Q: According to my doctor, I need my hip replaced to alleviate the pain I am having. What causes the pain in my hip, what is involved in hip replacement surgery, and how long will my new hip last?

Each year, some 400,000 Americans, get new hips, and about the same number get new knees. Orthopedic surgeons also replace wrists, ankles, elbows and even finger joints, but hips and knees top the list. Most likely, the pain you are experiencing is due to arthritis. There are three types: Osteoarthritis results from normal aging; rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that attacks joints; and trauma arthritis results from old injuries, like fractures.

Joint replacement surgery is considered to be very safe, with only one percent of all patients experiencing post-surgical complications, usually from infections. For that reason, every precaution is taken to prevent them. Before surgery, patients must see a dentist and an internist to make sure there are no latent infections lingering in the body, and to ensure they are not anemic. Replacement surgery may require transfusions, so if a person is anemic, they must be built up first. For a few days leading up to the surgery, the patient takes showers with special antibacterial soap, and one hour before surgery begins, IV antibiotics are given. The surgeons wear specially designed helmets and hoods, which resemble those worn by the astronauts, to help eliminate the spread of bacteria.

All replacement surgeries involve...

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