THR - Total Hip Replacement

 

The operation

 

 

 

In the anaesthetic room adjacent to the operating theatre you will meet the anaesthetist and his assistant(s). If the insertion of a needle worries you at all, let your anaesthetist or his assistant know at this stage.

 

You will be asked to sit or lie on a table. You will be wired up to an ECG machine so that they can check your heart rate, a blood pressure strap will be fitted to your arm, and a clip fitted to a finger to check your oxygen level. A needle is used to insert a cannula (a soft plastic tube) into the back of your hand, this is used to take blood, administer any sedation you want or other fluids.

 

The anaesthetist and his assistant will prepare you for the anaesthetic chosen, follow their instructions and you will soon be ready.

 

For a spinal anaesthetic, the process is to sit on the edge of the table, lean forward with shoulders dropped, and push out the lower back to allow the spine to be felt. A small needle will be inserted into the correct place and the anaesthetic fluid administered. You will be asked to lie down on your back as you start to feel a warm sensation in the legs. They quickly go numb, which will be checked by use of touch or cold. If you have opted for sedation, the anaesthetist will administer the sedation into the cannula. You will soon drift off to sleep and your level of sedation will be checked by the anaesthetist.

 

For a general anaesthetic, the process is to lie on the table, and the anaesthetist will administer the anaesthetic into the cannula. You will soon drift off to sleep and your level of sedation will be checked by the anaesthetist.

 

You will then be wheeled into the operating theatre itself, where you may see trolleys of instruments, and the surgeon and assistants in their protective clothing and face masks. Masks, the clothing and gloves all form part of infection control. The assistants will slide you from the trolley onto the operating table itself, and you will be positioned with the marked leg uppermost.

 

A cloth barrier will be erected between you and your leg. My anaesthetist called it the Blood-Brain Barrier, he said the surgeon was on the 'blood' side, and naturally the anaesthetist was on the 'brains' side. I think this was a bit of an anaesthetists joke.

 

You will not be able to see any of the proceedings of the operation, but the anaesthetist or his assistant will be your constant companion for the whole operation. They will continually check your heart, and blood, adjusting it as necessary and will regularly check the progress of the operation with the surgeon. If you have opted for no sedation, you will be able to hear the various procedures of the operation, but will feel absolutely nothing. If you have full sedation or a general anaesthetic, you will not be aware of anything that is happening to you.

 

Pain medication is also usually injected into the wound site around the acetabulum before the wound is closed up with stitches or clips. This gives a high level of local pain relief immediately after the operation.

 

When the operation is over and your leg has been stitched up using sutures, staples or Dermabond (a medical version of superglue), the blood-brain barrier will be taken down, and you will be moved from the operating table onto a waiting bed and wheeled into the recovery area. This is a special area set aside for patients just out of the operating theatres where nurses can keep a close and continual watch on your status. Your blood pressure and oxygen levels will be closely monitored and recorded. You may be offered a glass of water or a cup of tea. Once they are sure that you are stable, you will be wheeled to the ward to begin your hospital recovery.

 

 

 

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It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely. In particular, any information is not a substitute for professional medical care by a qualified doctor or other healthcare professional.

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Contact: Webmaster (at) thr. org. uk

Page last updated: 22 March 2016 - 13:52