Hip Replacement Surgery: Living Longer and Enjoying it More

A study in Sweden reports that patients who elect to undergo total hip arthroplasty (THA) not only report improved quality of life, but also live longer, compared to other people of comparable age and sex. Study author Peter Cnuddle, MD, with the Swedish Hip Arthroplasty Register, Gothenburg, comments, "Our study suggests that hip replacement can add years to life as well as adding 'life to years'—increasing the chances of longer survival as well as improving the quality of life." Compared to the Swedish population in general, the study found that survival was 1% better in THA patients at 1-year postprocedure, 3% to 5% better at 5 years, and 2% better at 10 years. By 12 years after surgery, no discernable difference in survival rate was noted. The findings were reported in the journal Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research®.

Researchers evaluated 132,000 patients who underwent THA from 1999 through 2012 with an average age of 68 years at the time of surgery. 91% of these had a diagnosis of primary osteoarthritis as the reason for their procedure, and these patients recorded the most significant difference in survival rate, compared to the general population. Factors contributing to lower survival rate post THA included the presence of comorbid conditions, lower educational levels, and single marital status. Dr. Cnuddle noted that “…no surgeon would recommend THA to the patients just to live longer, but it is likely that the chances of surviving longer are associated with undergoing the successful operation, for patients in need of a hip replacement."

Read more about the study findings.

The journal abstract may be read here.