Hip fractures in the elderly require special attention since this group of patients is at greatest risk for postoperative complications, orthopedic experts say, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the advantages of an early hip replacement. Despite the many people who have acquired postoperative injuries due to hip replacements such as the UK hip replacement recipients suing Depuy, this surgical procedure may benefit the elderly provided that adequate safety measures are carried out.

According to a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, elderly patients with hip fractures and who have undergone surgical procedures at an earlier time were seen to have improved their physical functions better than those who had the operation at a later time. Based on one of the information they have gathered, 14 to 36 percent of the elderly who had their hips fractured die within a year after their injury. For this reason, it is suggested that surgeries be performed within the first 24 hours after the injury.

Surgeons who believe in the early surgical treatment of hip fractures in the elderly claim that this reduces the patient’s hospitalization, thus lowering the chances of developing complications caused by staying too long on bed rest. These include urinary tract infections, pressure ulcers or deep venous thrombosis. Furthermore, some studies also suggested that patients experienced lesser duration of pain when the surgery was immediately carried out.

However, there are also some orthopedic surgeons which say that it is better to make sure that the patient is fit for any possible postoperative complications before giving the surgery, especially when it is a hip replacement procedure. For this reason, they first require their patients to strengthen their immune system and work on their muscles. These are necessary for a faster recovery and for the lower extremities to support the new hip joints.

The study strongly suggests that medically fit elderly patients need to be immediately operated on for a hip fracture surgery within 24 to 48 hours. But, for patients who have any other underlying chronic conditions, a medical clearance need to be secured first to ensure an event-free operation.

Even for elderly patients who have no medical contraindications for surgery, it remains difficult to determine the right kind of treatment within the next 48 hours. Although many surgeons recommend hip replacement procedures for the elderly, the use of artificial hip joint implants are associated with complications that may start to appear as soon as the operation is done. For instance, metallic hip implants, which have mostly been the subject for hip recall law, have been known to require future revisions due to frequent dislocations.

Source:

http://mattaylor.webnode.com/news/advantages-of-early-surgery-for-elderly-patients-with-hip-fractures/

References:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1454713/

ccjm.org/content/76/Suppl_4/S16.full

cmaj.ca/content/182/15/1609.full.pdf+html?sid=630cb616-7f6f-4c8d-8a13-faa740bda784