Hip surgery

Hip pain is a common problem in adults and can have a significant impact on your ability to carry out many everyday activities.

A problem in a hip will often cause pain, stiffness and loss of flexibility. Hips can be damaged by injury or disease, but the most common cause of hip joint pain (by quite some margin) is osteoarthritis in the joint.

You may be able to ignore hip pain when it’s fairly mild, but if it is severe you may find simple movements like sitting and standing, climbing stairs or bending down to put on your socks and shoes, much more challenging.

Hip pain can be debilitating and frustrating to live with, but a range of effective treatments are available. Here at The Shirley Oaks Hospital, our consultant hip surgeons treat the causes of hip pain and help people to regain movement and function in their hips once more.

An assessment by an experienced Shirley Oaks hip surgeon will rapidly quantify whether the hip pain is arising from the joint, the surroundings soft tissues, or is referred from your back.

Many hip conditions arise from the soft tissues (e.g. bursitis) and a thorough examination and treatment plan can be provided which will avoid surgery.

If you would like to learn more about treatment options for your specific hip condition, please contact us to book an appointment at a time that’s convenient for you.

Most people with ongoing hip pain will see their GP, who will often arrange initial treatment with some type of pain relief medication and/or a course of physiotherapy. These can be helpful for many people in the early stages of osteoarthritis but are often of limited value when the joint has been damaged more extensively.

At the moment when many patients are experiencing long delays in seeing their GPs, it’s important to understand that Shirley Oaks will be happy to review you prior to any consultation with your GP, in order to cut out the waiting time.

Should non-surgical treatments not relieve your symptoms, you may require some type of hip surgery. If this is a possibility, you will normally be referred to a hip surgeon by your GP, physiotherapist or other healthcare professional. Your surgeon will be able to discuss which hip surgery would be most beneficial for you.

The most common surgery is Total hip replacement, which involves removing the damaged hip joint and replacing it with a new artificial one (known as a prosthesis). This is often needed when osteoarthritis in the hip has damaged the joint so much that it’s causing significant pain and lack of mobility.

For certain hip conditions, such as a labral tear or hip impingement, a type of keyhole surgery known as hip arthroscopy may be carried out to investigate and repair any damage.

Some hip symptoms and conditions can benefit from joint preservation treatment. This helps to maintain and protect hip function and may help delay (or completely remove) the need for more invasive surgery like a total hip replacement.

If you’re in pain and have previously had a total hip replacement, you may need revision hip replacement to replace your prosthesis.

Whatever the cause(s) of your hip pain, your consultant will ensure you receive the most suitable treatment as soon as possible to help get you out of pain and back to better mobility.

Getting you out of hip pain relies on an accurate diagnosis of the cause of your pain. When you meet with your consultant hip surgeon at Shirley Oaks, they will take your medical history and talk about the symptoms you’ve been experiencing. They may ask you questions like:

• When did you first notice your hip pain?
• Do you have any other symptoms?
• What activities or movements seem to aggravate your symptoms?
• Have your symptoms been getting worse over time?
• Where exactly is your pain, and what type of pain is it?
• What treatments have you already tried and were they helpful?

A physical examination of your hips will be carried out. Your back and knees will also be checked as problems in these areas can sometimes cause referred pain in the hip.

Depending on your symptoms, clinical history and the physical examination, your Consultant may arrange further tests. Our comprehensive on-site imaging facilities include X-ray, CT, MRI and ultrasound, so any diagnostic tests needed can be easily arranged for you if required.

Once a diagnosis has been made, your Consultant will talk to you about the results and discuss any suitable treatment options, explaining the benefits you should expect to see as well as any potential complications or risks.

Should you require a hip replacement or other form of hip surgery, your damaged hip joint will be replaced with an artificial implant tailored to your specific biomechanics.

People choose to come to us for hip surgery for a number of reasons. Whether you live in Croydon itself, elsewhere in Surrey or much further afield, when you choose Shirley Oaks for your hip treatment you will benefit from:

• Rapid access to an expert – Hip problems can have a big impact on everyday life and you’ll undoubtedly want to get things treated and resolved as soon as possible. With a number of leading hip experts on-site at any one time, we’ll be able to book an appointment for you without delay, so that you can get started with any treatment necessary sooner. With over 4 million patients on NHS waiting lists, it’s important to know that you could have your definitive care far sooner and also a bespoke time of your choosing. Many people also prefer the security of having surgery on a green site which is Covid-free and also MRSA-free.
• Patient Satisfaction – In an independent survey, over 97.6% of people we’d treated said they were likely or highly likely to recommend The Shirley Oaks Hospital to their friends and family. We’re grateful for this feedback and continue to focus on providing the highest level of care for every person we treat.
• A personal approach– Everybody’s hips are shaped slightly differently, and a bespoke approach to treatment ensures any treatment you receive is optimal for your specific condition and biomechanics. With our state-of-the-art facilities and a highly experienced team, we can treat you properly and get you back to better hip health sooner.
• Remote Consultation – While consultations are routinely carried out in person at Shirley Oaks, we can also offer remote consultations by telephone or online video call where required.
• Comprehensive support: After any kind of hip surgery, it’s important you receive the right support and guidance throughout your recovery. Our dedicated physiotherapy team will support you throughout your time with us, helping you regain strength, mobility and function in your hip safely and at a sensible pace.
• Implant availability. Many NHS trusts limit the use of more expensive ceramic implants to younger patients (in some cases under 55 only). Shirley Oaks will always choose a bespoke implant, which will be suitable for your lifestyle needs and bone quality, rather than just treating you by your age
• Multidisciplinary team: From experienced Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeons to physiotherapists, nurses, podiatrists, occupational therapists and radiologists, we have the expertise to ensure you receive the best treatment for your specific hip condition and optimised rehabilitation and recovery following treatment. In contrast to many NHS units, we are for either remote or face-to-face physiotherapy, this is particularly important when recovering from a hip replacement.

When hip pain and stiffness is and limiting your life, it can be easy to begin worrying about loss of independence and freedom. If you find yourself worrying about pain or stiffness in your hip, why not arrange to meet with one of our consultant hip surgeons?

Your consultant will thoroughly investigate the cause(s) of your hip pain and talk you through any suitable treatment options. If hip surgery is needed, they can arrange for that to be carried out here at Shirley Oaks at the earliest opportunity.