5 Signs It's Time to Consider a Hip Replacement

Your hip is killing you — and it has been for some time now — but do you really need to go under the knife to feel better?

Deciding to have joint replacement surgery is a big deal, and it isn’t a choice you should make on your own. 

Dr. Nikhil Pandhi has years of experience diagnosing and treating hip pain. He knows when there are more treatments to try and when the only hope is surgery. Everyone is different, and you need an in-depth evaluation with our team to know for sure whether surgery is right for you. In this blog, we share a few indicators that tell us you’re a candidate for hip replacement. Here’s a closer look. 

1. You can’t get through your day (or night)

Hip pain that’s easy to treat conservatively will hurt, but not so badly for so long that you can’t get through your regular routine or sleep soundly at night. 

Advanced hip pain makes it hard to do things like walk, climb stairs, put on shoes, get out of bed, sit or stand for long periods, and get in and out of a car. You may find it difficult or impossible to find a comfortable sleeping position, which impacts your sleeping habits. 

Many of our patients have had to take time off from work or skip events on their social calendars, all at the hands of their hip pain. 

Ultimately, these constant disruptions can wind up taking a toll on your mental and emotional well-being. Talk to us about how hip pain has affected your life, and we’ll guide you toward the right treatment plan. 

2. You’re in constant pain

Hip pain that doesn’t go away ever usually means that it’s progressed beyond the point of no return. Note how severe your pain is and how long it lasts. Those details help us understand at what stage your hip pain is. 

3. Conservative treatments aren’t working

In the past, you may have been able to handle an achy hip with non or minimally invasive treatments, like physical therapy, joint injections, or even over-the-counter pain medication.

But if those strategies have stopped working for you (or never really worked in the first place), your only option for relief may be surgery. 

4. You’ve noticed swelling or a deformity

Sometimes, your hip looks as bad as it feels. Severe arthritis, dysplasia, degeneration, or injury in your hip can cause it to swell and even develop a deformity. Surgery is often the only way to repair the damage in those cases. 

5. The tests say so

Our advanced imaging tests are often the ultimate deciding factor. We can tell quickly just by looking at an image of your hip how advanced the disease, damage, or injury is. Even if you think you can tough it out, the tests may say otherwise. 

Where to go from here

The good news about needing hip replacement surgery is that you’re working with Dr. Pandhi. He offers multiple approaches to hip replacement to ensure we meet your needs. 

For instance, you may be a candidate for outpatient joint replacement. With outpatient joint replacement, you don’t have to spend the night in a hospital and won’t rack up an outrageous bill. Dr. Pandhi performs your operation in an ambulatory surgery center (ASC), allowing you to rest at home the same day. 

Dr. Pandhi also specializes in robotic joint replacement surgery, which gives us incredible control over your operation. With advanced technology, we can pinpoint the exact location of the damage and create strategic incisions to work quickly and efficiently. 

The smaller robotic tools ensure precision and stability during your entire procedure. Our patients also enjoy the following:

• Shorter recovery
• Improved outcomes
• Smaller incision
• Less bleeding
• Lower risk of infection and other side effects

Hip replacement surgery isn’t for everyone, but it may be right for you. Stop slugging through hip pain, and come see us for an evaluation. Call or click to schedule a consultation with Dr. Pandhi today.