Hip Replacement Surgery in Singapore
The hip joint is a ball-and-socket joint that is formed by the articulation between the femur and the pelvis. The socket area is found inside the pelvis, while the ball part is situated on top of the femur. People who experience persistent pain and limited mobility due to a damaged or worn hip joint are recommended to visit a Singapore hip surgeon to assess whether they require specialised treatments, such as a hip replacement surgery.
What Is Total Hip Replacement Surgery?
Total hip replacement surgery in Singapore, also referred to as hip arthroplasty, is a type of surgical procedure that aims to treat hip pain by replacing the diseased joint with a new, artificial one. Aside from treating pain in the hip joint, this surgery also significantly improves mobility of the joint.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Hip Replacement Surgery?
People who experience significant pain, stiffness and joint damage as a result of serious hip injuries, advanced osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis may be recommended for Singapore hip surgery.
What Are the Different Types of Hip Replacement Surgery Available?
Traditional approaches include the Lateral and Posterior Approach.
Newer Minimally Invasive techniques are now available to perform hip replacement surgery. Dr LS Wang is accredited in and teaches the Direct Anterior and Direct Superior approaches to International and Regional Surgeons.
- Direct Anterior: This is a minimally invasive procedure wherein a small incision of about 3-5 inches is created on the front of the hip, which allows the orthopaedic surgeon to replace the damaged area without affecting surrounding tendons and muscles.
- Direct Superior: This is also a minimally invasive procedure wherein the hip specialist makes a small incision on the upper side of the hip. This enables the hip specialist to avoid or spare vital muscle groups like the iliotibial band and external rotators, which are crucial in bending and walking.
Both techniques are muscle sparing and have been shown to lead to faster and enhanced recovery after hip replacement surgery.
How Do I Prepare for Hip Replacement Surgery?
Pre-operative instructions for patients who are scheduled to undergo hip replacement surgery include:
- Fasting instructions: Patients must follow pre-surgery fasting instructions closely in order to reduce the risk of complications during hip surgery.
- Losing weight: Patients who are obese or overweight may be advised to lose some weight prior to the operation in order to facilitate a quicker recovery.
- Imaging & blood tests: Prior to surgery, the doctor may ask the patient to undergo a series of laboratory and imaging tests to ensure that they are eligible for the procedure.
- Medications: Patients should inform their doctor about all medications they are taking, so that their doctor can advise them if any temporary adjustment may be needed.
- Informing family members: Family members must be told beforehand so that they can accompany the patients during and after their hip surgery. They are also the ones that will help to rearrange the transportation home if possible and make it more conducive for the patient’s recovery.
- Keeping up with physiotherapy: After surgery, patients should keep up with their physiotherapy appointments and exercises to achieve a faster recovery.
- Using walking aids as recommended: Devices such as walkers and crutches may be tailored to the needs of the patient, and the patient should use it properly as advised by their occupational therapist or physiotherapist.
What to Expect During Hip Replacement Surgery?
Hip replacement in Singapore is performed under general anaesthesia or spinal anaesthesia. Once the patient is anaesthetised, the hip doctor will create an incision on the hip and the damaged tissues will either be repaired or removed. The joint is also removed and replaced with the new hip prosthesis implant. The surgery can take about 2 hours.
How Long Does the Recovery Process Take for Hip Replacement Surgery?
After hip replacement surgery, patients may need two to four weeks to recover. However, recovery rates can vary from one patient to another due to factors such as their age, lifestyle, proper adherence to aftercare measures, and other health conditions that they may have.
Dr LS Wang specialises in enhance recovery protocols and utilises minimally invasive approaches such as the direct anterior and direct superior hip techniques to deliver faster recovery for his patients.
Hip Replacement FAQ
How much does hip replacement surgery cost?
There are numerous factors that can affect the cost of hip replacement in Singapore, such as the hip surgeon professional fee, surgical facilities and equipment, cost of anaesthesia and more. This procedure may also be covered by private medical insurance and Medisave.
What are the potential complications of hip replacement surgery?
ip replacement surgery carries a small risk of blood clots, dislocations, fractures and infections. However, these are very unlikely to occur, especially if the procedure was performed by a skilled and qualified hip specialist.
What are the benefits of hip replacement surgery?
The benefits can be life-changing, which includes a greatly improved hip function and pain relief. 85% of hip replacements continue to function at 15 years, allowing patients to enjoy a significant improvement in their quality of life for a long time to come.
- Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2018 Feb; 476(2): 216-229, “John Charnley Award: Randomized Clinical Trial of Direct Anterior and Miniposterior Approach THA: Which provides better functional recovery?” Published online 2018 Jan 17.
- Vol 393, Issue 10172, P647-654, The Lancet: “How long does a hip replacement last? A systematic review and meta-analysis of case series and national registry reports with more than 15 years of follow-up.”
