The success of your surgery depends a lot on what you do when you go home. Follow your doctor’s advice about what to eat, what medicines to take, and how to exercise. Talk with your doctor about any pain or trouble moving.
Joint replacement is usually a success in most people who have it. When problems do occur, most are treatable. Possible problems include:
Infection. Areas in the wound or around the new joint may get infected. It may happen while you’re still in the hospital or after you go home. It may even occur years later. Minor infections in the wound are usually treated with drugs. Deep infections may need a second operation to treat the infection or replace the joint.
Blood clots. If your blood moves too slowly, it may begin to form lumps of blood parts called clots. If pain and swelling develop in your legs after hip or knee surgery, blood clots may be the cause. The doctor may suggest drugs to make your blood thin or special stockings, exercises, or boots to help your blood move faster. If swelling, redness, or pain occurs in your leg after you leave the hospital, contact your doctor right away.
Loosening. The new joint may loosen, causing pain. If the loosening is bad, you may need another operation to reattach the joint to the bone.
Dislocation. Sometimes after hip or other joint replacement, the ball of the prosthesis can come out of its socket. In most cases, the hip can be corrected without surgery. A brace may be worn for a while if a dislocation occurs.
Wear. Some wear can be found in all joint replacements. Too much wear may help cause loosening. The doctor may need to operate again if the prosthesis comes loose. Sometimes, the plastic can wear thin, and the doctor may just replace the plastic and not the whole joint.
Nerve and blood vessel injury. Nerves near the replaced joint may be damaged during surgery, but this does not happen often. Over time, the damage often improves and may disappear. Blood vessels may also be injured.
As you move your new joint and let your muscles grow strong again, pain will lessen, flexibility will increase, and movement will improve.
