Rebirth after hip replacement surgery - the healing story of Anna Mohácsi

Author Dr. Szabolcs Gáspár | 2022.03.02.

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Good health and pain-free exercise are essential for a happy retirement. This was the case for Anna Mohácsi until, in the middle of a move, she developed severe hip pain in her lower back and her condition continued to deteriorate. The solution to her illness was hip replacement surgery, which was implanted by Dr. Szabolcs Gáspár, a specialist orthopaedic traumatologist at the Budapest Private Clinic for Musculoskeletal Surgery. The patient and her doctor share their experiences about the diagnosis of the disease, the hip replacement surgery and the subsequent rehabilitation.

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First step to recovery

At Budapest Musculoskeletal Private Practice, we guide our patients through the healing journey - from the first phone call to recovery. We use our great diagnostic tools to diagnose what is causing our patients' symptoms as quickly and accurately as possible. Anna Mohácsi represents the 60 plus age group. In her retirement years, she was struck down this summer by hip pain in her lower back so severe that it could not be postponed. So she took the first step towards recovery and looked for a doctor online:

The first site that came to mind was the Budapest Musculoskeletal Private Clinic. I didn't really know anything about it before. I called the number provided. A very nice lady told me that there was an appointment for that week. I was very pleased as I wanted to make it short. I told her to make an appointment with the doctor who could see me at the earliest. And that was Dr. Gáspár.

Elimination of hip pain

For the relief of hip pain, medication and physiotherapy may be enough, but in the case of Anna Mohácsi hip replacement surgery was needed. Dr Szabolcs Gáspár summarises why the intervention was necessary:

Anna is 67 years old and came to us in August this year with left hip joint pain. Her complaint had started about a month earlier, but her condition had deteriorated rapidly. After the initial symptoms, her left hip pain continued to increase day by day and she came to see us. We took an X-ray of her hip. We found that the reason her hip pain was getting worse so quickly was because she was suffering from a condition called femoral head necrosis.

It can develop when the circulation in the femoral head is disturbed and part of the bone is effectively dead. The head of the femur can then burst. The way I illustrate this to patients is to say that it's like pushing a ping-pong ball in and it stays in. That's what happens with this femoral head disease. It destroys the articular surface and it can cause a very severe pain.

Why is quick decision-making needed?

It's understandable to be afraid of surgery, but advanced joint pain can cause a level of pain and limited mobility that can significantly reduce a patient's quality of life. Thanks to today's modern implants and surgical technologies, the hip replacement surgery results in complete painlessness and, with a little care, it can also be used for sports.

Anna was in a lot of pain, so she quickly decided to have the operation. Together with her family, they decided in just one week that it was no longer worth waiting, and they scheduled the operation with Dr Gáspár. In mid-September, the need for hip replacement surgery arose, and the operation took place on 2 November.

How is hip replacement surgery performed?

Thanks to modern technology, the limb can be loaded very early after hip replacement surgery and the patient's comfort level is as high as possible in the hours and days following the procedure. Dr. Szabolcs Gáspár shares the following information on how this can be achieved:

For Anna, we used an implant system that can be loaded very soon after hip replacement surgery. The surface of the prosthesis is designed to anchor firmly to the bone. And the stem, being collar-shaped, does not sink. This makes it possible to load the leg very early after surgery. Although the patient is asked to use an assistive device in the early stages, he is allowed to step on the operated side limb. This will greatly increase the patient's comfort, speed up mobilisation and thus rehabilitation.

Patient comfort is also increased by the fact that no drains are used during hip replacement surgery, i.e. no system is left behind to drain any discharge or blood from the surgical wound. Instead, at the end of the operation, an injection mixture is injected into the tissues around the prosthesis to reduce bleeding and pain. This minimises post-operative bleeding and reduces the risk of infection

It is understandable to be afraid of the pain you will feel after surgery. This is how Anna talks about her experience:

Don't be afraid, it won't hurt. In fact, the operation is done under anaesthesia, so you don't feel anything. And if you're in a lot of pain before, you can be sure that when you wake up, you won't be. And I think that's what everybody wants: to be the person they were before.

Cementless hip replacement

Given Anna's age and good bone structure, the doctor decided to cementless prosthesis system will be used during hip replacement surgery. The main feature of this type of prosthesis is that the surface of the prosthesis has a special structure so that the bone can grow onto it. For this reason, no bonding material is used between the prosthesis and the bone during the procedure.

Hip replacement surgery without muscle transection

During the operation, Anna underwent hip replacement surgery without muscle transection.
This means that the operation does not involve cutting through the muscle to access the hip joint, but pushing two layers of muscle apart to reach the hip joint capsule. Dr Gáspár explains why this is good:

With this type of exploration, the patient's rehabilitation and mobilisation after surgery is much easier because we do not damage the muscles around the hip. The patient will be able to move around much quicker and easier and can practically get up independently with the help of an assistive device after hip replacement surgery.

How long should I lie down after hip replacement surgery?

In all cases, the aim is to get the patient up as soon as possible after hip replacement surgery, which is usually possible the day after the operation. This was the case with Anna:

When I woke up on the hospital bed 1.5-2 hours after the hip replacement surgery, it was as if I was not the same person. I had no pain whatsoever. I felt a terrible relief to be over it. After the operation, a physiotherapist came to see me the same day, gave me some light exercises, and the next day I was on my feet with one of my roommates. It was very satisfying to take the first few steps, which I did with a walker, but I felt like I was completely reborn. I felt much better than before my hip replacement surgery.

Physical therapy after hip replacement surgery

The physiotherapy key after hip replacement surgery. Rehabilitation starts in the hospital and continues in the patient's home, typically in home care. Anna Mohácsi shares some advice on what to look out for:

What is very important is not to overdo the rehabilitation. So if the physiotherapist tells me to do an exercise five times, I shouldn't do it 15 times, because if I overdo it, it can set me back. At the same time, I recommend that everyone should do physiotherapy every day after hip replacement surgery.

Hip replacement surgery results

Thanks to today's modern surgical techniques, prostheses and experienced professionals, hip replacement surgery results in complete pain-free and well-functioning limbs that can even be used for sports. Anna Mohácsi's quality of life has also improved significantly after the operation:

Yesterday was 6 weeks since the operation. I'm not saying I'm training for a marathon, but it's much easier to walk than before the operation, and I don't need any aids in the house. I feel fine and have no pain. I used to stuff myself with painkillers, but since the operation I haven't had to take any since. I have a new life after 60.

Hip replacement surgery prices

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The hip replacement surgery price depends on the implant used, the time of the operation and any special preparations required. The cost of the operation ranges from 1.890.000 Ft to 2.400.000 Ft. The exact price is always agreed with our patients.

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