• Hip replacement
• Knee replacement
• Partial knee replacement
• Revision hip and knee replacement

Joint replacement is performed for severe joint disease, which can be caused by:

• Osteoarthritis
  
• Inflammatory arthritis (eg. Rheumatoid arthritis & gout)
  
• Trauma (ie. post-traumatic arthritis)
  
• Avascular necrosis (ie. Loss of blood supply to the bones that make up the joint)
  
• Developmental abnormalities (eg. Developmental dysplasia of the hip)
  
• Infection
  

Joint replacement surgery may be necessary when someone:

• Suffers severe pain & stiffness
  
• Experiences difficulty with walking & using stairs
  
• Has trouble with daily activities, such as putting on shoes and showering
  
• Does not experience relief with non-operative treatment
  

The aim of surgery is to:

• Reduce pain
  
• Improve mobility
  
• Increase the level of function
  
• Improve quality of life
  

A pre-operative assessment will be required before the procedure, to ensure that the surgery can be performed safely. This will typically involve:

• Blood tests
  
• Skin swabs, to determine if you carry any bacteria that are not covered by the routine antibiotics used
  
• Urine tests
  
• ECG
  
• X-rays of the joint to be replaced
  
• Anaesthetic assessment
  

Surgery will require:

• Admission to hospital
  
• Spinal and/or general anaesthesia
  
• Post-operative management of pain
  
• Measures to prevent blood clot formation
  o Mechanical
       - Early mobilisation
       - Thrombo-Embolic Deterent Stockings (TEDS)
       - Sequential Compression Devices (SCDs)
  o Chemical
       - Fractionated heparin injections (eg. Clexane)
       - Oral (tablet) anticoagulants (eg. Xarelto)
• Physiotherapy, to work on:
  o Mobility
  o Joint range of movement
  o Lower limb strength
• Planning for discharge home, with a multi-disciplinary team
  

A small proportion of patients may experience complications, such as:

• Infection
  
• Blood clot formation (ie. DVT)
  
• Loss of blood, requiring transfusion
  
• Joint dislocation
  
• Residual pain
  
• Failure of implants
  

Joint replacement surgery aims to improve function and quality of life. After the surgery, you should be able to comfortably participate in a range of activities, such as:

• Walking
• Swimming
• Light cycling
• Golf

High impact sports can result in accelerated wear of the implanted components, so are discouraged. These include:

• Running
• Football
• Basketball