Four Long-Term Benefits Of Total Hip Replacement
Total hip replacement, based on several studies, has been shown to produce immediate benefits to the hip implant recipient. A chance to recover the old quality of life through the elimination of pain and restoration of joint mobility has been the primary benefit. Significant improvements in their sex lives and the opportunity to return to work at the same level of productivity are other benefits derived, as shown by other studies.
Very recently, the results of a new study have shown that long term benefits may be enjoyed as a result of total hip replacement aside from the immediate benefits mentioned earlier. These results were arrived at after the completion of a study conducted by Dr. Scott Lovald on 43,000 patients afflicted with hip osteoarthritis from 1998 to 2009.
These respondents were divided into two groups with one group identified as receiving total hip replacement and the other group composed of patients deciding against surgical interventions. For at least one year, all these patients were followed and around 24,000 of them monitored for the next seven years. Of this number, around 10, 535 had total hip replacement while the other 13,443 decided not to have surgeries and relied on medications and traditional therapies.
Below are the key results of this study:
1. Lower mortality risks were observed on patients who had undergone total hip replacement than those who chose not to have surgical operations. With all variables considered, mortality rate after seven years for those who underwent hip replacement surgeries was determined to be lower by 52 percent compared to those who did not have hip surgeries.
2. While heart failure rate was the same for the two groups for the first year, the risk for those who had hip implants was consistently lower three to seven years after the surgery. Specifically, researchers focused on ailments strongly tied to osteoarthritis such as congestive heart failure, ischemic heart disease, and hardening/narrowing of the arteries or atherosclerosis.
3. The relationship of total hip replacement with diabetes and depression was also included by the researchers since these two diseases are associated with this joint disease. After one and three years, the study revealed that hip implant recipients has significant reduction in the risk of getting diabetes. Hip implant recipients were also found to have reduced risk of depression three years after their hip replacement surgeries.
Without doubt, hip replacement surgeries are benefitting thousands of patients who are suffering from various joint disorders. It is truly heartwarming to see these people having a chance to enjoy life once more after years of enduring pain and misery.
It is very unfortunate that the alarming failure rates of hip implants such as the DePuy ASR hip systems are jeopardizing this opportunity. Severe complications resulting from these implants have been reported by thousands of patients which have led to litigations across the country. For more information about this, you may visit depuysettlements.com.
References:
wimbledonclinics.co.uk/news/thr-reduces-risk-of-heart-failure-depression-and-diabet/
arthritisresearchuk.org/news/general-news/march/hip-replacement-may-reduce-risk-of-heart-failure-depression-and-diabetes