Will my legs be the same length after surgery?

Equal leg length is planned on the X-rays and checked again in theatre. A small difference can still remain in some people and is usually managed with a shoe insert. Occasionally the leg has to be made slightly longer to keep the new hip stable; if this is likely, it is discussed before the operation.

How long does a hip implant last?

According to a 2019 analysis of long-term studies and national joint registries, roughly 9 out of 10 hip replacements were still working 15 years after the operation, and just over half had lasted 25 years. For any one person, the bearing material, weight, activity level and implant position all affect how long it keeps working. A worn implant can usually be revised.

Can I sit on the floor after hip replacement?

Not in the first weeks. Sitting on the floor, sitting cross-legged, squatting and very low seats bend the new hip into positions that can make it dislocate while the tissues around it heal. Some people return to certain floor-level activities later, but this differs from person to person and should be agreed with your surgeon first.

Is hip replacement urgent after a hip fracture?

Surgery for a broken hip is urgent in most cases, although not every hip fracture needs a replacement; breaks lower down the thigh bone are usually fixed with a nail, plate or screws. The UK's NICE guideline advises operating on the same day as admission or the next day, because an older person who stays in bed for long becomes more likely to develop pneumonia, clots in the leg veins and bedsores. When a fracture of the neck of the femur is displaced in an older person, replacing the ball is often more reliable than fixing the fracture with screws.

Hip Replacement Surgery in Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Restoring the Hip, Matched to What Damaged It

A hip replacement is usually advised when a damaged hip joint causes groin pain, stiffness or a limp that keeps limiting walking, sleep or simple tasks such as putting on socks, and medicines and physiotherapy no longer help. It is also a common treatment when an older person falls and breaks the hip just below the ball. In the operation, the damaged ball of the joint, and the socket if it is worn, are replaced with artificial parts. At PMG Hospital in Gota, Ahmedabad, three types are performed: a total hip replacement, a partial hip replacement (hemiarthroplasty) and a revision of an earlier hip replacement. After a total hip replacement, most people go home in two to four days and walk without support within about three to six weeks; recovery after a fracture or a revision usually takes longer.

The implant

How Does an Artificial Hip Work?

Hip Replacement at PMG Hospital, Gota, Ahmedabad

An artificial hip copies the natural joint, a rounded head turning inside a cup-shaped hollow, using a few parts that fit together:

Part	Where it goes	Usually made of
Stem	Inside the upper part of the thigh bone (femur)	Metal alloy
Head (ball)	On top of the stem	Ceramic or metal
Cup	In the socket of the pelvis	A metal shell holding a liner (uncemented), or polyethylene alone (cemented)
Liner	Inside a metal-shell cup, where the head moves	Polyethylene (medical-grade plastic) or ceramic

The parts are fixed either with bone cement or by a tight press-fit, in which the bone grows onto a textured implant surface. In a partial hip replacement, only the stem and head are used, and the person’s own socket is kept.

Types

Three Types of Hip Replacement

Operation	Usually used for	What is replaced	Usual stay
Total hip replacement	Arthritis or avascular necrosis affecting both the ball and the socket	The ball and the socket	2–4 days
Partial hip replacement (hemiarthroplasty)	Mostly a displaced fracture of the neck of the femur in an older person	Only the ball	About 2–5 days
Revision hip replacement	An earlier hip implant that has loosened, worn, dislocated repeatedly or become infected	The failed parts, with lost bone rebuilt	5–10 days

Total Hip Replacement

Both the ball and the socket are replaced. This is the usual operation when arthritis or avascular necrosis has damaged the whole joint.

Total hip replacement

Partial Hip Replacement (Hemiarthroplasty)

Only the femoral head is replaced, most often when an elderly patient has broken the hip and the acetabulum is still healthy. The main aim is to get the person standing and walking again soon after the injury.

Partial hip replacement

Revision Hip Replacement (Redo Surgery)

An earlier hip replacement that has loosened, worn, kept dislocating or become infected is taken out and replaced, and any lost bone is rebuilt.

Revision hip replacement

Causes

Conditions That Damage the Hip

Condition	What happens to the hip
Osteoarthritis	The cartilage of the ball and socket wears away until the bones rub; the most common reason for hip replacement
Avascular necrosis	Bone in the femoral head dies after losing its circulation and then collapses; it often affects adults in their thirties and forties and is linked with steroid medicines, heavy alcohol use, sickle-cell disease and earlier hip injury
Fracture of the neck of the femur	The bone breaks just below the head, usually in a fall; if the broken ends shift, the head often loses its circulation
Rheumatoid arthritis	Inflammation of the joint lining damages the hip, often on both sides and at a younger age
Childhood hip problems	Developmental dysplasia, Perthes disease or a slipped upper femoral epiphysis can leave a hip shape that wears out early in adult life
Ankylosing spondylitis	Inflammation can make the hips very stiff and, in some people, fuse them

Symptoms

Symptoms That Should Be Checked

Deep pain in the groin or front of the thigh when walking or standing
Struggling to wear socks and shoes or to trim your toenails
A limp that has started or is getting worse
Pain at night, especially when turning over
Stiffness that makes getting into a car or an autorickshaw difficult
Hip or groin pain in a young adult who has taken steroids, drinks heavily or has sickle-cell disease

None of these means that an operation is needed. They are reasons to have the hip examined and X-rayed. In a young adult with unexplained groin pain, an MRI scan can show avascular necrosis before the ball collapses.

Before surgery

Before Surgery: What Can Help

Approach	How it helps
Weight reduction	Reduces the load that passes through the hip
A walking stick	Held in the hand opposite the painful hip, it takes some weight off the joint
Exercises for the muscles at the side of the hip	Stronger abductor muscles support the joint and can ease a limp
Pain medicines	Help during painful phases; long-term daily use of anti-inflammatory tablets needs medical advice

These measures can control symptoms in earlier disease, but they do not rebuild worn cartilage or a collapsed ball. In early avascular necrosis, before the ball has collapsed, joint-preserving treatment may be possible, which is why early imaging matters. Once the ball has collapsed, that option usually no longer applies.

Planning

Hip Replacement Operation in Ahmedabad: Step by Step

If your hip replacement operation in Ahmedabad is planned, these are the usual steps at PMG Hospital:

1Implant size, leg length and hip position are worked out in advance on X-rays.
2Blood tests, an anaesthesia assessment and other checks confirm fitness for surgery.
3The surgeon opens the hip from the back, the side or the front.
4The worn femoral head is taken off; in a total replacement, the acetabulum is reamed into shape to hold the cup.
5The stem is placed inside the thigh bone and the new ball is fixed on it.
6Before closing, the surgeon tests how stable the new joint is and compares the leg lengths.

Cemented or Uncemented Fixation?

Patient	Fixation often used	Reason
Younger and active, with good bone	Uncemented (press-fit)	The bone grows onto the implant for long-term fixation
Older, with softer bone	Cemented, or cemented on one side only (hybrid)	Cement gives firm fixation straight away

The surgeon decides for each patient after looking at age, the strength of the bone and how active the person is.

Recovery

Recovery and Getting Back to Routine

Stage	What usually happens
Day of surgery or next morning	First time on your feet, using a walker under a physiotherapist’s guidance
Days 2–4	Home for most people after a total hip replacement
Weeks 3–6	Many people walk without support
Around week 6	Driving again for most people, if the surgeon agrees
Up to about 6 months	Time often needed for full recovery when the hip was badly damaged

Preparing Your Home

A raised toilet seat or commode
A firm chair with arms, so that you do not sink into a low seat
Clear walkways without loose rugs
Everyday items kept at waist height

For the first weeks, avoid bending the hip deeply, crossing the legs and twisting on a planted foot. The physiotherapist shows you how to sit, stand and get into a vehicle safely.

Risks

Risks to Discuss Before Surgery

Infection around the implant
A blood clot in a leg vein, which can occasionally travel to the lungs
The new hip slipping out of joint (dislocation), a risk that is highest early on
A difference in leg length
A crack or break in the thigh bone during or after the operation
Injury to a nerve near the hip (uncommon)
After many years, the implant may wear or work loose and need to be redone

Diabetes, smoking and infections elsewhere in the body increase the risk of infection, so they are treated or controlled before surgery wherever possible.

Cost

Hip Replacement Surgery Cost in Ahmedabad

The cost of hip replacement surgery in Ahmedabad depends mainly on:

The type of operation: total, partial or revision
The bearing materials, such as ceramic or polyethylene
Cemented or uncemented fixation
The room category and the number of days in hospital
Pre-operative tests, the physiotherapy course and check-up visits

A partial hip replacement usually costs less than a total, and a revision usually costs more. PMG Hospital gives a written, itemised estimate once the hip has been assessed. Check your insurance cover with your insurer.

Choosing

How to Choose a Hip Replacement Doctor in Ahmedabad

Whichever hip replacement doctor in Ahmedabad you consult, it is reasonable to check:

The surgeon’s medical council registration number
Qualifications in orthopaedics and training in joint replacement
Whether the choice of implant and fixation is explained for your age and activity
A clear account of the risks, including dislocation and leg length
The physiotherapy plan after surgery

The care team

Hip Replacement Surgery Doctor in Ahmedabad

Looking for a hip replacement surgery doctor in Ahmedabad generally means looking for an orthopaedic surgeon whose training includes joint replacement (arthroplasty), because that surgeon assesses the hip, selects the implant and carries out the operation. Even so, a hip replacement is teamwork, and the people involved vary with the situation, for example a planned operation for arthritis or an urgent one after a fall:

Team member	Part they play in hip replacement
Orthopaedic surgeon	Assesses the hip, works out implant size and leg length on the X-rays, performs the replacement and follows the healing afterwards
Anaesthetist	Confirms fitness for anaesthesia and gives a spinal or a general anaesthetic; a nerve block around the hip may be added for pain relief
Physician or cardiologist	Looks after the heart, lungs, blood sugar and blood pressure; for an older person with a broken hip, helps make them ready for surgery without undue delay
Radiologist	Reports the X-rays, an MRI when avascular necrosis is suspected, or a CT scan when bone loss must be judged before a revision
Microbiologist or infectious-disease doctor	Guides the tests and the choice of antibiotics when an earlier implant may be infected
Physiotherapist	Helps you stand and walk, and teaches safe ways to sit, bend and climb stairs while the hip heals

For an older family member with a hip fracture, carrying a list of every current medicine, along with any recent heart or kidney reports, makes the fitness checks before surgery quicker.

Surgeon

Who Performs the Operation

At PMG Hospital, Gota, hip replacement is performed by:

Field	Detail
Surgeon	Dr. Hiren Patel
Qualifications	MBBS, MS (Ortho), International Fellowship in Joint Replacement
Medical college	B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad (MBBS and MS (Ortho))
Role at PMG Hospital	Director & Head Joint Replacement Surgeon
Registration	Registered Medical Practitioner; Gujarat Medical Council Reg. No. G-20583
OPD	Monday to Saturday, 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM; Sunday by appointment