Revision Surgery

REVISION HIP ARTHROPLASTY

There are different types of revision surgery. In some cases, only some components of the prosthesis need to be revised. In other cases, the whole prosthesis needs to be removed or replaced and the bone around the hip needs to be rebuilt with augments (metal pieces that substitute for missing bone) or bone graft.

Damage to bone and soft tissue around the hip may make it difficult for the doctor to use standard primary hip implants for revision hip replacement. In most revisions, the doctor will use specialized implants that are designed to compensate for the damaged bone and soft tissue.

REVISION KNEE ARTHROPLASTY

If your knee replacement fails, your doctor may recommend that you have a second surgery—revision total knee replacement. In this procedure, your doctor removes some or all of the parts of the original prosthesis and replaces them with new ones.

There are different types of revision surgery. In some cases, only one implant or component of the prosthesis has to be revised. Other times, all three components—femoral, tibial, and patellar—need to removed or replaced and the bone around the knee needs to be rebuilt with augments (metal pieces that substitute for missing bone) or bone graft.

REVISION SHOULDER ARTHROPLASTY

Patients with severe pain, restricted range of motion, and poor function after primary shoulder arthroplasty, especially in cases with initially good results that deteriorated over time, should be considered for revision.

The procedure should only be considered after a thorough history, physical examination, and appropriate laboratory studies and imaging have been carried out to delineate the possible causes of failure. Because the causes are often multifactorial, meticulous preoperative evaluation is paramount for success of revision arthroplasty.