Hip Implant Questions

Q: Dr. Eppley,  I HAVE SOME HIP IMPLANT QUESTIONS

1. IS THERE ANY RISK TO DO THE HIP IMPLANT BIGGER 14 CMS X 30 CMS X 4 CMS AS YOU PROPOSSED, (TO DAMAGE A NERVE AND BE DISABLED FOR LIFE)

2. IS THERE ANY PROBLEM DOING HIPS AND BUTT AUGUMENTATION AT THE SAME TIME, CAUSING MAYBE A MULTIPLE SEROMA LIQUID AND THEREFORE AN INFECTION.

3. IS THERE ANY PROBLEM PLACING THE HIP IMPLANT NEXT TO THE HIP JOINT (MOVILITY PROBLEMS)

I APPRECIATE YOUR ANSWERS

A: In answer to your hip implant questions:

1) There are no motor nerves in the area where hip implants are placed.

2) Any time you combine implant procedures, each of which have their own risks of infection and serous formation), the risks are increased. In other words if a single implant has a 10% risk for infection and seroma, for example, if you put four implants in then that risk is increased four fold or a risk of 40%. So yes the more implant you put in the greater the risk of potential problems. 

3) There is no problem having a hip implant placed over the hip joint as they are in completely different tissue planes or levels.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana