"Re-do" or Revision Hip Surgery
Hip replacement surgery can be life changing for those dealing with pain on a daily basis. Unfortunately, even a replacement hip can wear out – particularly if you are relatively young and lead a fairly active life.
You will know if your hip has worn out, as the implant becomes loose and painful. If this happens, we will need to remove them and put in new ones. This procedure is called revision hip replacement surgery.
When should you contact us?
If your hip replacement simply doesn’t feel right or it is painful, please get in touch with us straight away. We will assess your hip and arrange investigations to find out if there is anything wrong. If you do need to have revision hip replacement surgery, it is usually better to have it done sooner rather than later, as this reduces the risk of further complications.
Complications with revision hip surgery
In comparison to having a hip replacement for the first time, there is a higher risk of complications following revision hip surgery. It can also take longer for patients to recover from the operation. This is because your surgeon needs to conserve the remaining bone, while removing the affected components and ensuring that any new components are fixed securely into place.
Trust in our expertise
Revision hip surgery is always more involved than the original hip replacement and should not be undertaken without careful consideration both by you and your surgeon. I have superspecialised in only surgery of the hip for over 20 years now and am very proud to have treated so many patients over the years who have had a very successful outcome after revision hip surgery.
Failed hip surgery and suffering with pain after a hip replacement
Hip surgery is usually very successful, and most patients are delighted with the outcome of their operation. Pain after hip replacement/resurfacing surgery is not uncommon, and it usually goes away after a few months. If it persists, this indicates that there might be a potentially serious problem. Quite often the pain can grumble on for many months, and this is very frustrating, particularly when no obvious cause is found. In these cases, patients and surgeons often ask for a second opinion to see whether or not hip revision surgery is necessary.
We understand that it is disappointing if hip replacement complications arise, but prompt investigations and expert treatment are essential if further problems are to be avoided. Here in Southampton we have experts in radiology, microbiology and clinical chemistry who have helped us to develop efficient pathways for the investigation and treatment of pain after hip replacement/resurfacing.
If there is a serious problem with the hip replacement/resurfacing, then revision hip surgery might be necessary. We see an increasing number of patients with pain after metal on metal hip replacement/resurfacing, and this is usually caused by a reaction to the metal ions produced by the hip implants. Revision hip surgery is almost always necessary to get rid of the problem. Revision surgery is usually more complicated than the original hip replacement/resurfacing operation. Special equipment and implants are often used to rectify the specific complications and to overcome the challenges of having to remove the original hip implants. Revision hip surgery has developed into a sub-speciality of orthopaedic practice which reflects the fact that these operations require specialist skills and training.
Because we have treated more people with hip replacement/resurfacing complications than most centres, we have developed a great deal of experience in hip revision surgery, and we are happy to say that there is almost always a good outcome following surgery.
If you are experiencing pain after a hip replacement or resurfacing operation or it simply doesn’t feel ‘right’, you should tell your surgeon about your symptoms. If you would like a second opinion, please ask your GP for a referral to Jeremy Latham and he will be happy to see you as soon as possible.
