Is hip pain making it hard for you or your parent to walk, pray or sleep? This guide explains the operation, the hospital stay and recovery.
In this operation, the worn ball (top of the thigh bone) and socket (in the pelvis) are replaced with new metal, plastic or ceramic parts.
For most patients, pain is much less afterwards. It is usually suggested when arthritis or an injury makes walking and daily life hard.
At a glance
- Operation: about 1–2 hours
- Hospital stay: usually 2–4 days
- First walk: the same day or the next day
- Walking stick: from about 3–6 weeks
- Driving: usually after about 8 weeks, and only when Dr Malik agrees
WhatsApp the hip X-ray or MRI to +92 300 4890692 to book a consultation. Dr Malik will need to examine you before advising on surgery. Other treatment may help first.
Why might you need a new hip?
Common reasons:
- Arthritis (wear-and-tear or rheumatoid) that damages the joint surface and causes pain and stiffness.
- A broken hip that has damaged the joint too badly to repair.
- Loss of blood supply (avascular necrosis), which makes the top of the thigh bone weaken and sometimes collapse.
- Problems from birth or past surgery, when other treatments have not helped.
Fall or suspected broken bone? Go to the nearest emergency department now, or call Rescue 1122, if the person cannot stand or put weight on the leg, a limb looks bent or a bone is showing, a hand or foot is cold, pale or numb, there is heavy bleeding, or they hit their head. An older person who cannot walk after a fall may have a broken hip and needs to go to hospital now. Do not move someone who may have hurt their neck or back.
Once the patient is safe, call +92 300 4890692 for fracture care with Dr Malik. Dr Malik can arrange care in the emergency department: WhatsApp the X-ray, the patient’s medical history and any medical conditions to the same number. If you cannot reach us, go to the nearest emergency department.
For arthritis, most people try medicines, physiotherapy or a walking stick first. If the pain stays bad, a new hip can make walking easier.
What happens in the operation?
Under anaesthesia (medicine so you are asleep or numb), the surgeon removes the worn ball and socket through a cut near the hip. A metal stem with a new ball goes into the thigh bone. A new cup goes into the pelvis. It is usually metal with a smooth plastic or ceramic lining, or all plastic if it is cemented.
The parts are fixed with bone cement, or pressed in so the bone grows into them.
A smaller cut is sometimes used. For suitable patients it can mean less blood loss and getting up a little sooner; long-term results are similar. It is not right for everyone, and Dr Malik will tell you if it suits you.
How to get ready for surgery
Tests: blood tests, an ECG (heart tracing) and a chest X-ray check that you are ready.
Medicines: bring all your medicines to the consultation. Do not stop any blood thinner or heart medicine on your own, including aspirin, clopidogrel or warfarin. Dr Malik and your heart doctor will tell you what to do before surgery. If you have diabetes, your sugar must be well controlled first.
Infections: any infection, even in a tooth, must be treated first.
Health: stop smoking and all tobacco, including naswar and chewing tobacco. It slows bone and wound healing. If you are overweight, losing a little weight helps the new joint.
Home: clear anything you could trip on. A ground-floor room is ideal. Arrange a raised toilet seat or commode and a firm chair with armrests.
On the day of surgery
Nurses get you ready and put a drip (IV) in your arm. The operation usually takes 1–2 hours.
The surgeon checks the new joint and your leg length, then closes the cut. Feeling sore afterwards is normal, and you get pain medicine.
How long is the hospital stay?
Most patients stay in hospital for 2 to 4 days. During this time:
- Pain control: medicine for hip and leg pain.
- Getting up: a physiotherapist helps you sit, stand and walk. You may start walking the same day or the next.
- Preventing clots: support stockings and medicine. You may be given blood-thinning medicine to take at home for some weeks. Take it exactly as prescribed.
- Breathing: deep-breathing exercises keep your lungs healthy.
- Wound care: the wound is checked every day while you are in hospital. Stitches or clips come out at a clinic check-up 10–14 days after the operation.
- Exercises: simple leg exercises to build strength.
You go home once you can move safely and your pain is controlled with tablets.
Recovery, week by week
First 2 weeks
Use crutches or a walker and do your exercises. Raise your leg to ease swelling, and sit on a firm, high chair.
Weeks 3 to 6
You may move to a walking stick. Do small daily tasks, and increase how far you walk slowly.
Weeks 6 to 12
You may walk without help. Gentle swimming or cycling can start, but avoid hard sports.
3 to 6 months
You feel stronger and can return to most normal tasks. Ask Dr Malik before starting any sport.
After 6 months
Most patients have much less pain, walk comfortably and manage stairs. Keep walking and exercising to keep the new hip healthy.
Want to talk through recovery for your parent? WhatsApp their hip X-ray to +92 300 4890692 to book a consultation.
What are the risks?
- Blood clots: these can form in the leg and can be serious. Medicine and support stockings help prevent them.
- Infection: antibiotics are given around the time of surgery to lower the risk.
- Dislocation: the ball can slip out of the socket, mostly in the early weeks. Do not bend the hip too far or cross your legs. Sleep on your back or side with a pillow between your legs.
- Nerve injury: numbness near the scar is common and usually fades. Rarely, a nerve to the leg is injured, causing weakness in the foot. This usually, but not always, recovers.
- Uneven leg length: the surgeon aims to make the legs equal. A raised shoe helps if needed.
Less common problems include pain that does not settle and injury to a blood vessel. Rarely, the bone breaks around the new hip. Over time the new hip can wear or loosen, which may need another operation.
In older patients, any major operation can cause heart or lung problems, or short-term confusion. The anaesthetist checks for these risks before surgery.
When to get help after the operation
- The wound is red, hot, swollen or leaking, or you have a fever: call +92 300 4890692 the same day.
- Calf pain or swelling, or a warm, red leg: call the same day.
- If you cannot reach the clinic, go to the nearest emergency department.
- Chest pain or sudden breathlessness: go to the nearest emergency department now or call Rescue 1122.
- Sudden severe hip pain, a leg that looks shorter or turned, or you cannot stand on it: the hip may have dislocated. Go to the nearest emergency department now.
Life after a hip replacement
Daily tasks
You can cook, clean and shop. Avoid twisting your body.
Sitting, prayer and the toilet
In the early weeks, avoid low seats, squatting and sitting cross-legged on the floor. Use a raised toilet seat or commode, and pray on a chair. Dr Malik will tell you if and when it is safe to sit on the floor or squat again.
Work and driving
Driving: usually after about 8 weeks, and only when Dr Malik agrees. You must be off strong painkillers and able to brake hard. Office work is often possible in about 4 weeks. Heavy work takes longer. Ask Dr Malik before going back.
Knee pain too? Read our knee replacement page.
Meet your surgeon: Dr Imran Salim Malik
Dr Malik is an orthopedic and trauma surgeon with more than 20 years of experience in orthopedic surgery. He is a consultant at Omar Hospital & Cardiac Centre in Lahore. If you need an operation, Dr Malik performs it himself.
Is a hip replacement right for you?
For most patients, a new hip greatly reduces pain and brings back movement for many years. Whether it suits you depends on an examination, your X-ray, your health and your goals.
Already been told you need an operation? A second opinion is your right. Bring your reports and Dr Malik will go through your options with you, including non-surgical ones.
Questions families ask
Is it safe for an older parent?
Most people who have a hip replacement are over 60. Before surgery, tests and the anaesthetist (plus a heart specialist, if needed) check that the patient is fit. All surgery has risks. Dr Malik will go through the risks for your parent at the consultation.
How much does it cost?
The consultation fee depends on the hospital you visit. We tell you the exact fee on WhatsApp before you book, so there are no surprises. A follow-up visit within 5 days of your first consultation is free to go through your reports and scans. The cost of surgery depends on the operation, the implant, the room and the nights in hospital. It is explained to you before you decide.
How long will the new hip last?
Usually many years. In large joint registries, about 9 in 10 total hip replacements are still working after 15 years, and nearly 6 in 10 after 25 years.
From the clinics of Dr Imran Salim Malik, orthopaedic and trauma surgeon. MBBS (Allama Iqbal Medical College) · MS (Trauma & Orthopaedics) · PMDC Reg. 39646-P. Every patient is different: Dr Malik will tell you what applies to you.
