Hip surgery in London

As weight-bearing joints, the hips are involved in countless movements and actions every day. If any type of damage occurs to a hip, whether relatively mild or more severe, it may limit your mobility, cause you pain or prevent you from doing the things you most enjoy.

While many people will find that their hip problems can be managed and treated effectively using non-surgical methods, others may be told that surgery will be needed to relieve their symptoms and properly resolve the issue.

If you live in London and have been told by a doctor that hip surgery may be a suitable treatment option, the experienced team of hip specialists at The London Independent Hospital would be delighted to help you get the support you need.

About this page

This page has been written to provide you with useful information about the different types of private hip surgery that are available at The London Independent Hospital in Stepney Green, East London.

On this page, we will look at:

• A London consultant’s perspective on hip surgery
• Hip surgery statistics
• Five reasons you may need hip surgery
• The different types of hip surgery available for you in London
• What to expect your recovery from hip surgery to be like
• The benefits of choosing to have your private hip surgery at The London Independent

After reading through the details on this page, if you have any questions or would like to arrange a private consultation to discuss hip surgery it is very easy to contact us online or by telephone:

• Online - click the blue ‘Book an appointment’ button found at the top of the page
• Telephone – call our friendly bookings team on 0203 925 6240

Please note that this page has information that is specific to The London Independent Hospital in East London. If you live elsewhere in the UK and would like to arrange private hip surgery, please click on the ‘Hospitals’ link in the grey bar near the top of this page to find the Circle Health Group hospital closest to you. 

At Circle Health Group, our highly experienced consultants perform thousands of hip replacements and other types of hip surgery every year.

In particular, hip replacement surgery is a very common procedure.

Hip surgery can refer to a few different procedures, including:

• Hip replacement surgery – where a damaged hip joint is replaced with an artificial one
• Hip revision surgery – an operation to take out your old hip replacement and replace it with a new one
• Hip arthroscopy (keyhole) surgery – a surgical procedure that allows your surgeon to see inside your hip using a camera inserted through small cuts in the skin
• Hip debridement surgery – the correction of an abnormality in the hip joint where there may be excessive bone or abnormal tissue present

The type of hip surgery that is most suitable for you will depend on what is causing your hip problems. 

We asked one of the consultants at The London Independent to describe the difference that hip surgery can make in somebody’s life.

Here’s what they told us about hip replacement surgery, the most common hip operation carried out in London:

“The vast majority of patients who have hip replacement surgery will find that it brings about reliable, long-term pain relief, with secondary functional gains. Some studies have recorded a positive impact on life expectancy, while others show that patients are healthier and happier following their hip replacement surgery.”

– Mr Kostas Tsitskaris, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at The London Independent Hospital 

8,500 hip revision procedures are performed in England and Wales every year.

Mirroring Mr Tsitskaris’ quote above, public health data for England shows that 97% of people who had hip replacement surgery reported improvements, with 95% saying they felt better after the surgery.

For people who have been struggling with pain or stiffness in their hip(s), often for many months, to give such positive feedback shows just how much of a difference hip surgery can make.

The demand for hip surgery in London continues to be high due to a combination of an ageing population, long-term pressures on the healthcare system, and the subsequent challenges and delays resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The problem is likely to get worse, with one study estimating that by 2060 the demand for hip and knee joint replacement will have increased by almost 40%.

This increased (and ever-increasing) demand and limited capacity are some of the main reasons so many people are now choosing to have their hip surgery carried out privately at their local Circle Health Group hospital.

By having hip surgery at The London Independent Hospital, people living in London can get out of pain and stiffness and back to a better quality of life without having to wait for weeks or months.

Signs that you may need a hip surgery include:

• Your hip stops you from enjoying the activities that you used to enjoy
• You have reduced mobility and find it difficult to carry out simple everyday tasks (like climbing the stairs)
• Your hip hurts even when resting and keeps you up at night
• You have tried other treatments for hip pain, such as medication, walking aids, injections, and physiotherapy, and they haven’t been successful

If you are experiencing any of the above signs, speak to one of our Circle Health Group consultants.

Our leading hip specialists will be able to accurately diagnose the problem, give you all the information you need to make the right treatment decision for you, and help you to get back your quality of life.

There are lots of different reasons why you may need hip surgery.

Five of the main reasons people need hip surgery are:

• Trauma
• Degenerative damage to the hip (caused by osteoarthritis)
• Revision of a previous hip replacement
• Hip impingement (also known as femoroacetabular impingement/FAI
• Hip bursitis

Trauma

Acute trauma to the hip (e.g. a fracture) will normally be treated through the NHS, although a Circle Health Group consultant can see you to review your recovery or if you would like a second opinion about treatment options.

Osteoarthritis

Non-urgent surgery is known as ‘elective surgery’. Hip surgery carried out at The London Independent Hospital is elective and normally needed because of damage to the hip caused by osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition that can affect any joint in the body.

The bones in a joint have a thin lining of articular cartilage. This allows the bones to glide over one another smoothly and without any friction.

Osteoarthritis causes the articular cartilage to become worn and damaged. As it breaks down, movement in the joint begins to generate friction. This friction can lead to pain and stiffness in the joint. Usually, as osteoarthritis progresses and causes more damage it will lead to more severe stiffness and pain in the joint, but this is not always the case.

Osteoarthritis in the hip

The hip is a ‘ball and socket’ joint. The ball-like upper part of the femur (known as the femoral head) sits inside the acetabulum (a shallow socket in the pelvis). Layers of strong muscle help hold the joint securely in place as the leg is moved.

When osteoarthritis affects the hip, the femoral head and acetabulum may begin to rub against one another. As the joint damage becomes more extensive, the bone surfaces will grate together, causing pain and stiffness, and often reducing hip mobility significantly.

When osteoarthritis in the hip is causing severe mobility issues, stiffness and pain, hip replacement surgery[1]  may be advised.

In this operation, the natural joint is removed and replaced with an artificial joint (known as an implant or prosthesis.)

Revision of a previous hip replacement

A hip revision is an operation to take out your old hip replacement and replace it with a new one. It is usually required when the original hip replacement has become damaged or dislodged, or has developed complications.

Around 85% of total hip replacements last for 15 years, with 58% lasting for 25 years, so revision surgery is not as common as hip replacement surgery, and not everybody with a hip implant will need revision surgery.

Due to the increased complexity of revision surgery, it is only carried out in hospital with ITU/HDU availability. While most private hospitals do not have this facility, The London Independent Hospital does, so we can provide for these more complex cases in a very safe environment.

Hip impingement

Hip impingement, also known as femoroacetabular impingement/FAI, describes a condition in which the ball part of the joint (femoral head and neck) does not perfectly match the socket part of the joint (acetabulum). This leads to a pinching (impingement) in the hip, which results in a restriction of movement, pain and discomfort.

Hip arthroscopy (keyhole) surgery may be considered if hip impingement symptoms are significantly limiting your quality of life and sporting activities.

Hip bursitis

Bursitis happens when the fluid-filled sacs (known as bursa) that cushion and protect your hip joints become inflamed. This can cause swelling and severe pain.

The pain from hip bursitis may be treated through a course of physiotherapy, hip injection therapy, or anti-inflammatories.

However, sometimes these non-surgical approaches will not effectively treat hip bursitis. In this case, you might be offered hip replacement surgery to significantly reduce your symptoms. 

Although this page is about hip surgery in London, it is important to note that surgery is only ever carried out when other treatments are no longer able to effectively manage your symptoms.

Your Circle Health Group consultant will monitor your treatment and can adjust things as needed if your symptoms become worse.

Non-operative treatments available at The London Independent include:

• Physiotherapy
• Pain relief medication
• Anti-inflammatory or hip joint injections (platelet-rich plasma or PRP, hyaluronic acid gels and steroid injections)

All hip joint injections are carried out in one of our three operating theatres to ensure a sterile, safe environment. We also use a special dye and X-ray imaging for accurate positioning of the needle for the injection.

If these treatments are not able to help, hip arthroscopy or hip replacement surgery may be advised.

The decision to have any type of hip surgery is one not to rush into lightly. Both hip replacement surgery and hip revision surgery are major operations with significant recovery times.

It is important that you make the decision that is right for you, and your consultant will you talk through options with you to make sure you have the information you need to make an informed decision.

Before any surgery, your consultant will explain to you:

• What the surgery involves
• The benefits you should expect to see from it
• What your recovery will be like
• Any risks or possible complications from the surgery

While your consultant will advise you in their professional capacity, the final decision about any type of hip surgery is always yours to make. This collaborative approach to hip surgery is one of the reasons so many people visit us in London for help with their hip problems.

If you have any questions or concerns, your consultant will be very happy to talk through them with you.

Unfortunately, waiting times for many types of orthopaedic surgery continue to increase in many hospitals. The result of this is that many Londoners who are struggling with severe hip pain end up waiting much longer for their operation than would be ideal. 

Faced with such long waiting times, many people are choosing to have their hip surgery carried out privately here at The London Independent Hospital.

If you would like to discuss treatment options with us, please book a private consultation at a time that is convenient to you.

Hip replacement surgery usually takes around an hour and a half, but exact timings will vary and depend on several factors. A partial hip replacement may take less time, and a total hip replacement may take longer.

Hip revision surgery is a more complex operation and will take longer.

As with any big operation, hip surgery comes with a recovery period. It’s useful to know how long this will last and what to expect from your recovery period before having hip surgery. This will help you to prepare as well as possible.

Hip surgery recovery looks different for everyone. Your recovery time will depend on a number of different factors, including your age and general fitness levels, as well as your reason for having surgery in the first place.

Your orthopaedic consultant will be able to give you a more personalised explanation of what to expect in terms of timelines and recovery.

However, there are some parts of the surgery recovery process that remain similar for everyone.

If you live in London, The London Independent Hospital is the ideal place to come for private hip surgery. We offer:

• Speed of access – you can see a leading hip surgeon of your choice without delay. While waiting times for hip replacement surgery vary, we will normally be able to arrange for you to have your surgery within 2-6 weeks of your initial consultation.
• Experienced staff – your consultant is supported by a wider multidisciplinary healthcare team, including anaesthetists, radiologists, physiotherapists and nurses.
• A safe environment – our high dependency unit allows us to cater for hip surgery patients with complex medical comorbidities. Even for patients with a very low anaesthetic risk, the availability of HDU/ITU offers an extra layer of safety. 

If you are struggling with a hip problem, whether long-term or more recent, we would be delighted to help you.

Why not contact us today to book your private hip surgery consultation so that we can help you access the support you need as soon as possible?

Prices for all the treatments we provide at The London Independent Hospital, including hip surgery, can be seen on our treatment prices page.

These fixed-price packages include an initial consultation, treatment and aftercare.

For your peace of mind, we will always send you written confirmation of the fixed-price fee following your consultation (and once any diagnostic tests have been carried out).

There are several ways you can pay for back pain treatment:

• You can pay in full yourself
• You can use private health insurance
• You can pay in instalments using our flexible finance options

Your consultant will be able to discuss costs in greater detail at your consultation.