The longevity of a hip replacement prosthesis is generally not dependent on the surgical approach. Instead, the relevant factors are whether the implant is positioned and inserted correctly and the quality of the material used to manufacture the implant. As long as the implant is positioned properly and good materials are used, the implants should last more than 20 years. With newer materials currently being used (e.g quality ceramics), surgeons hope that current implants will last far longer than this and that hip replacements being put in now, will not need to be revised. Reproducible correct positioning of the implants is certainly very attainable via the anterior approach, so anterior hip replacements done well should last a very long time.

The timing regarding your return to work depends on your type of work. After anterior hip replacement, the joint is very stable and you can expect to have little discomfort and be able to return to sedentary jobs very quickly. We commonly have patients that are sitting at a desk in the hospital, dresses normally, seated in a normal chair and able to do office work one day after surgery. Therefore, for office-type work the only real barrier to returning to work is the commute to work (i.e getting there and home). You should plan not to be driving for about 2 weeks after surgery. If you can make other transport arrangements it would be sensible to take a week off work (you may feel a bit tired and run down after surgery) but could return to work the following week. You can work from work from home within days of surgery.

For light jobs that require a bit of walking around (such as a job in retail where you are on your feet for hours), a two-week off period would be sensible.  By that stage, you should be well off crutches and able to walk safely unaided.

For more physical jobs (such as labouring), we advise 4-6 weeks off work. This is because Mr Freedman typically uses new-generation uncemented implants, which are coated with a special surface coating that stimulates the neighbouring bone to grow onto the prosthesis. The benefit here is that once your bone has grown onto the prosthesis the prosthesis will be stable for a very long time (likely forever) and not be exposed to the risk of late loosening as can happen with cemented implants where the cement can eventually dissolve. To not compromise the ability of the bone to grow onto the prosthesis we prefer to jarring, vibrations and sudden heavy impact movements for 6 weeks and therefore advise patients to avoid those sorts of work activities for that period.

The classic advice that surgeons used to give patients after “traditional” hip replacement surgery was that they could return to driving 6 weeks after surgery. However, as surgery techniques have improved these old-fashioned guidelines have been challenged.  Several recent research papers have described that “total brake response times” can recover within days of minimally invasive surgery.

One study reported Day 8 for left-side surgery and Day 14 for right-side surgery, and another paper claimed that brake times were already normalised by Day 2 after surgery.

Mr Freedman therefore adopts the following guidelines to patients: Before returning to driving we want you to (1) Be off crutches and able to walk comfortably unaided, (2) Be off all strong pain medication (3) Be seen by a qualified physiotherapist to have your reaction/response times assessed as safe to drive.  Many patients can achieve this very quickly and some patients even drive themselves to their early post-op check-up appointments – but it’s not a race of a competition. You should be able drive far quicker than the traditional recommendation of 6 weeks, but it is important to make sure that you are safe to do so and each patient will achieve this at slightly different times.

The incision for hip replacement surgery is typically made along the side or back of the hip. The exact location can vary depending on the type of surgery.

The length of the scar usually ranges from 7.5 to 25 centimetres, depending on the type of surgery performed and your individual anatomy. Mr Freedman will discuss the specific details with you prior to the procedure to ensure you are fully informed and comfortable with the plan.