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(02) 4943 6600
Based in Newcastle & Maitland, NSW, Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Richard Harbury specialises in hip procedures including Total Hip Replacement surgery, THR, (for arthritis of the hip joint) and Revision Total Hip Replacement (for previously failed hip joint surgery).
A hip replacement involves a surgical procedure to replace part or all of a diseased or damaged hip joint with an artificial substitute-a prosthetic hip joint. The operation to replace or mend a joint is known as ‘arthroplasty’. The aim of a hip replacement is to alleviate pain and restore function in the hip joint.
A hip replacement may become necessary to prevent pain and increase mobility if your hip joint is damaged as a result of disease or injury. The most common cause of hip replacements is osteoarthritis, but the procedure may also be necessary for people with rheumatoid arthritis, osteonecrosis, bone tumours or a fracture or dislocation affecting the hip joint.
You may feel some numbness in the skin around your incision. You also may feel some stiffness, particularly with excessive bending. These differences often diminish with time and most patients find these are minor compared to the pain and limited function they experienced prior to surgery.
Your new hip may activate metal detectors required for security in airports and some buildings. Tell the security agent about your hip replacement if the alarm is activated.
Total Hip Replacement
During this procedure, your damaged hip joint is replaced with implants that recreate the ball and socket of a healthy hip. This can reduce pain and restore your hip function.
Revision Hip Surgery
This surgery is selectively used to improve the function of an existing (but poorly performing) hip replacement by replacing some or all of the previous components.