Am I Too Young for a Hip Replacement?

Not so long ago, joint replacement surgery was viewed solely as a last-resort option for the elderly. People in their prime weren’t considered candidates at all. Instead, they had to deal with long years — and sometimes decades — of chronic pain, as well as the side effects of medications they took to control it.

The fact is that joints can wear down at any age, including in your 30s, 40s, and 50s. New materials and advanced surgical techniques have made joint replacement for all adult age groups not only possible but, in many cases, preferable.

Steven J. Svabek, DO, PA, is a skilled orthopedic surgeon with extensive experience helping patients of all ages regain pain-free movement through joint replacement surgery. If your hips hamper your lifestyle, here’s why hip replacement surgery may be the best solution for regaining mobility and ease.

Today’s hip replacement is less invasive

Originally, hip replacement surgery required an open approach that cut through your muscles to provide the surgeon with full visual and manual access to the joint. That required long incisions, a lot of trauma and bleeding, and a long recovery period.

Dr. Svabek, in contrast, is on the leading edge of using minimally invasive techniques to perform a hip replacement. He makes small, muscle-sparing incisions and uses patient-matched implants.

The end result is that you have far less risk of infection, less blood loss, and a much quicker recovery period. In fact, most of our patients sleep at home in their own beds on the night of their surgery.

You’re back on your feet quickly

In the past, surgeons were cautious about patients becoming too mobile too quickly after hip-replacement surgery. But our minimally invasive surgical approach, better implant technology, and our understanding of how the body heals best allow us to get you up and moving as quickly as possible.

In fact, evidence demonstrates that starting physical therapy (PT) right after your hip replacement surgery shortens recovery time and improves outcomes. When you let your body know that you intend to use the joint right away, it sends in the resources necessary to integrate the prosthesis more quickly.

Even when you’re at home, we encourage you to keep moving under the guidance of a physical therapist. Many people can walk without an assistive device within a few days. However, it may take three months before you can resume all of your normal activities.

Hip replacements last

One reason why surgeons used to be reluctant to offer joint replacement surgery to younger patients was due to the risk that components would wear out. When that happens, the patient has to undergo a second surgery to replace the worn parts.

However, we have found that many hip replacements in adults younger than 50 still perform well after 35 years. In addition, today’s hip replacements are made of better materials. 

Although we can’t fast forward 35 years to ensure that the components still function at top level, we have every reason to believe that these materials will excel in terms of longevity. You might also consider that, even if you get a hip replacement surgery at 40 that requires replacement parts at 80, you’ve gained four decades of pain-free movement.

Ultimately, you determine whether you’re too young for hip replacement surgery or too young to be debilitated by a hip that doesn’t do its job anymore. We do our part by providing you with a full analysis of your hip health and advising whether we think a hip replacement can meet your goals.

If you’re ready for a new hip and a new, pain-free life, contact our team today by phone or with our online message form.