Hip and knee surgery: Weighing the benefits against the risks

Hip and knee replacements are very common procedures, and for good reason. They offer effective pain relief for people who suffer from arthritis and giving them a new lease of life. 

Here to explain just how this pain relief is achieved for patients, as well as potential side effects, is leading consultant orthopaedic surgeon Mr Sanjay Mulay. 

When should one consider a hip or knee replacement?

Hip and knee replacement surgery is primarily intended to give patients pain relief from the arthritis that they have. Arthritis affects a lot of people and the degrees of arthritis can vary. So, joint replacement should be considered once that patient feels that their pain is affecting their quality of life, their mobility, their walking distance and their sleep. 

All other means of treatment should be exhausted before considering joint replacement surgery. Things like changes in lifestyle, weight reduction and there are lots of other modes of treatment available in the community, which should be thought of first.

Joint replacement should be thought of as a last option to get rid of the pain, because at the end of the day it's an operation and one has to consider the benefits and risks of this.

How beneficial are they?

Joint replacement surgery is extremely beneficial for patients, if done correctly and at the right time and with the right patient, it changes their life. I see patients who come walking on crutches and sticks with severe pain, and I think hip and knee replacement surgery are one of the best operations they can have to get rid of this pain.

We feel that, hip and knee replacement surgery are one of the best inventions in medicine for getting relief for pain. They are extremely beneficial to patients. 

How successful are hip and knee replacements generally?

Hip and knee replacements are generally very successful operations. I think hip replacement surgery is considered to be one of the most successful operations in modern medicine.

The survivorship of these implants nowadays is very good; they can last up to 20 years. The success rate of hip and knee replacement surgery is now more than 90 per cent at 10 to 15 years, and at least 85 to 90 per cent at 20 years. They are an extremely successful means of intervention to get rid of pain for patients.

Are there any potential side effects?

There are potential side effects. At the end of the day, hip and knee replacement is an operation that, and any operation carries its own risks. So, one has to always balance the benefits against the risks.

There is no operation that has been devised that is free of risks, and these risks can be surgery related, or operation related, or patient related.

There are side effects which one has to consider before undergoing this operation, which is why I had said at the beginning that all of the means of other treatment have to be exhausted before considering this operation. 

If you're considering a hip or knee replacement and want expert assistance on the first step of your journey to pain relief, arrange a consultation with Mr Mulay via his Top Doctors profile.