Hip pain is a surprisingly common complaint and non-surgical treatments can often be helpful in managing this. Treatments like pain relief medication, physiotherapy and hip joint injections are useful in many cases, often when damage to the hip is less significant. If the hip is more extensively damaged, by advanced osteoarthritis for example, these non-surgical treatments will often be of limited use
Should non-surgical treatments not provide you with adequate symptom relief, you may require some type of hip surgery. There are a number of different operations available for the hip, including:
- Total hip replacement
- Minimally invasive hip replacement
- Revision total hip replacement
- Hip arthroscopy
Total hip replacement surgery involves removing the damaged hip joint and replacing it with a new artificial one (a prosthesis). This is usually required when advanced osteoarthritis in the hip has caused such degradation in the joint that function and movement is severely limited.
Although there are a number of operations available, surgery will not always be needed to treat hip pain.
For certain symptoms and conditions, a form of keyhole surgery known as hip arthroscopy may be needed to help diagnose the problem. A thin, flexible tube with a tiny camera and light (this tube is known as an arthroscope) is passed through a small cut in your hip. This transmits a live feed to a screen, giving your Consultant a clear view of the inside of your hip joint. Certain issues can sometimes be corrected during a hip arthroscopy, which helps avoid the need for additional surgery in the future.
Depending on your circumstances, your Consultant may advise joint preservation treatment to help protect and maintain the function in your hip and delay the need for more major surgery such as total hip replacement. Your consultant will be able to discuss this further with you if appropriate for your condition.
If your hip joint is more significantly damaged, total hip replacement surgery may be recommended as the best way to get you out of pain and restore mobility.
Whatever the extent of your hip pain and stiffness, your Consultant will ensure you receive the ideal treatment to get you out of pain and to effectively manage any other symptoms.