Why You’re Experiencing Hip Pain

If you’re experiencing hip pain, it may be caused by osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a type of inflammation in the hip joint that is caused by the loss of cartilage in the joint.

The cartilage in your hip joint acts as a buffer between your pelvic bone and thigh bone, protecting the bones and allowing easy motion between them.

But when the cartilage wears out, the bones contact eaother directly, increasing friction and causing irritation and inflamation.

This is why many candidates for hip replacement surgery feel stiffness and pain in their joints. Their bones are rubbing directly against each other, causing pain and inflamation.

It’s as if the brake pads of your car are worn out, and the brake is rubbing directly against the rotor.

While no one knows exactly why this loss of cartilage occurs, osteorthritis is normal, and is seen in almost half of adults over 65 years old, according to the CDC.

About Hip Replacement Surgery

Hip replacement surgery seeks to relieve osteoarthritis and hip pain by replacing the hip joint.

An orthopedic surgeon removes the affected bone and grafts a replacement joint in its place.

The surgery can take as little as forty-five minutes and is performed under total anaesthesia.

With the latest advancements in hip replacement surgery, most patients experience little to no pain and full mobility after six weeks or less.

What’s Unique About Our Hip Replacement Surgery Process

Dr. Statton’s goal for every patient is to shorten the recovery process and decrease the pain typically associated with joint replacement surgery.

At Northside Hospital he is part of a team that has developed a Fast Track Total Joint Program aimed at this goal.

With a combined effort from Dr. Statton, the anesthesiologist, nursing staff, and physical therapy, most of his patients are able to return home on the same day of their surgery.

What Are the Risks of Hip Replacement Surgery

As with any medical procedure, there are risks. 

Many patients ask me about the risk of dislocation or having to repeat the procedure. Often they’ve heard from a friends or family members who have experienced horror stories from hip replacement surgeries.

The good news is that with the latest advancements in hip replacement surgery, the risks of dislocation is very low

The biggest risk of any surgery is infection, and we go to great lengths to prevent infection, including operating at our outpatient Advanced Center for Joint surgery which allows us to have full control of the environment. 

Hip replacement surgery is an elective procedure. While uncomfortable and often debilitating, osteoarthritis is nonlethal. However, the discomfort can cause other problems, including lack of activity, immobility, and even depression. 

If your hip pain is keeping you from the doing the things that you love—whether that looks like spending time with family, travel, restful sleep, golf, or other activities—my team and I would love to work with you to see if hip replacement surgery would be right for you.

About Dr. Statton

Dr. Statton is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hip and knee replacement for patients suffering from chronic joint pain and arthritis. He helps those on a journey of getting their life back from hip and knee osteoarthritis.

Dr. Statton is a partner in the group Arthritis & Total Joint Specialists. He performs surgery at Northside Atlanta Hospital and Advanced Center for Joint Surgery.

Dr. Statton and his wife live in Atlanta, along with their seven children. He has four biological children and three children adopted from China, and enjoys running, reading, traveling and spending time with his family in his free time.