Hip Replacement

Hip Replacement in Turkey

In Hip Replacement surgery, the surgeon replaces damaged hip joint parts with new ones, which are usually made of metal, ceramic, or very durable plastic. This prosthetic (artificial) joint relieves discomfort and enhances function. Hip Replacement surgery also referred to as total hip arthroplasty, may be a possibility if hip discomfort keeps you from carrying out your daily activities and nonsurgical therapies are no longer effective or haven’t worked. Hip replacements are most commonly caused by arthritis-related damage.

Hip arthritis is caused by deterioration of the cartilage in the hip joint. The femoral head, also known as the ball of the joint at the hip, is found near the very top of the thigh bone.

Cartilage serves as the barrier between the ball and the socket (also known as the acetabulum). The ball floats and rotates because the cartilage smooths the socket-ball interface as the leg moves. A thick cartilage labrum stabilizes the socket’s outer rim.

Hip cartilage that is damaged becomes tough. As cartilage thins, bone distance decreases. Extreme bone scraping causes stiffness and discomfort. Contact between bones can also cause bone spurs, which change the form of a bone.

Why Would You Need a Hip Replacement?

You may consider having a hip replacement if your hip discomfort persists despite the painkillers that you take. Also, if walking with a cane or walker increases your hip discomfort, you can prefer hip replacement. Likewise, hip replacement is an option to consider if the patient’s hip discomfort prevents them from sleeping and interferes with their ability to climb or descend stairs.

Conditions that can damage the hip and need hip replacement surgery include:

1. Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis, also known as wear-and-tear arthritis, destroys the slippery cartilage that shields bone ends and facilitates joint mobility.

2. Arthritis rheumatica: Overactive immune systems cause arthritis rheumatica, which destroys joint cartilage and bone, resulting in fractured and deformed joints.

3. Osteonecrosis: Dislocation or fracture may cause inadequate blood flow to the hip joint ball, causing the bone to collapse and deform.

Types of Hip Replacement in Turkey

1.Total Hip Replacement

The most common form of hip replacement surgery (also known as total hip arthroplasty) is total hip replacement. Artificial implants are utilized in this technique to replace worn or broken hip parts. The socket is replaced with a strong plastic cup that may or may not be coated in titanium metal. The femoral head will be replaced with a metal alloy or ceramic ball. The replacement ball is attached to your femur via a metal stem that is implanted into the top of your femur.

2. Partial Hip Replacement

A partial hip replacement replaces only one hip joint femoral head, unlike a total hip replacement. Another name for this treatment is hemiarthroplasty. This therapy is mostly given to elderly people who have hip fractures.

3. Hip Resurfacing

A typical complete hip replacement replaces the injured socket and femoral head with ceramic, plastic, or sometimes metal components. During a hip resurfacing procedure, the femoral head is not completely removed; instead, it is trimmed and then covered with a smooth metal cap. The worn-out bone and tissue inside the socket are taken out and replaced with a metal shell, like in a normal total hip replacement.

What are Hip Replacement methods in Turkey?

 There are three hip replacement surgery methods. The method is where the surgeon will make the incision.

1. Lateral Approach

The lateral method uses the side of the hip. Revision surgeries or more complex treatments are handled using this technique. If the patient has had three, four, or five procedures, has cancer, or just has a special situation, the surgeon will use this approach.

2. Posterior Approach

Another alternative that is frequently used is the posterior procedure. The posterior technique is used to separate the gluteus maximus or your buttock muscle.

The surgeon splits the muscle in the lateral and posterior approaches, and it cannot be sewn back to the bone.

3. Anterior Approach

From the front, the hip is approached. Comparing the anterior method to other procedures, it is preferred because it results in less muscle damage. The skin is sewn together just with the fascia, which covers the muscle. A far speedier procedure and recuperation are possible with this procedure. The anterior technique minimizes the chance of dislocation and increases hip joint stability by not causing muscle splitting, in contrast to the lateral and posterior procedures.

How to prepare for the hip replacement in Turkey?

  • Please inform the medical team about the medicines, vitamins, herbal supplements you use during your medical evaluation.
  • Stop using aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, Vitamin E, herbal supplements, or any medications containing these compounds for two weeks before surgery.  
  • Stop drinking green tea at least 10 days before surgery.
  • It is recommended to refrain from smoking two weeks before and two weeks after surgery. Smoking delays recovery time and can result in scarring.
  • Avoid sun damage two weeks before surgery.
  • Do not eat or drink anything, including water, after midnight the night before your surgery.
  • Arrange for someone to stay with you for the first 24 hours after surgery.
  • If you have any medical condition, please bring all your medical results and reports with you.

You will get an examination with your orthopedic surgeon before the surgery. The doctor will:

  • Ask about your health and medications.
  • Perform a thorough examination of your hip, paying particular attention to the strength of the muscles that surround the joint and the range of motion it possesses.
  • Ask for an X-ray and blood tests. Very rarely, an MRI may be needed.

Before the Hip Replacement

 After you check in for your procedure, you will be asked to remove your clothing and put on a hospital gown. You will be given either a spinal block, which numbs the bottom half of your body, or a general anesthetic, which creates a state similar to sleep. A numbing medicine may also be administered into the joint or around it by the surgeon to help lessen discomfort after surgery.

Day of the hip replacement in Turkey

 The operation will last two hours. During the operation, an IV line will be placed in your hand or arm in the operating room. It is possible to implant a urinary catheter as well. You will either get the whole body (general anesthesia) or epidural anesthesia (below the waist), depending on the recommendations of your orthopedic surgeon and anesthesiologist. The surgeon will properly position you to reach the hip joint and make an incision. The incision area will vary depending on whether the surgeon makes use of a front, back, or side approach.

The surgeon makes an incision above the hip by slicing through the layers of tissue. To remove the femoral head or ball component of the joint, the surgeon makes an incision at the top of the femur. To remove the femoral head or ball component of the joint, the surgeon makes an incision at the top of the femur. A replacement ball is positioned by the surgeon above the metal stem that is placed into the top part of the thigh bone. In other words, the new socket is placed into the pelvic bone. The stem of the ball prosthesis is implanted by the surgeon with or without cement. Then, ceramic replacement heads will be placed on top of femur implants. The worn cartilage is removed from the acetabulum (the socket of the joint), and the surgeon then connects the replacement cup to the acetabulum. The healthy bone is left unaltered while the diseased and damaged bone and cartilage are removed. The layers of tissue will be closed using sutures that are designed to dissolve over time. The top layer of the skin is often sealed using surgical glue.

Following after hip replacement in Turkey

 As your anesthetic wears off, you’ll spend a few hours in recovery. Doctors will monitor your blood pressure, pulse, alertness, discomfort, and medication needs. Deep breaths, coughing, or blowing into a machine may assist in draining fluid from your lungs. Your needs will decide your post-op stay.

What are the potential risks associated with Hip Replacement?

A Hip Replacement is considered a significant surgical procedure that increases the likelihood of experiencing:

  • Blood Clots: Clots can form in the veins of the legs after surgery. This can be dangerous because a piece of a clot could break off and transfer to the lungs, heart, or even brain in very rare cases. This risk can be lowered by taking medicine that thins the blood.
  • Infection: Infections can form at the area of the cut and in the inner tissue near the new hip. Antibiotics can treat most infections, but if the infection is dangerous and close to a new hip, it may need to be removed surgically and replaced.
  • Difference in Leg Length: Surgeons take steps to make sure this doesn’t happen, but sometimes one leg is shorter or taller than the other after surgery on the hip. This can happen sometimes because the muscles surrounding the hip may tighten. In these cases, slowly tightening and stretching these muscles might help. Minor alterations in leg length are usually hard to notice after a few months.
  • Fracture: Areas of the hip joint that are normally healthy could break during surgery. Larger fractures may need wires, screws, metal plates, or bone grafts to stabilize them while minor fractures can be recovered on their own.
  • Displacement: The ball of the new joint can separate from the socket under certain circumstances, particularly in the first few months after surgery. If the hip dislocates, using a brace can be of assistance in maintaining the correct position of the hip. Surgery may be necessary to stabilize the hip if it continues to move out of position.

However, physical therapy and measures to avoid blood clots are among the preventative measures that can be implemented to eliminate the risk factors.

What Can You Expect After Getting a Hip Replacement in Turkey?

The typical length of stay in the hospital is between three and five days; however, recuperation times might vary. Your surgeon will provide you with instructions on how to properly care for your hip when you are ready to go home after having hip surgery. In order to prevent having to bend down or reach up, you should keep your day-to-day requirements at waist level. You should consider buying an elevated bathroom seat and a chair for the shower for your recovery at your home. Initially, a physiotherapist will teach you hip strengthening exercises that you can do with a frame or crutches. An occupational therapy professional will determine if you need home-use tools. You can also join a hip joint rehabilitation workout. Within 6 weeks, you can resume light hobbies or your office job. It is critical to consult with your doctor or physiotherapist to determine when you can resume your normal activities because everyone heals at a different rate.

Cost of Hip Replacement in Turkey

 Notwithstanding their excellent success rates, Turkey’s hospitals are known for their affordably priced treatment options. In the past few years, medicine in Turkey has reached a world-class level thanks to the strong subsidizing of this industry for the industry and the swift implementation of American standards in clinical practice and doctor training.

 The fact that Turkish clinics have earned a variety of international accreditations, such as that granted by the Joint Commission International (JCI), sometimes known as the “Gold Standard of Medicine,” is evidence that these clinics are in line with the high standards of modern medicine.

In Turkey, Hip Replacement is as effective as 95% of the time, and this system costs roughly half as much as its European counterparts. In addition, the average price of basic goods, as well as the cost of food and other needs, are less expensive in this country than they are in the US and the EU.

Hip replacement cost in Turkey varies between $6000 to $16000 depending on the chosen health care facility and the experience of the surgeon.

FAQ

Most of the time, this time is 3 to 5 days. It can be lengthened based on things like the patient's health and mental state.

Hip Replacement in Turkey typically costs between $6.000 and 16.000. It's important to keep in mind that these costs are estimates and that the exact amount will change based on the desires of each patient, surgeon’s experience, and hospitals.

After the operation, patients may suffer from blood clots, infection, dislocation, fracture, difference in leg length, etc.

It is performed under general anesthesia.

The recovery period normally takes approximately 2 months

In most cases, it will take 2 to 3 hours. It can be shorter or longer depending on the patient's health, anatomy, and also the surgeon's and team's experience.

6 weeks after your surgery, you can return to work.

It has a 95% success rate.