FAQ - When do I know I am ready for a hip replacement or hip resurfacing?
This is not an easy question to answer! We are all individuals and tolerate pain, stiffness or the need to take analgesics differently. Some of us are more active than others, and will therefore find hip disease more intrusive earlier in the process.
X-rays tell your doctor or surgeon the diagnosis: they do not necessarily tell him/her when to operate.
In general, however, the 'worse' the X-rays look, the more likely you will need surgery sooner rather than later.
In general, pain waking you at night and a visible limp are good signs that the hip is beyond salvage and needs early surgery. Beyond that, pain that could be described as intrusive or limiting your lifestyle is the best definition one can give.
At the end of the day, it is an individual decision and one in which you should be guided by the surgeon who will eventually be operating on you.
