Although total hip replacement is one of the most successful operations in history the implants sometimes need replacing. More often than not, this is due to the implants “wearing out”. These are usually older plastic sockets that have gradually worn away, perhaps 15 years or so after the original operation. Occasionally there may have been a problem with the position of the components at the original surgery.
There might be bone loss and shortening of the affected leg. The hip may have dislocated on one or more occasions. It may have gradually become more painful again.
Mr Waters’s expertise is in restoring these damaged hips, replacing the damaged bone and correcting the leg length discrepancy. He uses a variety of techniques and prostheses to replace the damaged bone and joint. This includes implanting a bone graft to build up damaged parts and also to replace the bone with artificial substances such as “trabecular metal” which mimics bone. See the pictures below.
Contrary to popular belief there is really no limit on how often a joint replacement can be revised however the modern materials we now use make the need for further revision increasingly unlikely.
Recovery from a revision hip operation can sometimes be a couple of days longer than the first time. In most cases, you should be able to walk straight away. Occasionally we may protect the hip by using crutches or a frame for a few weeks.
