Hip Replacement Surgery

Expert Hip Replacement Surgeons on the North Shore

At Sports Medicine North (SMN), our board-certified, fellowship-trained hip replacement surgeons are experts in hip replacement surgery and recovery, offering advanced solutions including minimally invasive hip replacement surgery, robotic-assisted hip replacement surgery, and same-day hip replacement. With convenient locations in Peabody, Beverly, Newburyport, and Gloucester, we provide personalized orthopedic care for patients on the North Shore.

Whether you’re managing arthritis, recovering from a hip fracture, or dealing with other degenerative joint conditions, our team is dedicated to restoring your mobility and improving your quality of life. We take a comprehensive approach to hip replacement and recovery, offering personalized care and guidance every step of the way to help you achieve the best possible outcomes.

Why Choose Sports Medicine North (SMN) for Hip Replacement Surgery?

We’ve been providing quality joint care to the people on the North Shore for nearly 30 years. In addition to providing world-class surgical care, we take great pride in our approach to hip replacement recovery, providing the guidance and resources necessary to help you heal well.

Fellowship-Trained Surgeons: Our team has advanced fellowship training dedicated to hip surgery and hip replacement recovery, ensuring the best outcomes. Our fellowship-trained hip surgeons perform hundreds of hip replacement surgeries per year. We have outstanding outcomes with low complication rates.
Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery: Our surgeons use advanced techniques to reduce recovery time and improve your hip replacement recovery experience.
Comprehensive Recovery Plans: We ensure that our patients understand what to expect after hip replacement surgery and help guide you through every stage of your recovery, from pain management to physical therapy.

What to Know About Hip Replacement Surgery

Hip replacement surgery is a common and highly- successful orthopedic treatment for severe hip osteoarthritis and other conditions which lead to degenerative changes of the hip joint. The procedure involves removal of the degenerative parts of the hip, and replacement with a prosthetic device. The procedure helps restore mobility and relieve severe pain from arthritis. Not everyone needs surgery to treat their injured hip, but for those who do, there are multiple options available, including various types and approaches.

Types of Hip Replacement Surgery

Total hip replacement: As the hip is a ball-and-socket joint, a replacement typically involves replacing the “ball” atop your thigh bone as well as the “socket,” which is part of the pelvis. THR is the most common type of hip replacement surgery.
Hip resurfacing: This is a less common technique sometimes used for high-demand athletes who need their new joints to withstand large amounts of wear and force.
Partial hip replacement: If the damaged part of the hip is isolated to a specific area, our surgeons may recommend a partial hip replacement where only the ball is replaced. Partial hip replacement is only performed for hip fractures and is not an effective treatment for arthritis.

Approaches (Methods) of Hip Replacement Surgery

When performing a hip replacement, a surgeon can access the hip from different angles. All approaches to the hip have excellent long-term outcomes. Your doctor will determine what type of approach is best for you.

Three common ways to approach the hip joint during the procedure are:

Anterior approach: The surgeon makes an incision in the front of the hip. This approach has been gaining in popularity due to a minimally invasive approach, fewer activity restrictions and precautions, and a faster recovery.
Posterior approach: The surgeon makes an incision at the back of the hip. This has been the most popular approach for quite some time. Many surgeons now use a “soft-tissue sparing” posterior approach that is less invasive and promotes a faster recovery.
Lateral approach: The surgeon makes an incision in the side of the hip. This is sometimes used for hip resurfacing.

Which Conditions Does Hip Replacement Surgery Treat?

The most common condition that patients get hip replacement surgery for is osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis. It is caused by wear and tear of the joint leading to pain and stiffness.
Other conditions that hip replacement surgery may treat include:
- Dysplasia (abnormal shape of the hip ball or socket)
- Hip injury
- Rheumatoid arthritis or other types of arthritis

Who is a Good Candidate for Hip Replacement Surgery?

While hip replacement surgery is very common, the treatment is typically recommended for:

Patients with severe hip damage due to arthritis or injury.
Patients who experience severe hip pain to the point where everyday activities such as walking, climbing stairs, and standing up are painful and difficult.
Patients who have not responded to other treatments like physical therapy, medications, injections, activity modification, or other surgical procedures.

Hip Replacement Recovery: What to Expect

Recovery after hip replacement surgery is a key part of your healing process. Here’s an overview of what to expect during your hip replacement recovery journey:
• Hospital Stay or Same-Day Discharge: Depending on your overall health, social support, and motivation, you may either be discharged the same day (outpatient surgery) or stay overnight for observation.
• Physical Therapy: Physical therapy is often, but not always, part of the recovery after hip replacement. This is typically started in your home shortly after the surgery. Most but not all patients will do outpatient physical therapy for a few weeks after surgery.
• Driving and Return to Work: Return to work and driving ability vary among patients depending on their function, pain, and occupation. In order to drive, you must be off of all narcotic pain medications, and you must test your own ability to react and use the brakes appropriately. This is typically about 2-3 weeks after surgery for the left leg and 3-6 weeks for the right leg. You should not return to driving unless you can operate the vehicle safely.

Total hip replacement: As the hip is a ball-and-socket joint, a replacement typically involves replacing the “ball” atop your thigh bone as well as the “socket,” which is part of the pelvis. THR is the most common type of hip replacement surgery.
Hip resurfacing: This is a less common technique sometimes used for high-demand athletes who need their new joints to withstand large amounts of wear and force.
Partial hip replacement: If the damaged part of the hip is isolated to a specific area, our surgeons may recommend a partial hip replacement where only the ball is replaced. Partial hip replacement is only performed for hip fractures and is not an effective treatment for arthritis.

Three common ways to approach the hip joint during the procedure are:

Anterior approach: The surgeon makes an incision in the front of the hip. This approach has been gaining in popularity due to a minimally invasive approach, fewer activity restrictions and precautions, and a faster recovery.
Posterior approach: The surgeon makes an incision at the back of the hip. This has been the most popular approach for quite some time. Many surgeons now use a “soft-tissue sparing” posterior approach that is less invasive and promotes a faster recovery.
Lateral approach: The surgeon makes an incision in the side of the hip. This is sometimes used for hip resurfacing.

The most common condition that patients get hip replacement surgery for is osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis. It is caused by wear and tear of the joint leading to pain and stiffness.
Other conditions that hip replacement surgery may treat include:
- Dysplasia (abnormal shape of the hip ball or socket)
- Hip injury
- Rheumatoid arthritis or other types of arthritis

While hip replacement surgery is very common, the treatment is typically recommended for:

Patients with severe hip damage due to arthritis or injury.
Patients who experience severe hip pain to the point where everyday activities such as walking, climbing stairs, and standing up are painful and difficult.
Patients who have not responded to other treatments like physical therapy, medications, injections, activity modification, or other surgical procedures.