When medications and other treatments don't keep hip pain at a manageable level, surgery to reposition or replace the hip joint may be the answer. Here are hip surgeries that may be worth pursuing.
Total joint replacement. The most common hip surgery is total hip replacement, a procedure in which the damaged knee is removed and replaced with a prosthesis of metal, ceramic and/or plastic components. The hip is the second most commonly replaced joint, after the knee. Hip replacement is an option when irreparable joint damage interferes with function and causes constant pain that is not alleviated by more conservative therapies.
Read about a recent study that detailed best hip replacement options for younger people.
Learn more about total hip replacement from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Hip Resurfacing. For people who are young and active, hip resurfacing is an alternative to total hip replacement. Unlike total hip replacement, hip resurfacing doesn't require removing the femoral head and replacing it with a ball of metal or ceramic material. Instead the damaged femoral head is reshaped and fitted with a metal covering that fits into the socket.
Read about research into hip replacement options, including hip resurfacing.
Arthroscopy. Arthoscopy is a minimally invasive surgery performed by inserting a lighted scope and narrow instruments through small incisions in the skin over the joint. Arthroscopic surgery has been used for decades to correct knee problems; more recently it has been used on the hip to correct problems, such as labral tears. The usefulness of many arthroscopic procedures is controversial.
Osteotomy. Osteotomy is a major surgery in which damaged portions of the hip are removed and the joint is reshaped or repositioned to correct a deformity and/or improve alignment and function. An osteotomy may be appropriate for a person who has arthritis in a hip joint but is too young and active to be considered for hip replacement surgery.
Learn more about surgery, preparing for surgery and recovering from surgery.
http://www.orthojournalhms.org/volume11/manuscripts/PDF/V11_om_13.pdf
The periacetabular osteotomy surgery (PAO, for short) is considered to be the preferred surgical correction of hip dysplasia, a much better option than a total hip replacement (though the pharma. companies who make millions off hip replacement surgeries each year might not want you to know that). Though it has an initial recovery period that is somewhat more difficult than that of a hip replacement, it is worth it: this procedure preserves and improves the function of the patient's own hip joint rather than replacing it with an artificial one. The goal of the PAO is to reduce or eliminate pain, restore function, and maximize the functional life of the dysplastic hip. More often than not, no additional surgeries are needed with no limitations whatsoever on the patient's activities, post-op. I know, because I had a PAO on each of my hips this year with excellent results. It was tough, but it was so, so worth it. I look forward to returning to all of my activities, likely without another surgery for the rest of my life. Thank goodness I found out about this incredible surgical option before it was too late.
**I urge anyone who is experiencing hip pain (particularly women) to research periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) surgery to see if you might be a candidate, and hip dysplasia. An excellent place to start is to check out the "Hip Chicks Unite" hip dysplasia and impingement support group online: www.hipchicksunite.org. There is a staggering lack of education in the public (and among medical practitioners, unfortunately, as evidenced perhaps by a complete lack of information on the Arthritis Foundation's website, here) on developmental dysplasia of the hip and the corrective surgeries that can FIX this problem completely, thus eliminating the need for hip replacement surgery and subsequent painful, technical revision replacements. For more information on hip dysplasia, you can also check out the very informative website for Children's Hospital Boston's Adolescent and Young Adult Hip Unit:
http://www.childrenshospital.org/clinicalservices/Site1163/mainpageS1163P7. html
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