Hip Replacement

Relief from hip pain. A plan built around your life.

Hip arthritis can gradually make everyday life smaller. Walking, sleeping, putting on shoes, traveling, and spending time with family can all become more difficult.

Hip replacement is designed to relieve pain and restore function when the joint itself has become damaged and nonoperative treatment no longer provides enough relief. The decision should be based on the whole person, not an X-ray alone.

Schedule a Hip Consultation

Patient discussing hip replacement with an orthopaedic surgeon

The goal is not simply to replace a joint. It is to help restore a life.

Hip replacement can be one of the most effective operations in orthopaedic surgery, but it is still a major decision.

Before recommending surgery, I work to confirm that the hip is truly the source of the symptoms, understand how the problem affects daily life, and determine whether the expected benefit justifies the risks of an operation.

When surgery is appropriate, the plan should account for anatomy, bone quality, medical health, activity goals, and the long-term demands placed on the reconstruction.

When to Consider Hip Replacement

The decision is based on function, symptoms, and quality of life.

Persistent Hip Pain

Pain in the groin, thigh, or buttock that limits walking, sleep, work, or daily activities.

Loss of Mobility

Increasing stiffness, difficulty putting on shoes, trouble getting in and out of a car, or reduced walking tolerance.

Declining Quality of Life

When hip symptoms begin to determine where you go, what you do, and how much of life you can participate in.

Common Conditions

Hip replacement treats damage within the joint itself.

Not all hip pain comes from arthritis. Pain around the hip may also arise from the spine, tendons, muscles, nerves, or other structures. A careful diagnosis matters before considering surgery.

Osteoarthritis

Avascular necrosis

Inflammatory arthritis

Post-traumatic arthritis

Femoral neck fracture

Certain developmental hip conditions

Reviewing hip X-rays during an orthopaedic consultation

The Evaluation

Good surgery begins with a clear diagnosis.

Hip arthritis can produce pain in the groin, thigh, buttock, or even the knee. Similar symptoms can also come from the lumbar spine or surrounding soft tissues.

The evaluation is designed to determine whether the hip joint is truly responsible for the symptoms and whether replacement is likely to produce meaningful improvement.

Understand the Symptoms

The location, duration, and pattern of pain help determine whether the hip joint is truly the source of the problem.

Examine the Hip

Strength, motion, gait, and areas of tenderness help distinguish hip arthritis from problems involving the spine, muscles, tendons, or nerves.

Review the Imaging

X-rays help show joint-space loss, bone changes, deformity, and the severity of arthritis.

Discuss the Options

Treatment should reflect the severity of the arthritis, prior nonoperative care, medical readiness, and the patient’s goals.

Surgical Approach

The Mayo modified anterolateral approach.

I perform primary hip replacement using the Mayo modified anterolateral approach. This approach allows access to the hip through a muscle interval while preserving the posterior soft tissues that contribute to stability.

No surgical approach is best for every surgeon or every patient. The quality of the reconstruction matters more than the name of the incision. My choice of approach reflects my training, experience, and preference for a reproducible method that allows accurate component placement and stable reconstruction.

Learn about the Mayo approach

Surgical Planning

Every component should have a reason for being where it is.

Hip replacement requires more than selecting an implant. The reconstruction must restore stable mechanics while respecting the patient’s anatomy and available bone.

Restore hip center and leg length

Recreate stable hip mechanics

Protect bone whenever possible

Select fixation based on bone quality and anatomy

Choose bearing surfaces for long-term durability

Reduce the risk of instability and impingement

Patient beginning recovery after outpatient hip replacement

Outpatient Joint Replacement

Recover where you are most comfortable.

Advances in anesthesia, multimodal pain management, surgical technique, and coordinated recovery protocols now allow many primary hip replacements to be performed in an outpatient surgery center.

For appropriately selected patients, surgery can often be completed without an overnight hospital stay, allowing recovery to begin in the comfort of home surrounded by family.

Every recommendation is individualized. Medical history, overall health, mobility, home support, and the complexity of the procedure all influence whether outpatient surgery is the safest option.

Same-Day Recovery

Many appropriately selected patients return home within hours of surgery and begin recovering in familiar surroundings.

Focused Surgical Setting

Elective joint replacement is performed in an accredited outpatient surgery center designed around scheduled orthopedic care.

Individualized Recommendations

When an overnight hospital stay is the safer choice, that is the setting I recommend.

The goal is never simply to send patients home sooner. The goal is to help each patient recover in the environment that best supports a safe and successful recovery.

Recovery

Recovery is measured in progress, not a single date.

Recovery varies based on age, strength, medical health, prior function, and the complexity of the operation. Most patients notice meaningful improvement early, but strength and endurance continue to develop over several months.

Day of Surgery

Most patients begin standing and walking with assistance shortly after surgery.

First Two Weeks

The early focus is pain control, safe mobility, incision care, and gradually increasing activity.

Two to Six Weeks

Walking endurance and confidence typically improve as swelling and discomfort decrease.

Beyond Six Weeks

Strength, balance, and endurance continue to improve over the following months.

Setting Expectations

Most patients improve substantially, but recovery is not identical for everyone.

Hip replacement is highly effective for pain caused by advanced arthritis, but it cannot correct every source of pain or restore the hip to an untouched natural joint.

Some stiffness, weakness, swelling, numbness around the incision, or awareness of the implant may persist during recovery. Medical health, muscle condition, spinal disease, nerve problems, and prior surgery can all influence the final result.

A clear discussion of likely benefits, limitations, and risks is an important part of deciding whether surgery makes sense.

Common Questions

What patients often want to know.

How do I know when it is time for hip replacement?

There is no single X-ray finding or pain score that determines the right time. Hip replacement becomes reasonable when arthritis is clearly the source of symptoms, nonoperative care no longer provides adequate relief, and the condition meaningfully interferes with daily life.

How long does a hip replacement last?

Modern hip replacements are designed for long-term durability, but no implant can be guaranteed to last forever. Longevity depends on implant fixation, bearing wear, activity, bone quality, infection risk, and other patient-specific factors.

Will my legs be the same length after surgery?

Restoring appropriate leg length and hip stability is an important part of surgical planning. Some patients perceive a temporary difference early in recovery because of muscle tightness, pelvic position, or the correction of a longstanding deformity.

Will I have activity restrictions?

Recommendations depend on the surgical approach, implant stability, bone quality, and individual risk factors. The goal is to return patients safely to an active life while protecting the reconstruction.

Take the Next Step

Is hip pain beginning to control your daily life?

A consultation can help determine where the pain is coming from, which treatment options remain available, and whether hip replacement is appropriate.