If you have been suffering long-term pain and stiffness in your hip joint such that it has reduced your mobility and affected your everyday activities and quality of life, then you may be offered hip replacement surgery.
When a hip is damaged or worn out, it is often due to osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, both diseases of the joints in the body. Oftentimes, you will have persistent pain and problems with walking, climbing stairs, and pain during sleep. Your doctor may have offered you physiotherapy sessions and steroid injections into the joint without any improvement. At this point, you will need hip replacement surgery to get you back to your normal mobility. Hip replacement surgery is a common type of surgery where a damaged hip joint is replaced with an artificial joint called an implant.
You will be assessed and then referred to a specialist in the hospital by a GP. It usually takes about 6 to 12 weeks from when you are referred to when you have the surgery. Private hip replacement surgery in the UK can cost between £9,500 and £15,000. You may choose to pay for the surgery privately by yourself or through your Private Medical Insurance. Some private hospitals can offer loans, but you will need to have an agreement in place. There may be a waiting period if you decide to do it through the National Health Service.
The surgery is done under anaesthesia where you will be put to sleep or sometimes you are awake but have no feeling from your waist down. A cut is made through the skin to access the damaged hip to remove and replace it with a new artificial joint. The cut in the skin will then be closed back. The surgery can take between just 1-2 hours. You will have access to physiotherapy and adequate nursing care to help you recover soon after your surgery. You can leave the hospital within 3 to 5 days after the operation.
For more information about referrals for hip surgery or other joint problems, you can contact us or click here to register and book an online consultation with a Consultdoc GP who can arrange an intervention appropriate for your health needs.