Renovation Reality
Undergoing Hip Replacement Can Mean Return to Lifelong Activities
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When Nancy Bower felt excruciating pain in her hip, she thought she had pulled a muscle. The 64-year-old Chantilly resident was in her 40s when she started to have trouble doing the things she loved. Activities she took for granted, like walking or climbing up and down a ladder, became painfully difficult. Then one day Bower’s hip locked and she couldn’t move. At that point she knew the pain was more than a pulled muscle, and she decided do something about it.
When Bower was 54, she had her right hip replaced. Her left hip was replaced just six years later. Just two months after her second surgery, she took a two-week trip to Europe during which she visited various tourist attractions — all on foot. “It’s just amazing how quickly you can get back on your feet,” she says. “With my hips there’s no restriction on motion.”
Moving Forward
Your doctor may recommend hip replacement surgery if you experience pain or stiffness that prevents you from doing everyday activities, or if medication, physical therapy or walking supports don’t help. Total hip replacement is designed to give you full range of motion in your hips and to stop chronic pain in the hip joint.
One innovation available is MAKOplasty® total hip arthroplasty or replacement, which uses robotic arm-assisted technology, known as the RIO® Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic System. The RIO enables surgeons to achieve a new level of precision and is designed to restore patient mobility. Most artificial hip joints last 10 to 20 years, depending on your weight, how well your new joint fuses with existing bones and the types of activities you pursue.
“Moderate physical exercise such as walking, swimming, dancing, golf and bicycling are important to maintain flexibility and strength, but high-impact activities that require running and jumping can place stress on the joint,” notes orthopedic surgeon Robert M. Dombrowski, MD. Be sure to talk to your doctor about which type of exercise is best for you.
Just Like New
Hip replacements, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, are one of the most successful surgeries in medicine. Just ask Bower. These days, she enjoys working part-time in a veterinary clinic, painting festival signs for a nearby farm and wallpapering her home. “My hips are just wonderful,” she says. “I don’t even know they’re replacements.”
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