What is surgery to repair a hip fracture?
Surgery for a hip fracture repairs a broken hip bone. Broken hips are often caused by a fall or other injury. Some kinds of broken bones heal on their own in a cast. But a broken hip is not likely to heal well without surgery.
Doctors usually use general anesthesia for hip fracture surgeries, which means you'll be asleep during surgery. But sometimes they use regional anesthesia, which means you can't feel the area of the surgery and you are sleepy but awake. The choice depends on your doctor, on your overall health, and, to some degree, on what you prefer.
The doctor makes one or two cuts over the broken bone in your hip. These cuts are called incisions. Then the doctor moves the pieces of bone back into the right position. The doctor uses metal pins, screws, rods, or plates to hold the pieces together while the bone heals. During the surgery, the doctor may use X-rays to see if the pins and plate are in the correct place. After the pieces of bone are lined up, the doctor stitches or staples the incision closed. The incisions leave scars that fade with time.
You will probably stay in the hospital for 2 to 4 days. Your rehabilitation program (rehab) starts when you are still in the hospital. It continues for 6 months or more after surgery. It will take at least 3 months before you can go back to your regular activities. How much time you need will depend on your condition and rehab program.
If you don't have someone to help you at home, you may go from the hospital to a short-term rehabilitation centre or a long-term care centre. For several months, you may need the help of a walker or crutches. After that, you may need to walk with a cane.
Rehab can help you recover more quickly, but it may take 6 months to 1 year for you to fully recover. Some people, especially older people, are never able to move quite as well as they used to. Most people can go back to work in 4 weeks to 4 months. This depends on your condition and the type of job you have.
Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor if you are having problems. It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take.
How do you prepare for surgery?
Surgery can be stressful. This information will help you understand what you can expect. And it will help you safely prepare for surgery.
Preparing for surgery
- Be sure you have someone to take you home. Anesthesia and pain medicine will make it unsafe for you to drive or get home on your own.
- Understand exactly what surgery is planned, along with the risks, benefits, and other options.
- If you take aspirin or some other blood thinner, ask your doctor if you should stop taking it before your surgery. Make sure that you understand exactly what your doctor wants you to do. These medicines increase the risk of bleeding.
- Tell your doctor ALL the medicines and natural health products you take. Some may increase the risk of problems during your surgery. Your doctor will tell you if you should stop taking any of them before the surgery and how soon to do it.
- Make sure your doctor and the hospital have a copy of your advance care plan. If you don't have one, you may want to prepare one. It lets others know your health care wishes. It's a good thing to have before any type of surgery or procedure.
Where can you learn more?
Go to https://www.healthwise.net/patientEd
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