Revision Hip Replacement
Revision Hip Replacement means that part or all of your previous hip replacement needs to be replaced or revised.
A total hip replacement is one of the most successful medical procedures. Total hip replacement enables the majority of patients to live active lives without debilitating hip pain. Over time, a hip replacement can need a revision for a variety of reasons.
A second operation may be necessary to remove and replace some or all of the parts of the original prosthesis. This procedure is called a revision hip replacement.
Revision surgery is different than primary total hip replacement and depends on the individual needs of the patient. Revision hip replacement can be a longer, more complex procedure or a simple fix.
5 Signs you May Benefit From a Revision Hip Replacement
Soreness during or after exercise or pain that interferes with your daily activities could be a sign of change in the hip prosthesis.
Sometimes the plastic insert that helps the “ball” glide in the hip socket can experience unusual wear and tear or the body mounts an immune response to the plastic.
This immune response also attacks the healthy bone around the implant, leading to a condition called osteolysis. In osteolysis, the bone around the implant deteriorates, making the implant loose or unstable.
A hip replacement has a ball-and-socket structure like that of your natural hip. For a hip replacement to work well, the ball must remain inside the socket. Trauma, wear of the polyethylene liner, or loosening of the components with time causing them to move/migrate can sometimes cause the ball to become dislodged from the socket. Depending on the reason for dislocation and how many times the hip has dislocated, your hip many need to revised.
If a total hip replacement becomes infected, it can be painful and the implants may begin to lose their attachment to the bones.
Even if the implant remains properly fixed to the bone, there may still be pain, instability, and drainage from the infection may make revision surgery necessary.
A periprosthetic fracture is a broken bone that occurs around the hip replacement components. These fractures are most often the results of a fall.
Factors such as where the fracture is located and whether or not the components have become loose from the fracture will determine whether the fracture needs to be fixed with a plate and screws and/or the components removed, replaced, and revised.
The pre-op xray shows a patient who has had bilateral hip replacements in the past. The hip replacement on the right-side of the xray (or the patient’s left side) was revised once before. Since that surgery, the acetabular component has become loose and migrated into a more vertical position. The cemented femoral component has also separated from the bone and become loose. The patient was having pain and instability. The post-op xray shows that both components of the hip on the right side of the image were revised to new, properly placed revision components. The patient did well and returned to full activity.
The pre-op xray shows a patient whose left hip replacement (located on the right side of the xray) has fractured through the medial pelvic wall and migrated into the pelvis. The post-op xray shows the prior cup (or acetabular component) was carefully removed from the pelvis and replaced with a revision cup, and secured with multiple screws. The femoral component was not changed. The patient did well and returned to full activity.
The pre-op xray shows a patient whose right hip replacement (located on the left side of the xray) has dislocated, and the cup (or acetabular component) has flipped upside down and migrated into the pelvis. The post-op xray shows the prior cup was carefully removed and replaced with a jumbo-sized revision cup, and secured with multiple screws. The patient did well and returned to full activity.