Hip Unit

Hip pain can prevent you from living life to the full. With no waiting lists, we can typically offer treatment within two weeks of your initial diagnosis.

Our physiotherapists are here to help you mobilise quickly and safely – and that starts with preparing you for surgery. Our Joint School empowers you to feel more confident in the days leading up to surgery and reduces anxiety on the day.

You will learn how to:

• Get your home ready for recovery after surgery
• Make sure you have the support you need from friends and family
• Use crutches and navigate stairs after surgery
• Move safely after surgery to enhance your recovery

This service is also designed to enhance your recovery after surgery. Three months after your operation, you will attend Joint School again for further support in a friendly and welcoming community environment.

The Stryker Mako robotic-arm system is a state-of-the-art technology that assists surgeons during hip replacement surgery. It has been described as ‘the gold standard’ of hip and knee joint replacement. Since 2006, hundreds of thousands of hip replacements have been performed with robotic-assisted technology globally. The benefits include:

Customised surgical procedures - the Mako system customises surgery to your exact requirements with a pre-op plan and guides. This assists the surgeon during surgery to ensure implants are placed in the optimum position.

New levels of accuracy within the operation - the system allows fine adjustments (as the surgeon requires) to get the most accurate result.

While robotic-assisted surgery isn’t suitable for every patient, these factors can lead to faster recovery times and less post-op pain.

Most hip pain is caused by arthritis or issues in the soft tissue. However, occasionally it can be caused by a medical issue, such as an autoimmune disease (which causes inflammation) or osteonecrosis. In rare instances, pain can be caused by tumours in the pelvis or cancer that has spread to the area.

If hip pain is affecting your daily life, it’s best to book a consultation. That’s because everyone experiences pain differently, so there may be more damage to the joint than you realise. Hip pain can appear on the right or left of your hip or only at night. You may also notice pain or stiffness in the joint (ball and socket) of the hip or find it harder to complete your usual tasks.

Your hip is described as a ‘ball and socket’ joint. It’s formed by the upper part of your thigh bone (the femur) fitting into the part of your pelvis that looks a bit like a shallow cup (this part is called the acetabulum).

This structure gives your hip joint a good amount of mobility but unfortunately means that it’s also susceptible to wear and tear by a number of causes (both injury and bone disease). This wear and tear can result in severe pain and a lack of mobility in your hip.

At Sulis Hospital our two priorities with your hip surgery will be to

• treat you quickly, so that you’re not in pain any longer
• return function to your hip, so that you can carry on enjoying life as soon as possible.

Hip surgery is carried out in our dedicated Hip Unit at Sulis Hospital. Having this specialist unit means that all our staff are experts in their field and can focus on getting you treated and moving again quickly and safely.

The first step to reducing hip pain is to book a consultation. Our experienced clinicians will ask you about the pain you are experiencing and may do a physical examination to explore the hip’s range of motion.

To investigate the source of pain further, you may be referred for an X-Ray, CT scan, MRI or ultrasound scan, depending on whether the consultant suspects deterioration of the bone, developmental defects, tears to the cartilage, or issues in the muscles or tendons. If the source of your pain is particularly difficult to diagnose, you may also require a hip injection. As a specialist unit, we’re able to offer these advanced diagnostic tests in-house for a seamless patient experience.

When you book an appointment with us, you’ll be seen by an experienced orthopaedic consultant. Your consultant will discuss your symptoms with you and go through your previous medical history to gain a clear understanding of your condition.

Your consultant will take a thorough, expert examination of your hip and will probably ask you to move your leg around in various ways. This will help them to understand exactly what the issues are and will allow the consultant to see the range of motion you currently have in your hip and precisely where and when you have discomfort.

Tests to help with diagnosis.

Occasionally your consultant may require certain tests to be carried out to aid diagnosis. In the majority of cases, you'll have your scan on the same day. However, in some circumstances and especially if the test requires specific preparation, we’ll need to arrange the test for another day. (Rest assured, we’ll always schedule it for the earliest possible date as we don’t want you to have an unnecessary wait).

Tests your consultant may want you to have include:

• X-ray of the hip or pelvis
• CT (computerised tomography) scan of your pelvis; this can help the consultant view your bones in 3D.
• MRI scan of your hip or pelvis; this is particularly good when muscular or ligament and tendon issues are suspected.
• Blood test: to check if there are any signs of inflammation or infection that may be causing your symptoms.

These additional tests won’t necessarily be required, and your consultant may want you to have additional tests that aren’t listed above. (Any tests will be thoroughly explained to you beforehand so that you know how the tests will be carried out and why they’re being done.)

We know that having to wait for test results can be frustrating, so you will be pleased to know that we believe in giving you a quick, accurate diagnosis following your consultation.

It should be noted that sometimes after this initial consultation your consultant may decide that surgery isn’t right for you. Your consultant may recommend treatment such as physiotherapy to manage the condition.

If surgery is right for you, your consultant will talk you through the process and answer any questions or concerns you may have. We want you to be fully informed before any surgery.