How to Reduce Your Risk of Complications from Hip Replacement Surgery
Hip replacement is one of the most successful and well-established operations in modern medicine, but like any surgery, it carries some risk. There's a genuine amount patients can do themselves to reduce that risk.
Before Surgery: Optimise Your Health
If you smoke, stopping before surgery — ideally several weeks in advance — meaningfully reduces the risk of wound healing problems and chest complications. Smoking affects blood flow and healing at a cellular level, making this one of the single most impactful changes available to patients.
Managing your weight where relevant can reduce strain on the new joint and lower the risk of certain complications, including infection and slower wound healing. Similarly, keeping any existing conditions such as diabetes well controlled in the run-up to surgery supports better healing and reduces infection risk.
Before Surgery: Address Infections Early
Any active infection elsewhere in the body — dental issues, urinary infections, skin infections — should ideally be treated and resolved before surgery, since these can increase the risk of infection at the surgical site. Your preoperative assessment is the right place to flag anything of this kind.
Reducing Blood Clot Risk
Blood clots (deep vein thrombosis) are one of the more significant risks after hip replacement. Staying as mobile as safely possible after surgery, following any prescribed blood-thinning medication precisely, and wearing compression stockings if advised, all meaningfully reduce this risk.
After Surgery: Follow Movement Precautions
In the early weeks, avoiding certain hip movements — such as crossing your legs, bending the hip beyond a certain angle, or twisting the new joint — reduces the risk of dislocation. Your physiotherapy team will give you specific, personalised guidance on safe movement for your particular procedure.
After Surgery: Watch for Warning Signs
Knowing what's normal versus what needs attention helps catch problems early. Increasing redness, warmth, or discharge from the wound, a fever, or sudden increased pain or swelling should be reported to the practice promptly rather than waiting for a scheduled follow-up.
Attend Follow-Up Appointments
Follow-up reviews aren't just a formality — they're an opportunity to catch and address any developing issues early, when they're generally easier to manage. Attending as scheduled, even if you're feeling well, is one of the simplest protective steps available.
The Role of Surgical Technique
Beyond what patients can control, surgical experience and technique play a significant role in minimising risk. Mr George will discuss your individual risk factors and how they apply to your specific case as part of your consultation and pre-operative planning.
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