Revision Hip Replacement

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Revision Hip Replacement

Introduction

Total Hip Replacement Is One Of The Most Successful Procedures. In The Vast Majority Of Cases, Total Hip Replacement Enables People To Live More Active Lives Without Debilitating Hip Pain. Over Time, However, A Hip Replacement Can Fail For A Variety Of Reasons.

When This Occurs, Your Doctor May Recommend That You Have A Second Operation To Remove Some Or All Of The Parts Of The Original Prosthesis And Replace Them With New Ones. This Procedure Is Called Revision Total Hip Replacement.

Although Both Procedures Have The Same Goals—To Relieve Pain And Improve Function And Quality Of Life— Revision Surgery Is Different Than Primary Total Hip Replacement. Revision Hip Replacement Is A Longer, More Complex Procedure. It Requires Extensive Planning, as well as The Use of Specialized Implants And Tools, In Order To Achieve A Good Result.

During Primary Total Hip Replacement Surgery, The Hip Joint Is Replaced With An Implant Or Prosthesis Made Of Metal, Plastic, And/Or Ceramic Components. Although Most Total Hip Replacements Are Very Successful, Problems Can Develop Over Time. These Problems May Require A Revision Procedure To Replace The Original

There Are Different Types Of Revision Surgery. In Some Cases, Only Some Components Of The Prosthesis Need To Be Revised. In Other Cases, The Whole Prosthesis Needs To Be Removed Or Replaced And The Bone Around The Hip Needs To Be Rebuilt With Augments (Metal Pieces That Substitute For Missing Bone) Or Bone Graft.In Most Revisions, The Doctor Will Use Specialized Implants That Are Designed To Compensate For The Damaged Bone And Soft Tissue.

When Revision Total Hip Replacement Is Recommended

Implant Wear And Loosening

In Order For A Total Hip Replacement To Function Properly, An Implant Must Remain Firmly Attached To The Bone. During The Initial Surgery, The Hip Replacement Components Were Either Cemented Into Place Or Were “Press Fit” Into The Bone To Allow Bone To Grow Onto Them. Sometimes, However, Bone May Fail To Grow Onto Press-Fit Components. In Addition, Cemented Or Press-Fit Components That Were Once Firmly Fixed To The Bone Can Eventually Loosen, Resulting In A Painful Hip.

In Addition, Patients Who Are Younger When They Undergo The Initial Hip Replacement May “Outlive” The Life Expectancy Of Their Artificial Hip. For These Patients, There Is A Higher Long-Term Risk That Revision Surgery Will Be Needed Due To Loosening Or Wear.

In Some Cases, Tiny Particles That Wear Off The Cup’s Plastic Liner Accumulate Around The Hip Joint And Are Attacked By The Body’s Immune System. 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.Fortunately, Plastics Have Improved Greatly Over The Years, So Plastic Wear And Osteolysis Occur Less Frequently Today Than They Did With Earlier Generations Of Implants.

Infection

Infection Is A Potential Complication Of Any Surgical Procedure, Including Total Hip Replacement. Infection Occurs When Bacteria Attach In And Around The Surface Of The Prosthesis. Infection May Occur While You Are In The Hospital Or After You Go Home. It May Even Occur Years Later.

If A Total Hip Replacement Becomes Infected, It Can Be Painful And The Implant May Begin To Lose Its Attachment To The Bone. Even If The Implant Remains Properly Fixed To The Bone, There May Still Be Pain, Instability, And Drainage From The Infection. Because Bacteria Cannot Be Easily Eliminated From A Joint Replacement With Antibiotics Alone, Revision Surgery Is Usually Necessary.

Revision Surgery For Infection Can Be Done In Different Ways. To Determine Which Procedure Is Best For You, Your Doctor Will Consider A Number Of Factors, Including:

The Type Of Bacteria

The Duration And Severity Of The Infection

Debridement. In This Procedure, Your Doctor Will Open Up Your Hip, Wash Out The Bacteria, And Exchange The Ball And Plastic Liner. The Metal Implants That Are Firmly Attached To The Bone Are Left In Place. After Debridement, You Will Receive Intravenous Antibiotics For Several Weeks To Help Cure The Infection.

Staged Surgery. In Some Cases, The Implants Must Be Completely Removed. If The Implants Are Removed To Treat The Infection, Your Doctor Will Usually Perform The Revision In Two Separate Surgeries.In The First Surgery, Your Doctor Will Remove The Implants And Place A Temporary Cement Spacer In Your Hip.This Spacer Is Treated With Antibiotics To Help Fight The Infection And Will Remain In Your Hip For Several Weeks. During This Time, You Will Also Receive Intravenous Antibiotics.

When The Infection Has Been Cleared, Your Doctor Will Perform A Second Surgery To Remove The Antibiotic Spacer And Insert A New Prosthesis. In General, Removing The Implant Leads To A Higher Chance Of Curing The Infection, But Is Associated With A Longer Recovery.

In Some Cases, Your Doctor May Be Able To Remove The Implants, Wash Out The Hip, And Place A New Prosthesis All In The Same Operation. This Procedure, Which Is Called A One-Stage Exchange, May Be Appropriate In Limited Situations.

Recurrent Dislocation

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 Or Certain Hip Positions Can Sometimes Cause The Ball To Become Dislodged From The Socket. This Is Called A “Hip Dislocation.” If You Experience Recurrent Hip Dislocations, You May Need Revision Surgery To Better Align Your Hip Joint Or To Insert A Special Implant Designed To Prevent Dislocations.

Fracture

A Periprosthetic Fracture Is A Broken Bone That Occurs Around The Components Of An Implant. These Fractures Are Most Often The Result Of A Fall, And Often Require Revision Surgery. To Determine Whether A Revision Is Needed, Your Doctor Will Consider Several Factors, Including The Amount Of Remaining Bone, Whether Your Implant Is Loose, And The Location Of The Fracture.In Rare Circumstances, An Implant Itself Can Break. This Also Requires Revision Surgery.

Reaction To Metal Ions ,Allergy To Metal

Over Time, The Metals Used In Implants Can Break Down Or Wear, Causing Tiny Particles To Fall Off The Device Into The Space Around The Implant. This Is More Common With “Metal-On-Metal” Devices, In Which Both The Ball And Socket Components Are Made Of Metal. In Some Patients, Sensitivity To The Metal Ions In These Particles Can Result In Damage To The Bone And Soft Tissues Around The Hip And Lead To The Need For Revision Surgery.

In Very Rare Cases, A Patient Allergy To The Metal Used In Implants May Cause Pain Around The Site Of The Implant. There Is No Definitive Agreement Among Doctors Regarding Metal Allergy In This Setting, However, And More Studies Are Needed.

Other Factors

The Likelihood Of Needing Revision Hip Replacement Is Also Impacted By Individual Differences Among Patients. For Example, Patients Who Are Younger And More Active Are More Likely To Experience Issues Related To Implant Wear. Patients Who Have Certain Medical Conditions, Such As Obesity Or Diabetes, And Those Who Have Had Certain Surgical Procedures In The Past, Are More Likely To Experience Infection Or Implant Failure.

Surgical Procedure

Revision Total Hip Replacement Is A More Complex Procedure And Takes Longer To Perform Than Primary Total Hip Replacement. In Most Cases, The Surgery Takes Several Hours.

Your Doctor Will Then Remove The Original Implant Very Carefully To Preserve As Much Bone As Possible. If Cement Was Used In The Primary Total Hip Replacement, This Is Removed, As Well. Removing This Cement From The Bone Is A Time-Consuming Process That Adds To The Complexity And Length Of The Revision Surgery.

Occasionally, A Controlled “Fracture” Of The Femur (Thighbone) Will Be Performed In Order To Remove A Well- Fixed Stem. The Femur Will Be Put Back Together Once The New Stem Is In Place.

After Removing The Original Implants, Your Doctor Will Prepare The Bone Surfaces In The Pelvis And The Femur For The Revision Implants. In Some Cases, There May Be Significant Bone Loss In These Areas. If This Occurs, Metal Augments Or Bone Graft Can Be Added To Make Up For The Bony Deficits.

Finally, Your Doctor Will Insert The Specialized Revision Implants. Often Multiple Screws Are Required To Hold The New Cup In Place Until Bone Grows In. Your

Doctor Will Test The Motion Of The Joint To Ensure The Implants Are Well-Fixed And That The Ball Is Stable Inside The Socket.

Complications

As With Any Surgical Procedure, There Are Risks Associated With Revision Total Hip Replacement. Because The Procedure Is Longer And More Complex Than Primary Total Hip Replacement, It Has A Greater Risk Of Complications.

The Possible Risks And Complications Of Revision Surgery Include:

Dislocation Infection Blood Clots

Pulmonary Embolism—A Blood Clot In The Lungs Leg-Length Inequality

Heterotopic Ossification—New Bone May Form Where It Is Not Normally Present Fracture

Damage To Nerves Or Blood Vessels

Failure Of The Bone To Attach To The Metal Implant Implant Loosening

Your Recovery In The Hospital

You Will Most Likely Stay In The Hospital For Several Days. Although Recovery After Revision Is Usually Slower Than Recovery After Primary Hip Replacement, The Type Of Care You Will Receive Is Very Similar.

Specific Exercises Will Help Strengthen Your Leg And Restore Function So That You May Begin Walking And Resume Your Other Daily Activities As Soon As Possible After Surgery. You May Have Weight-Bearing Limitations At First, Depending On The Complexity Of Your Surgery. You May Also Be Given Certain Hip Precautions (Positions To Avoid) In Order To Prevent Dislocation.

Summary

The Vast Majority Of Patients Who Undergo Revision Surgery Experience Favorable Long-Term Outcomes. This Includes Relief From Pain, Increased Stability, And Better Function. Complete Pain Relief And Restoration Of Function Are Not Always Achievable, However, And Some Patients May Still Experience Some Pain Or Dysfunction Following Revision Surgery.

Find Out more about Revision Hip Replacement with the following link.