Hip surgery in Aberdeen

In young people, our Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeons manage symptoms conservatively. There are injections that can be trialled for early osteoarthritis; either using steroid or, more recently, hyaluronic acid injections. The latter is the natural lubricant of the hip; in some individuals it can help to reduce pain for quite prolonged periods – of up to a year.

Physiotherapy is also a vital tool in the management of hip-related pain. A number of conditions around the hip will be cured by physio alone. In addition, before and after surgery, physiotherapy helps to optimise the outcomes for the patient by making them as fit as possible in the run up to the operation and then guiding their recovery from surgery. Sometimes, our Consultant will add injections into specific sites where surgery is not indicated – of steroid, PRP or hyaluronic acid – and this will always be used in conjunction with physiotherapy.

We have our own physiotherapy department within Albyn Hospital; our hip surgeons work with the team closely. For patients who live some distance away, we have contacts elsewhere, as well as local physiotherapists, who we can refer them to.

Physiotherapists also offer procedures like shockwave therapy, which is an ultrasound treatment whereby shockwaves are fired at particular conditions around tendons. This can help treat tendonitis.

More recently, our Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeons have been using platelet rich plasma (PRP). This type of treatment uses the patient’s own blood cells to accelerate healing in a specific area. Promoting tissue healing and reducing pain, the treatment is minimally invasive and a good option, therefore, for people who would prefer to avoid the surgery route.

For those with osteoarthritis, especially when it’s more developed, ultimately the treatment is replacement. This can take a number of forms. In some situations, in younger patients for example, our Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon will resurface the hip using the adept resurfacing, which is made of cobalt and chrome.

For some, active, younger individuals it’s quite a good alternative to total hip replacement. However, total hip replacement remains the main treatment for osteoarthritis.

The commonest reason for hip replacement is osteoarthritis. However, there are a number of other reasons, where the hip joint has been damaged, for which a replacement may be needed. For example inflammatory arthritis (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis) or previous fracture.

Traumatic fractures of the hip may require total hip replacement where either the surface has been damaged or more commonly where the blood supply to the femoral head has been impaired due to the fracture of the femoral neck (i.e. immediately below the head).  

Damage to the blood supply of the femoral head leading to its slow collapse (called Avascular Necrosis) can be caused by a number of medical conditions other than fracture, and where pain and deformity develop, we then proceed with total hip replacement. Finally, infection in the hip joint can destroy the articular surface (sliding surface) of the hip and lead to the need for hip replacement.

We use a variety of different hip replacements; the most important part of hip replacement is called the bearing surface (equivalent to the ball of the socket in a normal hip).

When you opt for hip replacement at Albyn Hospital, our Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon will remove the damaged section of your hip joint. The artificial joints used to replace the damaged sections are made from metal, ceramic and hard plastic and the aim of the surgery is to reduce pain and improve mobility.

In Albyn Hospital, the latest technologies can be used to assist a hip replacement surgery; in this instance the team uses the MAKO Robotic-Arm.

During this surgery, the arthritic bone and damaged cartilage is removed. This is then replaced with hip implants; during surgery, the femoral head (the end of the thigh bone) is replaced with a metal stem and an artificial head made of metal or ceramic. The latter is secured to the top of the stem.

The acetabulum (the hip socket) is then fitted with a metal cup which is lined with a durable plastic, with the femoral and the acetabulum working together to form the artificial hip implant. This replicates the hip joint and allows for much more mobility in the hip.

Surgery starts with a CT scan of your joint and this can help generate a 3D, virtual model of your anatomy. Our Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon will then load this virtual model into special Mako System software and a personalised, pre-operative plan is put together.

At the time of surgery, the Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon uses a special probe to map out the cup and map out the femur.

When preparing the bone for the implant, the Mako system assists and guides the surgeon within the pre-defined area. This helps prevent the surgeon from moving outside the planned boundaries, which allows for much more accuracy.

While preparing the hip socket, your surgeon will use the robotic-arm to position the implant based on your personalised plan. The Mako System is beneficial, as it also allows your surgeon to adjust your plan during surgery, as needed.

Minimally invasive surgery can be carried out on the hip joint using a technique called hip arthroscopy. During hip arthroscopy, our surgeons place a small camera called an arthroscope into the hip joint which allows the surgeon to perform surgery using small specialised surgical instruments placed into the joint through small cuts in the skin. This is performed for a variety of different conditions, the commonest ones being CAM impingement and labral tears.

For impingement, our surgeons will trim the impinging bone away and, where the labrum is torn, we can trim the torn part out or sometimes, it can be repaired and fixed into place with sutures.

Ladies commonly experience a condition called trochanteric bursitis. It affects the outer side of their hip, and the patient will experience irritation over the bony prominence (greater trochanter) that one can feel on the side of ones hip. Occasionally, we will operate on it, but we most commonly treat it using physiotherapy, injections, platelet rich plasma or steroid injections.

The Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeons will take a full medical history, ask about the symptoms and undertake a thorough examination of the hip, including taking X-rays of the hip and pelvis to identify the problem.

Further diagnostic tests might be required to diagnose the condition; this may include MRI scans, CT scans and injections (which are performed by our radiologists, who are specialists in musculoskeletal joint conditions). The consultant will discuss their findings in detail and provide a personalised treatment plan.

• Expert assessment from an experienced orthopaedic consultant specialising in treating hip conditions. You will see the same consultant throughout the entirety of their treatment journey.
• A multidisciplinary clinic. Your consultant is supported by a number of other healthcare professionals such as nurses, radiographers and physiotherapists. This multidisciplinary team approach ensures you will receive support and treatment from the most appropriate specialist throughout your time with us.
• Our state-of-the-art imaging facilities include Xray, CT, MRI and ultrasound.  These diagnostic imaging procedures can all be easily arranged if required. Our Radiologists work closely with our consultants to provide an accurate diagnosis as soon as possible.
• Treatment plans tailored to meet your individual health needs.
• Fixed-price surgery packages.
• You can book an initial consultation online with most of our consultants.
• *97.0% of patients said their overall experience of our service was good or very good.

^{*During the period of January to December 2023 Albyn Hospital received 2,170 completed Inpatient/Day Case patient surveys.}

For anyone considering an orthopaedic consultation at Albyn Hospital, you can book an appointment online with our Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, or contact our friendly team on 01224 595993

Content reviewed by Circle in-house team in November 2021. Next review due November 2024.