Hip Replacements & Infection
For people who experience severe hip joint pain, hip replacement surgery may be the only remaining option to relieve discomfort and restore mobility. As with any surgical procedure, the risk of infection is always a major consideration. While the risk of post-surgical infection is statistically low, there are a number of precautions your doctor will take to reduce your exposure to bacteria, along with numerous treatment options if an infection develops.
Advance Precautions
You can minimize your chances of acquiring an infection be making sure you are healthy going into surgery. This will not only reduce your risk of infection, but will help you recuperate faster in the event an infection occurs. Your doctor may also suggest vitamin supplements in addition to exercises to strengthen your leg muscles prior to surgery. Prophylactic antibiotics may be prescribed to ward of potential infections in advance.
Sources of Infection
Although precautions are always taken to reduce the risk of surgical and post-surgical infections, it is impossible to eliminate all risk. On rare occasions, bacteria from outside sources may invade the surgical theater or you may be exposed to bacteria during post-operative care in the hospital.
Another common source of infection is from bacteria that enter the blood stream post operatively through infections in other parts of the body, such as those found in the urinary tract. Post-surgery infections that develop following dental surgery or treatments may also place hip replacement recipients at risk.
Signs of Infection
Catching an infection early is the key to effective treatment. While in the hospital, your nursing staff will insure that any signs of infection are treated promptly. Once you leave the hospital, it is your responsibility to watch for the first signs of infection, since early detection is important to effective treatment. Common signs of infection include redness or pus around the site of the incision or fever and chills accompanied with or without sweats.
Treatment of Infection
There are numerous strains of bacterial infections. Most minor infections that invade the body at the site of the incision are easily treated with broad spectrum antibiotics. For more resistant infections, a culture may be required to determine which antibiotic will be most sensitive to a specific strain of bacteria. Infections that enter the blood stream through infections in other parts of the body pose the greatest risk of serious complications, as bacteria lodges around the implanted prosthetic. This usually requires additional surgery to replace the infected unit.
Conclusion
Each year, more than 193,000 hip replacement procedures are performed in the United States with less than 2 percent reporting serious complications from infection. While hip replacement surgery offers significant improvement in quality of life, it is important to follow your doctor's orders on restrictive movement, in addition to advising health care professionals that you have had hip replacement surgery, since prophylactic antibiotics are usually indicated prior to future medical or dental procedures.
