SURGERY FOR AN ARTHRITIC JOINT
Medicine has made great advances in the replacement of worn or damaged joint components. Once the hip joint has been severely damaged by arthritis, medical treatment may no longer be able to assure comfort and allow reasonable mobility. In such cases you and your physician should consider hip-replacement surgery. The surgery, although major, can be done successfully on most older people, depending on their overall state of health.
A new hip joint is made from a special type of steel, and the parts that touch each other are covered with a synthetic material that allows smooth and easy movement. A unique glue affixes the joint components to the bones. Most people can walk within a few days after surgery, although a period of convalescence and rehabilitation may be required before you become fully ambulatory again. Artificial knees have also become available. The period of rehabilitation after a replacement knee operation may be longer than after replacement hip surgery.
Some people are unduly frightened by the prospect of such surgery, but I have seen many older people who were virtually housebound because of pain return to physically active lives after such operations. The main complication and danger of such surgery, in addition to the risks of all major surgery, is that the artificial joint may become infected and have to be removed. This is usually avoided by the use of powerful antibiotics during and immediately after the operation.
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