Hip surgery can get you out of pain and back to enjoying life once again.
Hip pain can be caused by trauma, disease or degenerative ‘wear and tear’ from ageing. Sometimes, a previous hip injury from a sport like skiing or squash can cause damage in the hip joint that will require treatment.
Long-term (chronic) hip pain and/or stiffness can have a big impact on physical, mental and emotional health. If you’re struggling with hip pain, you’ll probably find you’re no longer able to do many of the activities you love.
Simple everyday tasks like gardening, walking up and down stairs or even sitting and standing up may all cause your hip pain to flare up. You may have given up your favourite sport because it was aggravating your hip too much.
When your hip pain is bad enough to see a doctor, fast access to one of the top hip experts in your area can be a big relief.
Here at The Meriden Hospital, our experienced Consultant Hip Surgeons help people just like to get you out of hip pain and back to better movement and function. They would love to serve you too.
Your hip joint is formed by the upper part of your thigh-bone (head of femur) and a shallow cup-like part of your pelvis known as the acetabulum. This ‘ball and socket’ arrangement is known as a deep joint, well positioned and surrounded by layers of muscle to give the joint excellent mobility and strength.
When a hip is damaged for any reason, it can cause pain and stiffness in the joint. While many people are able to tolerate a mild hip pain, if the pain is severe or long-lasting, they realise they need some kind of treatment. Many people see a doctor for help when the pain is bad enough to interrupt their sleep.
Hip pain is usually treated non-surgically at first, with treatments including:
These are often able to successfully relieve the pain, or to delay the need for hip surgery. Should these treatments not work or stop being as effective, hip surgery might be advised.
Most people need hip surgery because of osteoarthritis in the hip joint. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis in the UK and can affect all ages.
As we age, our joints experience natural ‘wear and tear’ through our everyday movements and activities. Osteoarthritis causes an increased breakdown of the smooth cartilage lining the end of the bones in the hip joint, leading to joint degradation. When this happens in your hip, you’ll probably start to find your normal everyday movements and activities becoming painful and more challenging.
Hip replacement surgery removes the damaged, worn hip joint and replaces it with a new artificial one, called a prosthesis. The new joint is able to move freely, without causing pain or stiffness.
Hip replacement surgery is also sometimes needed for other reasons, including a hip fracture, rheumatoid arthritis or the death of bone tissue due to its blood supply being cut off (avascular necrosis).
Our Consultant Hip Surgeons can offer a range of hip surgeries, including:
- Total hip replacement (described above),
- Revision total hip replacement (carried out if a previous hip replacement needs replacing for any reason),
- Hip injections (to alleviate pain in the hip).
The first step in treating your hip pain is to determine the cause of it. When you meet with your Consultant here, they’ll discuss your medical history, your everyday activities and the specific symptoms you’re experiencing in your hip. They’ll want to know things like:
- How long you’ve had the hip pain,
- What types of activities or movements aggravate it,
- The type of pain it is (e.g. dull or sharp, in only one place or throughout the hip, constant or sporadic?),
- Whether it’s been getting progressively worse over time.
They’ll carry out an examination of both your hip and back, as some hip pain is caused by a problem in the back.
As they examine your hip, they’ll move your leg around into various positions to assess the degree of pain and/or stiffness in you have in the joint and to see how it’s affecting your movement.
Additional diagnostic tests are sometimes needed, and these can all be easily arranged for you. Our on-site imaging facilities include X-ray, CT, MRI and ultrasound, ensuring you rapid diagnosis.
Once a diagnosis has been made, your Consultant will talk with you about treatment options, explaining the benefits you should expect to see as a result of them.
Based on the site of the University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire, we can offer you access to a vast range of clinicians, specialists and specialist technologies.
When you have your hip surgery with us, you’ll benefit from:
- Fast access to specialists: Severe hip pain is not at all nice, and you won’t want to wait for months on end for an initial consultation. We can give you rapid access to a hip specialist, meaning you’ll be out of pain and back to better mobility sooner.
- Reassuringly recommended: In an independent survey, over 98% of the people we treated said they were likely or highly likely to recommend us to their friends and family. Reassurance that you’ll be well cared for at every stage of your time with us.
- Appointments to suit your diary: We’re able to offer you a range of appointment so that you can schedule time with your chosen Consultant at a time that’s most convenient for you.
- Comprehensive support: A vital aspect of hip surgery is having a good recovery afterwards. Our physiotherapy team are vastly experienced in helping people to move safely once again after hip surgery. In their purpose-built gym, you’ll have access to specialist equipment as needed. A proper, well-structured recovery programme will help you achieve the best results from hip surgery. Our team will work with you closely every step of the way.
- Multidisciplinary team: From experienced Consultant Surgeons to physiotherapists, nurses, occupational therapists and radiographers, our team of healthcare professionals work together to provide you with the best treatment, rehabilitation and care throughout your time with us.
- Free parking: Our private car park offers easy access. Register your car at Reception when you arrive with us, and you won’t need to pay for parking during your visit.
Feeling concerned or anxious about your hip pain?
You’re not alone.
Rather than worrying about things, why not book a consultation with one of our experienced hip surgeons?
They’ll help find out what’s causing your pain and talk you through any suitable treatment options. If hip surgery is needed, they’ll be able to arrange that for you without delay.
You don’t need to struggle on with hip pain. We’re here for you and can help get you out of pain and back to better mobility once more.
Book your appointment online today.
