Can you have your hip done again?

[@leemcdermott1770]

Wow .Thanks for that jeramy.very much appreciated.i saw the guys vlog that he did for 2 hips at once that you did for him..unbelievable expertise shown by you and your team.He was so happy to be out of the terrible pain.again thanks so much for this explanation on revistion surgery.

[@Lathamhipsurgery]

Especially for you Lee! Thanks for asking the question. That was an amazing story wasn't it? Having both hips done at the same time is quite a challenge, not just for the patient!

[@CarolAnneChapman]

Very interesting. I'm amazed that there's so much of engineering to hip replacement. Also, I loved the bit about having a "following wind." That certainly helps in all of life! Thanks.

[@Lathamhipsurgery]

Thanks Carol. The thing about orthopaedic surgery that intrigues me most is how brilliantly engineered is the human body. It’s amazing how it adapts to the surgery that we do. Whoever designed us must be very clever!

[@broad405]

But to get to the worn out components the Dr still has to go through the same procedure as he did when replacing the hip,,

[@Lathamhipsurgery]

That's right, but if you can avoid the trauma of removing well fixed components that are still able to function, then this reduces the surgical time and risks to the patient.

[@timcummings6075]

How many revisions can be done before its not possible to revise anymore, and what happens then?

[@Lathamhipsurgery]

Good question. I've revised hips that have been re-done 5 or 6 times before. New materials and devices like custom made sockets and endo-prostheses allow the surgeon to overcome problems where there is massive bone loss as a result of multiple operations and failure. The biggest problem is recurrent infection. Usually it's possible to get rid of it, or keep it supressed with antibiotics. If this doesn't work, you have to take everything out. This is called an excision arthroplasty, or Girdlestone procedure. Occasionally one has to remove the lower limb completely (a hindquarter resection). I've never had to do this in over 20 years as a hip surgeon, thankfully.

[@rodneyevans964]

Watch The Bleeding Edge

[@Lathamhipsurgery]

The regulatory framework in the UK is not the same as it is in the US. Most hip surgeons in the UK use ODEP 10A rated devices and we have the National Joint Registry which has collected data on all of the implants used in hip and knee surgery for nearly 20 years.