Line drawing of surgical steps

• For the surgery you are put on the side, with the normal side down.
• The actual surgery consists of entering the hip joint through an incision on the side of the hip.
• The irregular cartilage of the hip socket (the acetabulum or the cup) is shaved off by power graters. The ball of the hip (the head of the femur) with some of the neck is removed using a power saw.
• The artificial parts are either press fitted to the prepared bones as in the non-cemented design. In the cemented design they are fixed with the help of a substance called bone cement.
• The tension in the hip muscles is adjusted so that the hip is stable.
• At the end of the surgery, the wound is thoroughly washed with antiseptic solution.
• A thin plastic tube is inserted in the joint to drain out the blood.
• After meticulously stitching up of the wound, a dressing is applied.
• You are turned to lie flat on the back. A pillow is placed in between the legs to keep the legs separated.
• Please do not remove this pillow and do not bring the legs together. This precaution is necessary for few days.