Oftentimes, people that are advanced in age have doubts about major surgeries, such as a hip replacement. However, this really needs to be approached on a case by case basis. While it is certainly true that the average person aged 90 is going to take longer to recover than the average 70 year old, new research indicates that this doesn’t necessarily make hip replacement surgery a bad idea.
New research states that hip replacement surgery might be in the best interest of an individual, but it depends on their overall health, wellness, and fitness levels.
A team of researchers from Charite-University Hospital in Berlin, Germany, looked at data from over 260,000 hip replacement surgeries. Of these, 1,859 of these patients were over the age of 90.
It’s also important to note that the group of patients that were over the age of 90 had a higher rate of complications with their surgery, including death. About 20 percent of people aged 90 and up experienced major complications. Compare this to 10 percent of those 80 to 89 and 6.2 percent of those that were 70 to 79. However, it is also important to note that those that had complications also tended to struggle with other health conditions, too. This included things like clotting abnormalities and cardiovascular illness.
The 90 and up population that had hip replacement surgery tended to have better outcomes than the general population in the same age group. The researchers theorized that this was because patients who were eligible for this kind of surgery already were in better health than those of a similar age.
The researchers concluded that a process for assessing patient health prior to surgery should be implemented in order to ensure that those who go through hip replacement surgery have the positive outcomes that they had hoped for going into the surgery.
The team published their findings in the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
Like any other medical procedure, this should be approached on a case by case basis. You should speak with your doctor and weigh the pros and cons of the surgery alongside your own personal situation.
If you find yourself in a situation where you are contemplating the need for hip replacement surgery for yourself or a loved one, it’s important to work with a team to help make the best, most informed decision possible. This is not a minor procedure, even for younger individuals. Making an informed decision is important.
There are a lot of other pieces that need to be considered, including what after care will look like. For many, long term senior care might be the right choice. If you would like to learn more about how senior care can benefit your family, please get in touch. One of our care team members will be happy to talk more with you about how care can help improve your quality of life.
Your family deserves the best care possible. Surgery like this is meant to achieve that, but each unique situation needs to be taken into consideration. Working with professionals can help you to get the desired results.
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