Same Total Hip Replacement Surgery?
A total hip replacement can significantly improve your mobility and reduce the amount of pain you feel when you have osteoarthritis in your hips. The hip pain caused by osteoarthritis is a result of the protective cartilage layer between your thigh bone and your hip bone wearing away. This causes the two bones to directly rub against one another when you walk or rotate your hips. A total hip replacement surgical procedure removes damaged tissue from the arthritic joint and replaces your hip with an artificial prosthetic, which acts as a replacement for the missing cartilage.
If you have pain in both your hips when you walk, you may be wondering if you can have them both replaced at the same time. Replacing both hips at the same time can relieve your pain faster, but not everyone is a good candidate for this surgery. To learn more about replacing both of your hips in the same procedure, read on to learn more about what happens during the surgery.
What Happens During a Total Hip Replacement Surgical Procedure?
At the start of the procedure, you'll be taken to the operating room and placed under general anesthesia. The orthopedic surgeon will make an incision into your back or your side in order to see your hip joint.
After making the incision, the surgeon will remove any damaged bone or cartilage in your hip joint. They'll place a cup-shaped device in the socket joint in your hip bone, then replace the ball-shaped head of your thigh bone with a prosthetic.
Replacement joints are made from either metal or ceramic. Both materials glide together smoothly, allowing you to easily rotate at the hips, and they'll prevent your thigh bone and your hip bone from coming into contact with each other and causing you to feel pain.
Can You Have Both Hips Replaced at the Same Time?
If you have osteoarthritis in both your hips, it may be possible to replace both joints during the same surgical procedure. The surgeon will make an additional incision after replacing the first hip in order to replace the second one. This is referred to as simultaneous hip replacement surgery.
However, simultaneous hip replacement surgery carries additional risks, and not everyone will be a good candidate for it. Total hip replacement is already a fairly lengthy surgical procedure, and replacing both hips at the same time will double the time you spend under general anesthesia.
In addition, recovering from simultaneous hip replacement can be more difficult than covering from hip replacement surgery where only one hip was replaced. When you're recovering from surgery, your surgeon will ask you to avoid bearing too much weight on the replacement joint and limit your physical activity. This gives the replacement joint time to heal and fuse with your bones.
When you need to rest both of your hip joints, your mobility will be much more limited compared to only needing to rest one. You may have difficulty performing daily tasks like getting out of bed or bathing without assistance until your hip replacements have both healed.
If you have osteoarthritis in both your hips, ask your orthopedic surgeon if you're a good candidate for simultaneous hip replacement surgery. If you'll have help during the recovery period and the extended time under general anesthesia won't pose a risk, then simultaneous hip replacement surgery can be a great time saver. Otherwise, your surgeon will most likely recommend that you only undergo one total hip replacement surgical procedure at a time, with the other surgery being performed after your first replacement hip has fully healed.
To learn more, visit a medical clinic that offers hip replacement options such as Adams County Regional Medical Center.
