Even the most basic of surgeries carry some type of risk, and although we as a medical community are getting much better are reducing the risk of complications, no surgery goes as planned 100 percent of the time. With that said, there are a number of things Dr. Botero and his team do to reduce your risk of certain issues during and after your hip replacement procedure. In today’s blog, we take a look at some of the most common complications and risks associated with a hip replacement procedure, and we explain how we work to mitigate those risks.
Preventing Common Hip Replacement Complications
Here’s a look at some common complications associated with hip replacement surgery, and how we work to prevent them. It’s also worth noting that although we say these are some “common” complications, their actual development during or after a replacement operation are rare, and the majority of patients do not experience any of the following issues.
- Blood Loss – During a hip replacement surgery, there will be a small amount of blood loss. This only becomes problematic if excessive bleeding occurs. Dr. Botero uses advanced operative techniques during his hip replacement operations, meaning the incisions are much smaller and there is no need to cut muscles or tendons to perform the replacement, which significantly reduces blood loss during the procedure.
- Blood Clots – Another potential issue is the formation of blood clots. You will be less mobile than normal in the days following your operation, and this lack of movement can contribute to the onset of blood clots in your legs or other parts of your body. Because Dr. Botero uses a more advanced surgical technique, patients are standing and moving hours, not days, following their surgery. Not only does this help to prevent blood clots, but it also helps to speed up overall healing.
- Implant Shifting Or Slight Leg Length Difference – You might not notice if your right arm is ever so slightly longer than your left, but you’ll certainly notice it if one leg is a different length than the other. If the hip surgeon doesn’t get the new hip in precisely the right location, the implant can shift or leave you with a very small but noticeable leg length difference. Dr. Botero uses specific tools and performs constant checks throughout the procedure to ensure every socket, screw and prosthesis is in the exact location it needs to be. He even uses a set of trial heads to ensure perfect fit before securing the new ceramic head on top of the titanium stem prosthesis. Every step is designed to ensure the precise location of every portion of your new hip.
- Infections – Only about one percent of individuals will get an infection related to their new hip within two years of surgery, but when they do develop, they can cause a number of problems. Aside from using professionally cleaned equipment and keeping the operating room as sterile as possible, Dr. Botero also washes your new hip joint with antiseptic solution before closing the surgical site to even further reduce your risk of infection.
We pride ourselves on doing everything in our power to reduce complication risk for our patients undergoing hip or knee replacement. These complications are not fully preventable, but your likelihood of risk greatly decreases when you trust your surgery to Dr. Botero and his team. For more information, contact his office today.
