On your surgery day, your team meets you at the hospital. Once you are comfortable in the operating room, an anesthesiologist will put you to sleep so you do not feel pain during the procedure.
Your surgeon reaches your hip from the back or side of the hip or the front of the leg. Your hip replacement team may use minimally invasive and robotic-assisted surgery. Your doctor will decide the best approach before your surgery, based on your imaging and condition.
During the procedure, your surgeon:
Removes the diseased bone tissue and cartilage from your hip joint
Replaces the ball of the hip (head of the femur) and the hip’s socket with new parts
The replacement parts include:
A plastic cup that replaces your hip socket
A metal ball that replaces your hip ball
A metal stem that attaches the new ball to your thigh bone
Your new hip parts let the hip move in a natural, fluid manner.
Depending on your surgery, you may spend a night or two in the hospital or go home the same day as your surgery. You will begin physical therapy in the hospital. Your care team will explain precautions you need to follow as you heal, such as no heavy lifting and not crossing your knees or thighs. It will take six to eight weeks of physical therapy to fully recover after hip replacement.