FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

As a general rule, most patients have a spinal anaesthetic. This involves injecting an anaesthetic agent into the skin of your back and then a needle is introduced into the fluid surrounding your spinal cord. Further anaesthetic and morphine is then injected to anaesthetise and temporarily (6 hours) paralyse the lower part of your body. Once the anaesthetic has taken effect, you will normally be given some sedation or a light general anaesthetic and many patients wake up quite refreshed and pain-free. The main benefits of the spinal anaesthetic include shortening the recovery period from the anaesthesia, pain relief for 6 hours following surgery and earlier active movement of the lower limbs. On occasion, it is not possible to place the spinal needle into the right spot, in which case, a general anaesthetic will be given. On other occasions, patients are worried by the thought of the spinal anaesthetic and prefer a general anaesthetic and this will then always be given. The amount of pain felt immediately after a hip replacement varies from patient to patient and depends on their pain threshold, personality, and expectations. For the first 48hrs after surgery, once the spinal anaesthetic has worn off, the pain can be difficult to control and morphine-like drugs are often required. Unfortunately, one of the side effects of morphine is nausea and vomiting and some patients appear to be more sensitive to morphine than others. As a general rule, by the third postoperative day, most patients realise that the arthritic pain from the hip joint has gone and are aware only of an ache from the surgical incision.