Hip Replacement

Your hips bear the weight of your body and let you walk, run and jump. When arthritis pain limits their movement, you might find yourself enjoying fewer everyday activities.

Hip replacement at a Ballad Health hospital can help you get back in action.

Do I need a hip replacement?

You may qualify for hip replacement surgery if your joint pain:

• Makes it harder for you to walk, bend at the waist or lift a leg
• Continues even while you rest
• Doesn’t go away after physical therapy or pain management

Medical exam

To decide whether hip replacement is right for you, a surgeon will review your medical history, look at how your hip moves and order an imaging test to see inside the joint.

The imaging test shows if cartilage, or cushioning, has worn away between hip bones. Without enough cartilage, your bones rub against each other and cause pain.

What happens in hip replacement surgery?

Your doctor begins hip replacement surgery by removing damaged cartilage and bone from your joint.

Then, he or she then puts in place a metal, plastic or ceramic joint that’s right for your body size, gender and activity level.

Anesthesia will keep you from feeling pain during surgery, which lasts a few hours.

Anterior approach

Most often, surgeons get to the hip joint from the back (posterior) of your body. But you can ask your surgeon if he or she will come from your front side (anterior).

The anterior approach uses smaller incisions, or cuts in the skin, and affects fewer muscles. That reduces your pain, scarring and recovery time after surgery.

Hip resurfacing

Unlike total hip replacement, hip resurfacing doesn’t remove the ball of your joint. Instead, hip resurfacing caps the ball with a smooth covering.

You might qualify for this procedure if you’re younger than 60 and have strong, healthy bones.

Hip replacement revision

Your new hip can last up to 20 years. But a surgeon might need to replace it if:

• You outlive the implant.
• The joint slips out of place.
• High-impact athletic activities wear down the joint.
• You experience a hip infection.

Tell your surgeon if you notice pain, swelling or stiffness after your recovery from surgery. You may benefit from hip revisioning, or a replacement of your artificial joint.

Total, trustworthy joint care

At Ballad Health hospitals, you’ll find complete orthopedic care, support and answers to your questions before and after surgery. And you’ll benefit from hospitals recognized for safe, affordable, high-quality hip replacement services.

What do hip replacement patients say?

“If I had not had hip replacement surgery, I wouldn’t be able to walk. Now, a year later, I’m able to play tennis again, go swimming, walk on the beach, play in the floor with my granddaughter.” – Becky Jones

“It was a life-changing, life-saving event. My advice to anybody’s that’s having the kind of pain that’s restricting what you love to do … is to go to the doctor.” – Bill Chase

Learn more

To find out more about Ballad Health’s hip replacement program in East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, please call:

• Bristol Regional joint replacement center – (423) 844-4308
• Holston Valley joint replacement center – Wanda Salyer, (423) 224-5485
• Johnson City Medical Center hip replacement – Misty Jenkins, (423) 431-6937
• Johnston Memorial orthopedic services – Emily Nutter, (276) 258-3453
• Laughlin / Greeneville Orthopedic Clinic – Ann Neal, (423) 431-2376
• Smyth County Community orthopedic services – Nicole Reasor, (276) 378-2063
• Sycamore Shoals orthopedic services – Lisa Hayes, (423) 542-1394

If the hospital closest to you isn’t listed above, please call (423) 431-6937 for more information.